Quake Champions is tapping a long legacy of fast arena-based multiplayer with its name, but this revival revealed by Bethesda at E3 is tweaking the formula in massive ways to make it a little more modern. In what is a rising trend, Quake Champions is adopting the framework of a hero shooter – featuring classes, special abilities and teamwork. It doesn’t sound like Quake really, even though its four revealed characters come straight from its past.
In the latest video since the reveal itself, creative director Tim Willits showcases the game’s first four characters and their abilities. Although there’s no new footage, there’s a better sense of what iD Software are trying to create with this PC exclusive, multiplayer-only title. It still has the Quake name (which itself comes with a twisting, changing history), but it’s not the same strictly arena-based gameplay that you remember.
The Ranger (or QuakeGuy from the original) for example, features a Dire Orb which allows you to teleport instantly to an area (think telefrags from the first Quake). Visor, another character from Quake’s past, features Piercing Sight, which will give you vision through walls and other enemies. Newcomers Nyx and Scale Bearer can blink through enemies and ram into opponents respectively.
You don’t have to think really hard to start drawing parallels between Quakes characters and other recent hero shooters (Nyx and Scale Bearer, for example, sound a lot like Tracer and Reinhardt from Overwatch), but there are some slight differences to the encompassing formula. As a small example, Willits explains that maps will still be littered with weapons that anyone can pick up, which fundamentally changes the way you play a class.
That sounds interesting on the surface, but I’m cautiously waiting to see how it plays out in reality. Balance on that scale can’t be easy, but with the recent triumphs that iD Software has managed to pull off I’m inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt for now.
Last Updated: July 26, 2016
Darren Peach
July 26, 2016 at 14:06
Railguns kill COD noobs good.
Admiral Chief - Check
July 26, 2016 at 14:20
Where is Bastion?
😛
Deceased
July 26, 2016 at 15:02
This is what I was talking about in my initial rant.
Think how touchy people are on the balancing of Overwatch, where you have a set hero, with a set weapon.
It’s possible to either nerf/buff such a character as is necessary of the current meta.
This makes sense.
Now imagine your hero, with his/her abilities, can pick up any weapon.
I don’t see / cannot imagine this to be an easy balancing issue to solve.
DUUUDE!!!
Can you imagine how broken a character like Tracer would be if she could run around with a railgun and a rocketlauncher?
Now imagine that in the hands of a person CAPABLE of playing at that speed?!
Good lord man, you’d spawn and get fragged, spawn other side of the map and get fragged… BY THE SAME FLIPPING HERO!!!
I just cannot imagine this working.
I honestly hope they get it right, whether I play it or not, just purely for the sake that the name “QUAKE” not to be tarnished 🙁
We do joke around with the occasional “QUACK” here and there, but this is one of the granddaddies man, it should not be sullied 🙁
Viking Of Science
July 26, 2016 at 15:38
Have you forgotten that quake 4 already happened?
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
July 26, 2016 at 15:44
Lies, that game never happened 😛
Galbedir
July 26, 2016 at 15:17
aaaaaand my interest is lost. Wanted a good old Arena shooter, like Q3, with today’s graphics and a few cool new features. Not someone hoping onto the Overwatch bandwagon. Got Overwatch for that. kthxbye.
Viking Of Science
July 26, 2016 at 15:37
Just go play the New Unreal Tournament for that, it’s free, (still in development) but free.
R1ker
July 27, 2016 at 07:52
Sorry – I’ve been living under a rock. Where can I get this?
Viking Of Science
July 27, 2016 at 08:23
Go here: https://www.epicgames.com/unrealtournament/
Download launcher
Frag all Day 🙂
R1ker
July 27, 2016 at 08:36
Thank you very much 🙂
RustedFaith
July 26, 2016 at 15:59
yup same here massively disappointing. I will be playing UT4 it seems.