Quake Champions Drops Free to Play After 8 Years

id Software's arena shooter shifts to a paid Steam listing, unlocking every Champion in the process.

Quake Champions just made a major change. As of September 23, id Software's arena shooter is no longer free to play, moving instead to a paid $9.99 listing on Steam.

The move covers a lot of ground at once. All Champions and cosmetics have been unlocked, and paid microtransactions along with the battle pass have been removed entirely. Steam players were automatically upgraded to the paid version at no cost, and Microsoft Store players can get the same treatment once their account is linked to Bethesda.

Some context worth knowing: Quake Champions launched into early access back in 2017, went free to play in 2018, hit its 1.0 release in 2022, and stayed free right up until this update. Eight years is a long run for that model, so the shift is a real change in direction, not a minor tweak.

Quake Champions is, in my humble opinion, the finest arena shooter out there and this update will hopefully go a long way to preserving it and hopefully will increase player count.