Quake Champions Turns Into a $10 Game: Battle Pass and Loot Boxes Gone

Nine years after its launch as a free-to-play shooter, Quake Champions is making a complete U-turn with Update 1.31: The 2017 live-service model is being replaced by a classic full-price game for just under ten dollars. id Software is removing almost everything players have criticized the game for over the years – Battle Pass, loot boxes, in-game currencies, and the entire shop.

What does Quake Champions cost now?

As of September 23, 2026, Quake Champions on Steam is available only as a one-time purchase for $9.99 USD. The Microsoft Store version has been completely discontinued, and the game will now run exclusively on Steam. For the purchase price, players will get all Champions and the majority of cosmetic content from 30 seasons unlocked directly, according to id Software's official announcement – completely without additional microtransactions.

What happens to already purchased content and game progression?

Players who have already played Quake Champions before the September 23, 2026 deadline do not have to pay anything extra: These players will automatically receive free access to the new full version, including all Champions and cosmetic items, and their statistics, progression, and rank will be retained. Anyone who has only played through the Microsoft Store so far must link their Bethesda account to a Steam account by October 7, 2026, to retain access – after that, it will only be possible through support on a case-by-case basis.

This also marks the end of a long history: Quake Champions launched in 2017 as a free-to-play arena shooter and was criticized from the outset for its aggressive monetization system. Champions had to be unlocked or purchased, and there were also loot boxes, a premium currency called Platinum, Shards for skins, and later a Battle Pass for each season. Many fans of the classic Quake series perceived this as an alien element in a franchise that historically managed entirely without such systems. The fact that id Software is now removing all of these without replacement is a rare admission that the live-service experiment did not pay off.

What is specifically being removed and what remains?

• Completely removed: Battle Pass and seasonal Battle Pass purchases
• Completely removed: Loot boxes
• Completely removed: In-game shop with real-money microtransactions
• Completely removed: Premium currency Platinum and crafting materials Shards
• Completely removed: Champion progression / unlock system for characters
• Completely removed: Daily login rewards
• Removed: The Microsoft Store version (Steam exclusivity from now on)
• New/retained: One-time purchase price of $9.99 USD on Steam
• New/retained: All Champions and the majority of cosmetic items from 30 seasons are directly included
• Retained: Progression, statistics, and rank for existing players

The announcement came via the official Quake account and makes it clear that id Software is not abandoning the game, but rather repositioning it as a complete product: further major content updates are not announced for now, but the reduced scope is intended to make the game more accessible to new and returning players. For the community, which has complained for years about the prices for individual Champions and skins, this is likely to seem like an overdue decision.

https://x.com/Quake/status/2102821673137319955

Source: PC Gamer

What do you think of this U-turn – will you buy Quake Champions now for $10, or is it too late for you? Let us know in the comments!