Quake Champions Abandons Free-to-Play Model, Kills Microsoft Store Version Eight Years After Launch

id Software has pulled the plug on its free-to-play arena shooter Quake Champions, converting the 2017 title into a paid product and retiring its Microsoft Store edition entirely — a decisive move eight years after the game’s original release. The studio’s latest chapter arrives via patch 1.31, which strips out every microtransaction and confines the game to Steam, where it now sells for £8.99/$9.99. In doing so, id Software is effectively ending ongoing development on the game, which had long functioned as a live-service experiment rather than a permanent pillar of its catalog.

The new paid version is a comprehensive repackage: it bundles all content from the 30 seasons released over the years, unlocks every hero — the game’s playable “Champions” — for all players, and makes most cosmetic items available to equip freely. Stripped of its monetisation machinery, the update removes battle passes, the in-game store, paid currencies, loot boxes, and login rewards. The interface has been reorganised to delete the free-to-play tabs and sections that once dominated the menu, with character customisation now taking centre stage. The transition also marks the final update the game will receive, as id Software confirmed that no further content is planned.

A Paid Farewell to a Live-Service Experiment

Quake Champions first launched in paid early access in 2017, then shifted to free-to-play in 2018 before earning its full release in 2022. Over that span, id Software layered on new characters, weapons, and a vast array of vanity items drawing on the studio’s storied history. The decision to monetise the game outright now reflects a broader industry reckoning with the sustainability of live-service models, and signals that the title has outlived its original business plan.

“No additional content updates are planned at this time.”

id Software, via Steam

The shift from free-to-play to a one-time purchase is a rare reversal for a title that spent its entire life chasing recurring revenue. It also removes the friction of microtransactions entirely, which may appeal to the dedicated fanbase that has kept the game alive in its later years.

Migration Details and a Tight Deadline

Existing Steam owners will receive the updated, fully-featured version at no cost. Those who bought Platinum within 60 days before 23rd September will be refunded. The Microsoft Store “Xbox on PC” version presents a more complicated migration. Players who had previously played the game before 23rd September and whose Bethesda and Steam accounts were linked will automatically receive a Steam copy within 48 hours. For those whose accounts were not linked — or who never had a Steam account — Bethesda has outlined a manual process: create a Steam account, sign into your Bethesda account, and link the two via the studio’s dedicated page. Once completed, the Steam copy should arrive within 48 hours.

Bethesda has confirmed the account-linking process and the 48-hour delivery window for affected players.

Bethesda

Crucially, this migration window closes on 7th October, giving affected players less than two weeks to complete the process before the Microsoft Store edition is fully retired.

Looking Ahead

Despite its pedigree, Quake Champions never quite reached the audience id Software hoped for. At launch, concurrent player counts on Steam peaked at around 17,476, and the title never arrived on consoles, which further constrained its reach. More recently, daily player numbers have settled around 600, a figure that underscores the game’s status as a niche community title rather than a mainstream hit. With development winding down and the game confined to a single storefront, the remaining player base will have to rely on the final, fully-unlocked version to keep the competitive scene alive. For now, patch 1.31 stands as the game’s last word — a paid, complete, and permanent farewell to one of id Software’s most ambitious free-to-play ventures.