Quake has received a substantial free update to mark the shooter's 30th anniversary, adding an entirely new episode called Dawn of the Machine despite no new game being announced at this year's QuakeCon. The episode was created by MachineGames, the studio behind the rebooted Wolfenstein series and 2023's Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which previously collaborated with id Software and Nightdive Studios on earlier episodes for Quake's 2021 remaster. The release arrives amid uncertainty over the future of id Software and MachineGames following Xbox's July layoffs at id Software, which came shortly after the studio shipped DLC for Doom: The Dark Ages.

Dawn of the Machine is a 19-level episode built on the original game's engine, introducing new enemy types and weapons such as the super axe and laser cannon. It is designed for repeat playthroughs, letting players collect runes to unlock new paths while retaining previously earned health and ammo upgrades. The update also adds a behind-the-scenes development vault, additional achievements, a cheats menu, and one new multiplayer deathmatch map, and is now available across all versions of the remaster, including Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Windows PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X.