The original upload of this year's QuakeCon schedule appears to suggest that a 'revitalized edition' of id Software's classic FPS, Quake, could be announced at the convention this month.
The schedule features a panel called 'Let's talk Quake', set to go live at 7:30am PT on Friday, August 20. When originally uploaded, the description of this panel stated "Quake is back, in this special stream John Linneman from Digital Foundry talks to Jerk Gustafsson of MachineGames about the title's iconic legacy and what it meant to both of them. The pair will also discuss the additional content MachineGames have contributed to this revitalized edition."
The wording of the panel description has since been altered to remove any mention of a "revitalized edition", but the original version can still be found by using the Wayback Machine to view the schedule on its first upload from August 12.
The mention of a revitalized edition in the panel description, and its subsequent removal, suggests that Bethesda could be set to announce an updated version of Quake at QuakeCon this year, featuring new content developed by MachineGames.
The timing of this does make sense; id Software first launched Quake in June 1996, making this year the game's 25th anniversary. A new version of Quake – be it a remaster, re-release, or something else – would line up with how major gaming milestones are sometimes celebrated, such as this year's release of the original Zelda on a new Game and Watch device for the 35th anniversary. MachineGames also has history with Quake, having previously celebrated its 20th anniversary by releasing a new episode of the game back in 2016.
Happy 20th to Quake @idsoftware! As a gift to the fans, we created a new episode of the game https://t.co/BTgju8tLuI pic.twitter.com/gHlxBgjcBU
— machinegames (@machinegames) June 24, 2016
MachineGames' designer, Jerk Gustafsson, has also previously stated in a Reddit AMA in 2019 that “developing a Quake game is and will always be on my bucket list.”
To find out any official details about what may or may not be coming for Quake's 25th anniversary, and whether Gustafsson can finally add that tick to his bucket list, tune into QuakeCon, which begins on August 19. Until then though, it might be time to reboot up the original, arm yourself to the teeth, and take on Shub-Niggurath one more time. Make sure to check out our dedicated page for Quake to find out a range of the latest news to come from the series.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.