Is Quake Champions Still Free to Play? No for new players. Quake Champions moved away from its long-running free-to-play model with Update 1.31 in September 2026 and is now sold as a paid Steam title for $9.99 in the US, with the new package unlocking the game’s Champions and most of its accumulated vanity content.
Existing players are treated differently. Reports quoting the transition FAQ state that people who already owned or had played the free version retain access rather than being asked to buy the game again.
Is Quake Champions Still Free to Play in 2026?
Is Quake Champions Still Free to Play Image Bethesda.
| Player | Current access |
|---|---|
| New Steam player | Purchase Quake Champions; US list price is $9.99. |
| Existing Steam player | Keeps access after the free-to-play transition. |
| Microsoft Store player | The Microsoft Store version has been removed; transition instructions point players toward Steam/account linking. |
The simple answer to Is Quake Champions Still Free to Play is therefore different depending on whether Quake Champions is already in your library. The paid price is for new access after the transition, not a retroactive charge for everyone who played during the free-to-play years.
What Changed With the Paid Version?
The September transition does more than put a price on the store page. The new model removes the old live-service economy around microtransactions, Battle Passes and loot-box-style progression while opening the roster and most vanity content.
That makes the $9.99 package closer to a one-time archive-style purchase of the arena shooter’s accumulated content than the previous free client with rotating monetisation.
Do Existing Players Have to Pay $9.99?
No, based on the transition information available for Is Quake Champions Still Free to Play. Existing owners keep access. If Quake Champions already appears in your Steam library from the free-to-play period, check the library entry before buying anything again.
Players coming from the old Microsoft Store version should pay particular attention to account-linking instructions because the Microsoft Store listing has been removed and the game is now centred on Steam.
Why Did Quake Champions Stop Being Free?
The change arrives as active content development winds down. Instead of maintaining another season-based free-to-play economy, the current package provides the playable roster and much of the cosmetic back catalogue for one fixed purchase.
That context matters for Is Quake Champions Still Free to Play because older search results, reviews and store descriptions spent years correctly calling Quake Champions free. Those pages are now stale for anyone trying to start playing for the first time.
Where Can You Buy Quake Champions Now?
New players should use the current Quake Champions Steam store page and check the regional price displayed for their account. The widely reported US price is $9.99, but Steam pricing can differ by country and currency.
The Microsoft Store version is no longer the current purchase route. If you previously played there, do not assume you need a second full-price purchase without first checking the migration/account-linking information associated with your Bethesda account.
Is Quake Champions Shutting Down?
The answer to Is Quake Champions Still Free to Play changing does not mean the servers immediately disappeared. The paid transition is about access and monetisation, while reports around Update 1.31 describe development winding down rather than an instant server closure.
For a game with years of free-to-play guides still indexed, the key 2026 takeaway is simple: existing players keep playing, while a brand-new player should now expect a paid Steam purchase.
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For players arriving from a search for Is Quake Champions Still Free to Play, the key steps above are the current verified route rather than pre-update instructions that may still appear in older guides.
What Happened to Battle Passes and Microtransactions?
The move away from free-to-play also changes what players are paying for. The new package is described as removing the old Battle Pass and microtransaction structure while unlocking all Champions and most vanity content, so new buyers are not entering the same economy that existed during the free years.
That is another reason the answer to Is Quake Champions Still Free to Play has changed so sharply: the store price and the monetisation model moved together. Older guides describing Champion purchases, seasonal passes or free entry may therefore be outdated in more than one way.
