Quake Champions Goes Paid, Drops Microtransactions

Four years after full launch, Quake Champions is now a paid game on Steam with no microtransactions, all characters unlocked, and no more content updates.

Remember when Quake Champions was free-to-play with battle passes? That's now a thing of the past. Four years after it left early access, the game has transformed into a completely paid title on Steam, with all microtransactions removed and every Champion unlocked for everyone.

The announcement from id Software and Bethesda calls this "a new chapter" for the shooter. They say: "Along with 30 seasons worth of content to enjoy, all Champions are now unlocked for everyone, and most vanity content is available to equip. Battle Passes and microtransactions have been removed. Quake Champions is now available for one low price on Steam."

Quake Champions has had a rocky history. It started in early access, transitioned to 1.0 in 2022, and at one point even had a price tag before going free-to-play. But the free model didn't bring in the masses. The all-time concurrent player peak on SteamCharts is 17,332, recorded in June 2018. Since then, the community has hovered in the hundreds to low thousands.

That's a shame because Quake is such a pivotal series for first-person shooters. The early releases helped shape and define online multiplayer, and several older installments still have dedicated communities. Now, Quake Champions is getting one final form: a complete package with no ongoing monetization.

It's noted that there will be no more content updates going forward. That's not too surprising given the layoffs and structural changes across Microsoft's games division, including Bethesda and id Software.

For just ten bucks, you get the full roster and most customization items unlocked. Honestly, you could do a lot worse than give this a go. So, will you be picking up Quake Champions now that it's a one-time purchase?