Quake Champions is id Software's own free-to-play arena shooter, adding champion abilities on top of classic Quake movement, with official support and matchmaking. OpenArena is a community, open-source continuation of Quake III Arena itself with no abilities and no monetisation at all. Pick Quake Champions for official support and champions, OpenArena for the unmodified classic formula.
One is id Software's own free-to-play hero-shooter take on arena combat; the other is a purely community-run, open-source continuation of Quake III itself. The real question is whether you want champions with unique abilities or the unmodified classic formula.
| Quake Champions | OpenArena | |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | id Software / Bethesda (official, free-to-play) | Community, open-source |
| Core twist | Champions with unique passive/active abilities | No abilities — pure movement and weapon skill |
| Download size | ~35 GB | ~405 MB |
| Monetisation | Cosmetics and champion unlocks | None — fully free |
| Player base | Smaller than its shooter peers but official support | Small, dedicated community |
| Closest lineage | Modernised Quake formula | Direct Quake III Arena continuation |
You want an officially maintained, modern arena shooter with unique champion abilities and matchmaking.
You want the unmodified classic Quake III formula with zero monetisation and a tiny download.
High-intensity arena combat that pairs Quake's legendary speed and weapon triangle with character-specific movement mechanics and active abilities.
OpenArena is pure arena-shooter adrenaline. The movement is fast, the weapons are satisfying, and every second of a match demands attention. Rocket jumps, rail shots, frantic weapon switching, map control—it rewards mechanical skill in a way that feels increasingly rare in modern FPS games.
Quake Champions is id Software's own free-to-play arena shooter, adding champion abilities on top of classic Quake movement, with official support and matchmaking. OpenArena is a community, open-source continuation of Quake III Arena itself with no abilities and no monetisation at all. Pick Quake Champions for official support and champions, OpenArena for the unmodified classic formula.
You want an officially maintained, modern arena shooter with unique champion abilities and matchmaking.
You want the unmodified classic Quake III formula with zero monetisation and a tiny download.
Yes. Quake Champions is released under Free to Play and OpenArena under Open Source (GPL-2.0) · assets under CC/GPL. Both are entirely free with no trials, paid tiers or in-game purchases.