Victory in Quake Champions is all about building momentum. That philosophy also carries over to Early Access, where we regularly update the game to make it faster, better and more fun than ever! With this new update, Quake Champions receives several new features that benefit newcomers and vets alike, alongside improvements to player progression, loot boxes and game balance.
New Features
Bots!
You asked, and ye shall receive - Bots are now in Quake Champions! Supporting Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Instagib modes, these bots can be used for target practice in the Tutorial, fill in slots in Matchmaking to reduce queue times and even fill in for a player that leaves a match in progress until a new player joins in!
Updated Tutorial
In addition to bot matches for training, new players will enjoy a revamped Tutorial that helps teach the basics of Quake Champions. Once you get your sea legs (strafe legs?) you can try your hand at special Starting Challenges to learn the next level of techniques that’ll help you survive in the Arena.
Continuous Play Flow Updated
Stop waiting, get fragging! After each match, you will now automatically return to the lobby to instantly queue up for your next match. This means less time in menus, more time Quaking!
Gibs!
Another oft-requested feature, a new Gore System has been added to Quake Champions to showcase the ferocious combat and the visceral injury that the Arena doles out. Whether it’s a direct hit from a Rocket Launcher or a point-blank Super Shotgun blast, the game now contextually sends chunks of fragged foe flying to add that little cherry on top to each kill. Enjoy!
Note: Current players may have Gore turned off by default. You can enable gore in the Options > Game menu.
Multi-Mode Playlists
Quick Play in Quake Champions now allows for multiple modes to be played without having to leave the now-continuous Match Lobby. Players vote on what they want to play next between rounds from a list of three options: two selected combinations of mode and map, and one random option.
Killer Cam & Team Health and Armor Stacks
To defeat your enemy, you must first know your enemy! During Unranked matches, the Killer Cam will show freshly fragged players their opponent’s remaining Health and Armor stacks in the Death Screen.
Additionally, the Health and Armor stacks of your allies will be visible in team-based modes, making it easier to know when a friend is on a roll or could use first dibs on that Health pack.
New Progression & Loot Systems
The amount of XP earned in matches has been altered to help players level up significantly faster. Additionally, players who buddy up into parties will also receive an added boost to their XP and Favor earned, making it even sweeter to frag with friends!
On top of a new progression system, Quake Champions now features Haste Potions – consumable items that boost the XP you earn by a whopping 50% for a set period. Between Haste Potions, party bonuses and faster levelling, prepare to earn a lot more loot boxes!
Speaking of which, Backpacks, Chests and Reliquaries now feature a lowered duplicate rate, ensuring that players get more of the cool stuff they haven’t yet earned for their Champions. On top of that, Shards earned from duplicates will now be able to purchase Chests, at the trade-off of no longer being able to craft Armor and Weapon shaders.
Earn Your Champion’s Favor
As the roster of Champions continues to grow, we are making it easier for players to try out – and then own – their favorites. Champion rentals, which allowed players to rent access to a specific Champion for a set amount of time, will now be replaced with a selection of free Champions that rotate on a regular basis.
Furthermore, Champions can now be purchased with in-game Favor in addition to premium Platinum. This means you can get your hands on the latest Champions just by playing!
Balance Changes
In addition to the more on-the-surface improvements, Quake Champions is also receiving some under-the-hood tweaks to improve the overall balance of the game. These changes include alterations to movement speed, health and armor stacks for Light, Medium and Heavy Champions as well as changes to certain weapon statistics and specific Champions abilities. Check out the official patch notes to learn the details about these changes!