id Software has revealed that it’s been working with MachineGames towards a major free update for Quake, in celebration of the iconic shooter’s 30th anniversary. Titled Dawn of the Machine, the new expansion serves as a direct follow-up to the studio’s previous work on Dimension of the Machine and Dimensions of the Past.
The update delivers a 19-map campaign complete with a dedicated episode hub, a new soundtrack, a brand-new deathmatch map, and tons of hidden secrets. Players will also encounter new enemy variants such as the Rocket Ogre, Demo Dog, and Blood Shambler, alongside an expanded arsenal that includes lightning-infused Super Axes and ricocheting Laser Cannons.
As such, the update is rolling out automatically as a free download for existing owners on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, Steam, Microsoft PC Store, and Game Pass. However, the update is currently unavailable on the Epic Games Store and GOG releases. id notes that players on Epic or GOG in cross-play multiplayer lobbies hosted on updated platforms will receive a “Disconnected from servers” error message until those versions receive the patch.
The update also comes with several engine and quality-of-life improvements, which include improved frame interpolation to reduce input latency and camera drag, independent toggles for weapon and view bobbing, optimized memory usage in menus, enhanced accessibility fonts, and performance optimizations for lighting and shadows.
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PlayStation 5 players also receive fixes for controller vibration and speaker audio in the Scourge of Armagon expansion; for modders, localization strings have been migrated directly into the game’s PAK files, simplifying the process for custom localization overrides.
Finally, it should be noted that players on the Nintendo Switch who host an online multiplayer match of Dawn of the Machine causes the host to disconnect during level transitions, which drops all connected players from the lobby. Switch users are advised to join cross-play matches hosted on other platforms as a temporary workaround while a permanent fix is prepared.