Quake is coming back. Here's how you can be a beta tester
The revived online shooter brings back a '90s classic.
Back in the late 1990s, when I got my start as a serious PC gamer (and game reporter/reviewer), the only online multiplayer shooters worth playing were Quake III and its main rival, Unreal Tournament. The minds behind the Quake series, launched in 1996, were iD Software's legendary game designers John Carmack and John Romero.
That pair was also responsible for the Doom franchise. And while Doom has remained a relevant series, with many game-of-the-year accolades for 2016's installment (simply called "Doom"), Quake has been largely off the radar. Now, a new version of the classic game called Quake Champions is coming from Bethesda, current owner of the series. The new game has just opened up for beta sign-ups, which will allow gamers to test-drive the still-in-development game for free for a limited time.
Champions will rise! The Quake Champions Closed Beta is coming soon. Sign up now! #Quake https://t.co/po2YETraq0 pic.twitter.com/2LXoBJ8PGc
— Quake Champions (@QuakeChampions) March 7, 2017
If you're unsure whether this is for you, Bethesda says, "Quake Champions is a return to the frenetic, fast-paced first-person shooter competition that established Quake as the granddaddy of all multiplayer shooters more than 20 years ago." There's currently a sign-up form for the beta here, and it should launch sometime in the next few weeks.