Recent speculation of a possible Quake revival was made a reality earlier tonight at Bethesda’s pre-E3 presser where we got our first look at Quake Champions — or more accurately, the CG trailer for it. Hot on the heels of the Doom reboot that was impressive for how it managed to (mostly) live up to roughly a decade of hype is another modern update of a hugely influential favorite of the FPS genre taken from an era of frantic and fast-paced arena shooters.
With the enormously popular MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) genre in its crosshairs, Quake Champions aims to reimagine the addictive multiplayer of Quake III Arena by introducing a cast of MOBA-style champions, each with their own unique play style and abilities.
After a lengthy hiatus, id Software director Tim Willits hopes to reinvigorate the series in a manner similar to the recent revivals of Doom and Wolfenstein, but this time with eSports in mind. “It’s important to all of us at id Software that Quake Champions remains true to the Quake legacy, and delivers the speed and gameplay our long-time fans expect, while also pressing forward by introducing innovative gameplay opportunities with new Champions and abilities.”
The game has more in common with what Epic is doing with Unreal Tournament than it does the new Doom, with its focus singularly on delivering a multiplayer experience that’s accessible to newcomers without sacrificing the challenge and competitive spirit that’s such an integral part of Quake.
A full reveal of Quake Champions is coming at QuakeCon in August.
What do you think? Is this what you wanted to see from this series, or would you have preferred something with a little more Stroggification?
