QuakeCon delivers a fresh Quake episode

Revealed at QuakeCon‘s welcome stream yesterday, there’s a fresh Quake episode for fans to check out with Dawn of the Machine.

QuakeCon starts off with a bang

Rolling right now, is QuakeCon, the yearly celebration of all things id Software. And as these conventions tend to go, there’s been some gaming news right at its start. No it’s not for a completely new game, though we’ll see what the rest of the con brings. Instead, MachineGames and id have announced/launched Dawn of the Machine.

Not a standalone title, but an all-new expansion for Quake‘s most recent re-release, Dawn of the Machine comes just in time for the first-person shooter’s 30th anniversary. It also follows on the heels of MachineGames‘ previous efforts with the title.

Those releases were Dimension of the Machine and Dimension of the Past, if you’re wondering. And in keeping with both of them, Dawn of the Machine is a free addition to the core of the newest Quake experience.

Dawn of a new Quake episode

Dawn of the Machine takes place in a realm of illusion, where Quake‘s Ranger finds himself tracking down the “Nightmare Machine”. And from the sound of it, he’s got quite the quest laid out in front of him. To that end, fans can look for a beefy total of 19 levels in the pack. Those will bring new variants on familiar enemies, as well as weapon variants, to help even the odds.

While new inclusions sound great, the episode itself sounds pretty darn interesting besides. According to the press release, Dawn of the Machine features “a unique looping campaign structure that unlocks new paths, encounters, and rewards with each return.” There’s plenty more too, as the new levels will feature “a brand-new soundtrack, hidden secrets, a dedicated episode hub, an all-new deathmatch map, and three new achievements to unlock (on applicable platforms).”

In Dawn of the Machine, Ranger finds himself trapped in a dimension of endless illusion and must track down the mysterious Nightmare Machine to finally break free. Along the way, players will shift between dimensions, uncover hidden secrets, and face unpredictable encounters where reality itself is constantly changing. 

Quake is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, and Nintendo Switch (also compatible with Nintendo Switch 2). For more information, please visit Bethesda.net.  

ZeniMax Media press release