Quake Champions Shifts to Paid Model, Unlocks All Content for Existing Players

Quake Champions has transitioned from free-to-play to a paid model in a major update launched today by Bethesda. The shift consolidates the game exclusively on Steam, with the Microsoft Store version being retired.

Existing players are protected under the change. They retain access without additional payment, keep all progression and stats intact, and receive all previously locked cosmetic content unlocked automatically. Players who purchased Platinum packs within 60 days of September 23 will receive refunds within a week, except in Japan where local law extends the window to six months.

Xbox and Microsoft Store players can migrate to Steam through a limited-time claim process running from September 23 through October 7, 2026. Players with linked Bethesda and Steam accounts can claim the game directly. Those without a prior Steam account can create one, link it to their Bethesda.net account, and claim access through Bethesda's account linking page, though the process requires a grace period for the access grant to process.

The update removes the free-to-play monetization infrastructure entirely. Microtransactions, in-app purchasing, weekly and event challenges, Platinum and Shard currencies, daily login rewards, and champion progression systems have all been removed. Most vanity cosmetics are now available to all users. Third-party entitlements such as AMD Ruby Nyx, Twitch Rocket Launcher, and Nvidia Pulsar Railgun remain restricted to players who previously owned them. Merit-based rewards like QuakeCon Belts and Golden Crowns are hidden until earned, with Golden Crowns still obtainable through ranked play by reaching Elite Rank.

The patch includes substantial gameplay and technical improvements. A player callvote system allows matches with four or more players to vote on kicking cheaters or abusive players, with each player limited to three votes per match. The level cap increases to Level 999, with players earning 24-hour XP haste bonuses every 10 levels. Player profile levels now display on the in-game scoreboard to identify newer accounts.

Weapon accuracy now displays on the HUD with options to show accuracy for the current weapon or all weapons simultaneously. Enemy and ally outline thickness can be customized with bold options added. Framerate handling has been improved with fixes to the frame-rate limiter's precision and reduced framerate spikes.

Audio fixes address issues with jump, landing, falling, and jumppad sounds that were previously lost through unreliable network packets. These events are now reliable and synthesized client-side when network data fails to arrive within 200 milliseconds. The announcer voice queue system has been improved, and winning, neutral, and losing music in objective and round-based modes like Capture the Flag and Sacrifice has been corrected.

Additional fixes include resolved crash conditions during map loading, an anti-cheat false positive producing Error 103 messages, weapon vanishing when swapping during starting weapon upgrades, and an issue with jumppad sounds playing from incorrect sources. Item pickup behavior has been unified, with weapons, armor shards, power-ups, and flags remaining on the ground for 20 seconds before despawning. Power-up duration now depletes when dropped by players.

New cosmetic items added include QCON 2026 starting weapons, the MOONSTRIKER Rocket Launcher with purple and white shaders, the ERADICATOR Railgun with green and black shaders, Ithagnal's Hell Magic Podium, and five Team Arena clan profile icons.

When asked about implications for the future of Quake Champions or the franchise, Bethesda declined to comment beyond the update announcement.