In a vibrant display of creativity and community spirit, the Quake community is commemorating the iconic game’s 30th birthday with a series of engaging map jams. Throughout the year, enthusiasts have participated in various themed events, showcasing their talent and passion for the beloved franchise. Recent highlights include two ‘Quickie’ speedmapping jams, a 1024 Jam that challenged creators to design maps within a 1024 units cubed constraint, and a Limits Jam that adhered to the original technical and design limitations of the Quake campaign.
Q30 Deathmatch Jam Unveils New Arenas
Adding to the celebratory atmosphere, the community has launched the Q30 Deathmatch Jam, organized by notable mappers Annihilazor and Infiniti. This latest initiative has yielded a map-pack featuring 22 new arenas, each meticulously crafted for classic Quake gameplay. The maps explore a diverse array of interdimensional settings, from gothic castles and sci-fi kill-zones to an intriguing industrial locale known as The Filth Pit.
Among the contributors are several prominent designers from the fan community, including a collaborative effort titled Overflow, created by Mazu and Makkon. Makkon, who previously organized the successful Quake Brutalist Jam 3, and Mazu, known for designing a standout map in that event—a five-hour mini-campaign with its own narrative—bring their unique flair to this latest project.
For those eager to experience the new maps, the Q30 Deathmatch Jam is compatible with several modern Quake sourceports, such as Ironwail, Netquake, and Nightdive’s Kex port, featured in the Quake Remaster. Players can easily integrate the new content into their existing Quake directory, allowing for seamless gameplay. However, for those looking to engage in online matches via Netquake or QuakeWorld servers, additional steps are required to ensure the maps and necessary files are correctly placed within their competitive multiplayer installations.
In conjunction with these community-driven efforts, a brand new episode for Quake, developed in collaboration with Machine Games, has also been released to mark the franchise’s milestone anniversary. Despite the backdrop of recent corporate challenges at Microsoft, the new episode, titled Dawn of the Machine, offers a remarkable collection of maps and serves as a worthy successor to Machine Games’ previous release, Dimension of the Machine, from 2021.
