Quake 1996

About

Quake came out on June 22, 1996 for DOS and PC, then for Linux on July 5, 1996 and for Mac on August 28, 1997. On Steam, 97% of 14,103 player reviews are positive (Overwhelmingly Positive). 121 people are playing it on Steam right now, with a peak of 240 in the last 30 days. It is Verified on Steam Deck. The main story takes about 4 hours, doing everything about 15 hours.

Quake is a first-person shooter video game, developed by id Software and published by GT Interactive in 1996 and featured music composed by Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails. It is the first game in the popular Quake series. In the game, players must find their way through various maze-like, medieval environments while battling a variety of monsters using a wide array of weapons.

Story

The player takes the role of a protagonist known as Ranger who was sent into a portal in order to stop an enemy code-named "Quake". The government had been experimenting with teleportation technology and developed a working prototype called a "Slipgate"; the mysterious Quake compromised the Slipgate by connecting it with its own teleportation system, using it to send death squads to the "Human" dimension in order to test the martial capabilities of Humanity.

What is happening now

Quake is the foundational 1996 fast-paced shooter that established id Software's legacy across numerous platforms. The franchise remains part of ZeniMax's core holdings following Microsoft's recent Xbox restructuring. Recent months have brought significant turbulence to id Software, the studio behind Quake and Doom. Major layoffs hit the developer as Microsoft consolidated its gaming strategy around flagship franchises, raising questions about the studio's future capabilities and ability to sustain these legendary series. While official statements have confirmed Quake won't be canceled, veteran developers including id cofounder John Carmack mourned the scale of the cuts. There's also been internal debate over potential shifts away from id's proprietary engine toward alternatives like Unreal Engine. On the positive side, the franchise has received some new content - a 30th anniversary campaign launched for PS5 players through developer MachineGames, and the Tremor map pack became available after an extended development period.