Into the "dimension of endless illusion" you go

Image credit: Id Software and MachineGames

Yep, it really was that long ago. Classic FPS Quake turned 30 years old as of late June and to mark the occasion its 2021 enhanced version has gotten a free expansion dubbed Dawn of the Machine. Developed by both Id Software and MachineGames, it's all about hunting down a Nightmare Machine across new levels stocked with fresh enemies and weapons.

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"Ranger is trapped in a dimension of endless illusion—reliving the same violent cycles for what feels like lifetimes, dying thousands of times in a futile attempt to escape. Wearied but unbroken, he has heard rumor of The Nightmare Machine," Id and Machine wrote in the notes for the update, which was revealed at this year's QuakeCon. "Beyond the hordes of monsters—twisted by an eternity in the Elder realms—lies the Machine. It is believed its destruction will shatter the illusion, finally breaking the loop."

Dawn of the Machine adds 19 new maps as part of its campaign, with a fresh soundtrack and a new deathmatch map tagging along. In terms of the new enemies, you can expect "deadly new twists on familiar foes, including the Rocket Ogre, Demo Dog, Blood Shambler" with the potential to challenge your killing abilities by leaning into overwhelming you with fire or setting explosive traps. Weapons-wise, there's a Super Axe that shoots lightning and a Laser Cannon with ricocheting projectiles.

Id and Machine are pushing the new episodes' replayability, with hidden secrets to find and plenty of ways the action can be shaken up on a second or third run through a section. Beyond the extra levels, there's a vault of development art and assets from back in the day to browse, a new cheat menu, and a couple of tweaks to how localisation is handled which are relevant to modders.

As of right now, Dawn of the Machine's only available for Steam or Microsoft Store/Game Pass copies of 2021 Quake. "If you’re playing Quake on GOG or the Epic Games Store, you may see a 'Disconnected from servers' message when accepting an invitation from a Steam or console player for Dawn of the Machine episode or maps," Id warned, though the fact they went on to say "the GOG and Epic Games Store versions do not yet include this content" seems to suggest the update'll arrive on those iterations down the line.

Of course, this anniversary and update come as Id Software are in a tough place, having just lost a bunch of staff to Xbox's mass layoffs. Doom: The Dark Ages director Hugo Martin subsequently denied the studio have been "nerfed into the ground" and said that they'll share more about what they're now working on "when it is appropriate and approved".