Quake Champions beta test opens up to everyone later this week

Good news for anyone waiting with slowly diminishing patience to get into the Quake Champions closed beta test: A "large scale tech test" scheduled to get underway on May 12 will open the doors to everyone. During the testing period, which will run until May 21, the game will be kept online 24/7 rather than running exclusively over weekends as has previously been the case.   

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The tech test—basically an open beta—will also mark the debut of the new 4v4 Sacrifice mode. Details on the mode are still thin, but id Software's Tim Willits said in March that it is being developed with an eye toward helping Quake Champions find a meaningful niche for itself on the pro esports scene. 

And finally, Bethesda announced that the Quake Champions NDA will be lifted on May 12 at the start of the new test, meaning that players can stream, capture, and otherwise share their experiences with the game without restriction or fear of being yelled at by the ghost of Graeme Devine. If you've previously signed up for the Quake Champions closed beta, your invitation will arrive sometime prior to May 12, and if you have not, you can do so at quake.bethesda.net

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.