Quake turns 30, and it just got two surprise expansions in one week

Quake, the popular first-person shooter game, celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, game developers id Software and MachineGames released Dawn of the Machine, a free expansion for the original 1996 Quake. The expansion features 19 new maps, a new soundtrack, a deathmatch map, and unused development assets from Quake's early days.

Players control Ranger, the original game's silent marine, in an illusory dimension where time loops back on itself. Familiar monsters are reworked, and players must destroy the Nightmare Machine to escape. Meanwhile, a more unexpected expansion surfaced through a secondhand computer: The Awakening, an unfinished alpha build of Quake 4.

This expansion was found on the hard drive of a vintage PC purchased on Amazon, featuring two new weapons and two new Strogg enemies. The release of these expansions highlights the lasting impact of Quake and the importance of preserving gaming history, even through unconventional means.