Quake Champions has traded its free-to-play model for a paid, Steam-only release. The new version costs $9.99 in the US and £8.99 in the UK, Eurogamer reports, while the Microsoft Store edition has been retired.
The price change does not make existing players buy the game again. In its 1.31 update FAQ, id Software says anyone who previously played on Steam was upgraded to the paid version at no charge. Their profile, ranking and progression remain available when they continue with the same Bethesda.net account.
Microsoft Store players have a more involved route. Those who played before September 23 can receive the Steam version by linking the Bethesda.net account they used for Quake Champions to Steam. id says access can take up to 48 hours to arrive and that its automated linking service runs through October 7. Players who miss that window can ask Bethesda Support to review a request, but the FAQ describes those later grants as case-by-case.
One purchase replaces the in-game economy
The paid release opens every Champion without another charge and makes previously purchasable weapon skins and costumes available through the customization menu. Platinum and Shards have been removed, along with the battle pass, store, loot boxes, login rewards and other microtransactions.
Players who bought Platinum during the 60 days before September 23 are eligible for a refund. The first-party FAQ gives purchases made in Japanese yen a six-month eligibility window under local law. Earned currency does not convert into a new balance because the currencies themselves no longer exist.
Eurogamer says the package gathers content from 30 seasons, turning the current game into a single paid product rather than a storefront wrapped around a free client. The main menu has also been reorganized to put character customization in a more prominent place.
A final chapter without a shutdown notice
The model change also narrows expectations for what comes next. Eurogamer quotes id Software's release notes as saying, “No additional content updates are planned at this time.” That is an end to the current content roadmap, not an announcement that servers are closing.
Quake Champions began in paid early access in 2017, shifted to free-to-play in 2018 and reached full release in 2022. Patch 1.31 leaves it paid again, but with its roster and most of its cosmetic catalog folded into the upfront price. For returning players, the important deadlines and account rules depend on where they played; for newcomers, Steam is now the only storefront.
