QuakeCon returns to the real world this Thursday

For 3 years QuakeCon has been a digital only event, but that dearth of an actual show officially ends this week in Grapevine, Texas.

The ground trembles

In the midst of the pandemic years, Bethesda of course was forced to shut down its premier convention. Along with pretty much every other anything, the central celebration of all things id Software hit ‘pause’ to let the worst subside. Not that it was completely canceled, as a digital event took its place. So there was at least something for fans to check out, even if it was from their own homes.

The same thing happened a year later though, as things were still very much on shaky ground. The physical version of the con was shelved a second time, with an eye towards 2022. But, as events would eventually unfold to see, that show was canned as well, thanks to things opening up too late to organize it. Got all that? Good, because that ‘digital-only’ era is officially over.

Bethesda has announced that QuakeCon is officially back, here in 2023, and will be held at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. The event will kick off this very week, on Thursday, August 10th, and run through Sunday the 13th. If you’re one of the id faithful too, you’re going to want to check out what’ll be on tap.

Even if you can’t go, QuakeCon will still very much be viewable online, thanks to a livestream taking place on opening day, at 1pm eastern time. Representing id will be Marty Stratton and Hugo Martin, as the pair lays out what’s to come for the weekend, as well as reveals a few”special announcements from id Software and AMD”.

There’ll be a bunch of streaming content though, not just the above, and you’ll find a full schedule of it included in the graphic below.

But enough of the digital, because if you’re heading to the show itself, you’re in for a treat. It sounds like everything is back and in full effect, including the four-day-long BYOC LAN party, as well as “Tabletop Village, Free2PlayArcades, Console Village, and more, as well as a partner lounge featuring AMD, Alienware, NVIDIA, V1 Tech, noblechairs, and Ducky”. That’s in addition to the Nvidia Lounge, where fans can compete for prizes via the Ultimate KovaaK’s challenge.

But maybe the best prize of all, is a furry friend to take home.

Charity starts at QuakeCon

Yes, that’s right, id is a pretty charitable bunch, and will be hosting Dallas Pets Alive. What sounds like a very worthy cause, Dallas Pets will be on hand “with cute, fuzzy, furry friends looking for amazing new homes with gamers, and will be accepting donations for their ongoing support of local animals”.

But even if you’re unable to welcome a new pal into your home, you can still support the cause by grabbing one of the shirts that’ll be up for sale.

This year’s highly anticipated DPA fundraising shirts were inspired by Bethesda games including Starfield, Quake II, and Hi-Fi RUSH. These shirts will be available onsite and online beginning Thursday. Stay tuned to our social channels to find out where to purchase online. 

Bethesda press release

DPA won’t be the only charitable organization on hand either, as fans will find 1UpOnCancer, Extra Life, and Trans Lifeline all in attendance.

All that and more

Don’t forget the game in the show’s title. Quake will once again figure into things in a big way this year, and we don’t mean the rumored reboots. The Quake Pro League World Championship will assemble 20 of the best Quake players from around the globe, to battle it out for supremacy.

K1llsen (BIG Clan), Vengeur (Team Myztro), Raisy (Team Myztro), and Rapha (Team Liquid) will all be included, in a series of live-streamed matches that will begin on Thursday, via the Main Stream. Simucasts will be available as well, via the B Stream and a special 4K Stream. Want results? You can get match results, via the official page.

And even that is not all, as there’s a special sale happening too. Bethesda’s QuakeCon Sale will see prices slashed up to 75% on new titles, during the QuakeCon show. Check out the company’s storefront for more on that, and to add a few more games to your collection.