Quake Celebrates 30 Years With Free Dawn of the Machine Campaign and 19 New Maps

Quake is marking its 30th anniversary with a major free expansion called Dawn of the Machine, giving owners of the current version of the game a new 19 map campaign, an original soundtrack and an additional Deathmatch map.

The expansion was developed by MachineGames and is available as a free update for the modern Quake release first issued in 2021.

It is also coming to the console versions of the game, including Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, while cross platform co op support remains available.

Dawn of the Machine adds a full new campaign

Feature	Details
Expansion	Dawn of the Machine
Main campaign	19 maps
Cost	Free for current Quake owners
New soundtrack	Yes
New Deathmatch map	Yes
New enemy variants	Included
Campaign structure	More linear
Cross platform co op	Supported
Required version	Current 2021 Quake release

Dawn of the Machine is designed as a celebration of Quake’s history while still introducing some changes of its own.

The campaign retains familiar elements such as in world difficulty selection, which has been part of Quake’s design language since the original release.

At the same time, the expansion moves away from some of MachineGames’ previous Quake content by using a more linear structure instead of relying heavily on interconnected hub areas.

Visual design borrows some ideas from Quake II

The expansion also introduces visual touches that were not part of the original 1996 Quake.

One example is the use of colored light maps, a graphical technique more closely associated with Quake II.

Each level also receives a new skybox, helping the campaign establish its own visual identity while preserving the darker atmosphere associated with the series.

The result is intended to feel familiar without simply reproducing the original game’s environments.

Current Quake release is required

Dawn of the Machine works with the current version of Quake, which is based on the updated release launched in 2021.

That version modernized the original game while preserving its core mechanics and also brought Quake to a wider range of current and older platforms.

Owners of that release can access the new campaign without purchasing a separate expansion.

The update applies to both PC and console versions.

That includes Steam and PC Game Pass, along with Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Players on supported platforms can also experience the campaign through cross platform cooperative play.

Quake is heavily discounted during the anniversary

The anniversary is also accompanied by significant discounts on the PC version.

Quake is currently available for $3.99, representing a 60% discount.

A bundle containing the wider Quake series is priced at $11.18 for a limited period.

The current Doom + Doom II release is also available for $3.99 and includes additional content developed by MachineGames.

For anyone who does not already own the modern Quake release, the sale provides a relatively inexpensive way to access both the original game and the new anniversary campaign.

MachineGames continues supporting classic id Software games

Dawn of the Machine continues a pattern of MachineGames contributing new material to classic id Software titles.

The studio has previously worked on additional content for both Quake and Doom.

Rather than treating the anniversary as a simple rerelease, the new expansion adds a substantial amount of playable content to a game that first launched three decades ago.

The 19 map campaign is large enough to function as a full new chapter rather than a small bonus episode.

For existing owners, the update adds more value without an additional purchase. For new players, the current discounts make the anniversary a practical entry point into the series.

Thirty years after Quake first arrived, Dawn of the Machine gives the game another substantial campaign while keeping support broad across PC and multiple generations of console hardware.