Bethesda teams up with pro-gamers for new Quake Champions

Publisher Bethesda has enlisted the help of pro-gamers in the creation of Quake Champions.

The shooter was unveiled at E3 and is the first Quake game in ten years. The firm then took the game to QuakeCon in August, and allowed professional Quake players to get hands-on with the new title.

I get really weary talking about eSports stuff, only because it is such a buzz word now that everyone seems to drop it when talking about their games,” said Bethesda’s PR and marketing chief Pete Hines. Quake’s DNA is eSports. QuakeCon exists because Quake was a competitive eSports title and we’ve been doing tournaments for decades.

We showed Champions for the first time at this year’s QuakeCon, and we also had behind-closed-doors, by invitation only, play tests with Quake pro players. We had them in to get their feedback and involved them in the process early on. We showed them our maps, our modes, how stuff works… Then we asked: ‘how does it feel? What feedback do you have?’ Because it will be a competitive eSport thing in the way that Quake still is.”

For more from Bethesda on Dishonored 2, Prey and VR, read our full interview with Pete Hines