Bethesda Ditches Divisive Quake Game's Free-To-Play Model in Final Update
Bethesda says the $9.99 version includes all 30 seasons, unlocks every Champion and most cosmetics, and ends ongoing development.
- Developer id Software has transitioned Quake Champions into a $9.99 paid product on Steam with patch 1.31, removing all microtransactions, battle passes, and in-game stores while unlocking every character for players.
- Initially released in 2017, Quake Champions functioned as a live-service experiment that never gained expected traction; the game peaked at 17,476 concurrent players on Steam but lately hovered around 600 daily players.
- The Microsoft Store version is closing, shifting the game exclusively to Steam; players who played before 23rd September can link their Bethesda and Steam accounts to receive a free copy within 48 hours.
- Users have until October 7th to claim their Steam copy through account linking. Additionally, Bethesda confirmed that anyone who purchased Platinum within 60 days before September 23rd will receive a refund.
- Unfortunately, this update represents Quake Champions' final chapter; id Software confirmed that "no additional content updates are planned at this time," signaling the end of active development for the title.
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18 Articles
Microsoft's Quake Champions ditches free-to-play and kills off its Microsoft Store version to go Steam-exclusive eight years after its original release
In an unusual move, developer id Software's free-to-play shooter Quake Champions is transitioning into a paid product, eight years after its original release. As part of the same move, the Microsoft studio is killing off the Microsoft Store version, meaning it's now only available on Steam.
Quake Champions eliminates its free-to-play monetization elements in favor of a $10 box price
You would be forgiven for letting Quake Champions, the free-to-play PvP arena shooter from id Software that released in 2022, slip through the mental cracks. This one never seemed to really catch fire, and by most player accounts was a sort of passing fancy kind of game, which seems to be reflected in its Steam concurrency […]
id Software has published the official frequently asked questions about the update 1.31 of Quake Champions, confirming that, since September 23, 2026, the title has abandoned its free-to-play model to become a payment application sold exclusively on Steam. All users who already played the free version can continue to do so at no additional cost, provided they complete the official platform access process. Players who already used Steam do not ne…
Quake Champions Drops Free-to-Play for Paid Steam Release - Gamereactor
id Software has published the official Quake Champions 1.31 Point Release FAQ, confirming that as of September 23, 2026, the game has dropped its free-to-play model in favour of a paid app sold exclusively on Steam. Anyone who previously played the free version remains eligible to keep playing at no additional cost, provided they follow the platform's official access process.Players who already used Steam don't need to do anything, since their l…
Quake Champions is No Longer Free-to-Play
Quake Champions has had a rather large update, and has moved from being a free-to-play service, to having a one off charge to play. Update 1.31 brings a ton of other big changes too, and we’ve got the full patch notes for you below. Today’s update marks a new chapter for Quake Champions as we […]
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