Quake is free through Bethesda Launcher for QuakeCon 2020, Quake II to follow

By Aaron Mamiit August 8, 2020

Classic first-person shooter Quake is free to download through the Bethesda Launcher during QuakeCon 2020, with Quake II to follow after the online-only event.

Quake, which was developed by id Software, was released in 1996. For the 25th annual QuakeCon, Bethesda is giving away the classic game for free to everyone.

It's the 25th annual #QuakeCon, and to celebrate a quarter-century of #Quake we're giving away the game that started it all during QuakeCon at Home, FREE on the https://t.co/D8K4A0pZAc Launcher! https://t.co/90XO1phAOi pic.twitter.com/CcJlOI9MoA

— QuakeCon (@QuakeCon) August 7, 2020

Players who want to snap up the free copy of Quake will need to log in to the Bethesda Launcher with a Bethesda.net account during QuakeCon 2020. Digital Trends has reached out to Bethesda to clarify the specific time when the offer will end, but the last planned segment for the event is for The Evil Within 2, which starts on August 9, 10 p.m. ET.

In addition to Quake, Bethesda will also be offering Quake II as a free download after accumulated donations to charities surpassed the $10,000 mark. The sequel will also be available through the Bethesda Launcher soon after the event, the schedule for which Digital Trends has also sought from Bethesda.

Players who tune in to QuakeCon 2020 and interact with the official Twitter accounts of Bethesda and the event will also get the chance to win giveaways, which includes video game consoles and gaming accessories.

Doom Eternal expansion

At QuakeCon 2020, Bethesda and id Software teased Doom Eternal — The Ancient Gods, Part One. The campaign expansion, the first for the game, will launch its first trailer at the Gamescom Opening Night Live event on August 27.

Doom Eternal game director Hugo Martin said that the DLC was “very cool” and that it will feel like a “comic book.” The expansion’s title also suggests that more are on the way.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributor

Aaron received a NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was 4 years old, and he has been fascinated with…

Gaming

The Nintendo Switch just got 2 surprise games — and they’re both worth grabbing

A teddy beat sits on an embroidery hoop in Stitch.

If you were unable to catch this week's Nintendo IndieWorld showcase, then you missed a surprisingly loaded show. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes got a May release date, WayForward showed off its Yars' Revenge revival, and Steamworld Heist 2 got an exciting reveal. In the midst of all those headlines, two smaller games were surprise released on the platform: Stitch and Sticky Business. Don't sleep on either of them, as they're both worth a purchase.

Both games are ports of previously released games, but both went a bit under the radar upon their original launch. Sticky Business modestly launched last summer on PC, whereas Stitch has actually been around since 2022 as an Apple Arcade exclusive. The latter even has an Apple Vision Pro version now that can be played in mixed reality. I can't blame anyone for missing either, but their Switch releases offer a good opportunity to catch up with some quiet hidden gems.

Computing

Is this Razer’s Steam Deck killer?

The Razer Kishi Ultra sitting on a table.

Razer has been oddly quiet in the burgeoning world of handheld gaming PCs. When I met up with the company at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) to learn about its new products, I was happy to hear it had an answer to the success of the Steam Deck.

But it was not the type of answer I was expecting.

Gaming

The best iPhone emulators

A collage of the delta emulator.

The market for iPhone games has become so wide and diverse that it can realistically compete with most console and PC offerings. Where we once only got cheap time-wasters, we now have complete experiences that don't feel any less impressive than what the competition offers. In fact, a lot of games made for consoles are appearing on the iPhone now that it is becoming so powerful. However, older games have paradoxically been mostly absent from the app store. That all could be about to change as emulation is now allowed on iPhone, though with some caveats that any retro fan should know about before getting too excited to play all your favorite NES games on your phone. Here's what's up with iPhone emulators, as well as our picks for a few of the best ones you can get right now.
What you need to know about emulation on iPhone
Emulators on iPhone, as well as emulation in general, are in a strange legal gray zone. Previously, the only way to get an emulator on your iPhone was through some workarounds that generally involved jailbreaking your phone, That differs from Android, which has enjoyed native emulators for years. In 2024, Apple updated its App Store guidelines to allow for emulators on its store, but with some important restrictions.

Here's the exact wording: "Apps may offer certain software that is not embedded in the binary, specifically HTML5 mini apps and mini games, streaming games, chatbots, and plug-ins. Additionally, retro game console emulator apps can offer to download games. You are responsible for all such software offered in your app, including ensuring that such software complies with these guidelines and all applicable laws. Software that does not comply with one or more guidelines will lead to the rejection of your app. You must also ensure that the software adheres to the additional rules that follow in 4.7.1 and 4.7.5. These additional rules are important to preserve the experience that App Store customers expect, and to help ensure user safety."