In 2021, id Software and Nightdive Studios released an enhanced edition of Quake on Steam, GOG, the Epic Games Store and consoles. Owners of the original received it free. It includes the original campaign with enhanced models, both mission packs, a new episode and online features. It runs on Nightdive's KEX engine, but the data files are fully usable in vkQuake, which adds high-refresh performance, its own rendering options and the extensive mod support of the QuakeSpasm family.
Where the re-release files live
On Steam, the re-release sits in a rerelease folder inside the main Quake directory, for example steamapps/common/Quake/rerelease. That folder has its own id1 with an updated pak0.pak, plus one folder per expansion. The original 1996 files are still in the parent folder, so you can run classic and remastered side by side.
Setting it up
If you used the Windows installer, there's nothing to do: it creates a separate Start menu entry for the re-release. For the portable ZIP or the Linux AppImage, copy the vkQuake files into the rerelease folder instead of the base folder, or launch with -basedir pointing at it. Everything else, including saves and settings, works as described in the Windows and Linux guides.
Playing the expansions
Each expansion is a separate game folder. Choose it from vkQuake's Mods menu, or use the -game option:
| Expansion | Folder | Launch option |
|---|---|---|
| Scourge of Armagon (Mission Pack 1) | hipnotic | -game hipnotic |
| Dissolution of Eternity (Mission Pack 2) | rogue | -game rogue |
| Dimension of the Past (MachineGames, 2016) | dopa | -game dopa |
| Dimension of the Machine (MachineGames, 2021) | mg1 | -game mg1 |
Nightdive later added more content to the re-release through free updates. Most new episodes follow the same folder pattern, but some rely on KEX-only features. If one doesn't load, play it in the official engine.
Classic or enhanced models
The re-release ships higher-detail versions of Quake's monsters and weapons in MD5 format. vkQuake loads them and offers a Models menu option to choose between classic and enhanced versions when both exist. Purists can keep the 1996 look while still enjoying vkQuake's performance.
Dynamic lights and shadows
Re-release maps place dynamiclight entities that the KEX engine uses for moving light. vkQuake can render these on GPUs with hardware ray tracing when Dynamic Shadows is set to medium or higher. The effect is subtle in some areas and dramatic in others, especially in torch-lit corridors. On non-RT GPUs the maps still play perfectly, just with static lighting.
Music and multiplayer
Unlike the original Steam release, the re-release includes its soundtrack, and vkQuake plays it with no extra setup. Online play with KEX players isn't supported, because the re-release uses its own networking. For classic multiplayer, vkQuake still supports the original protocols on community servers and LAN.
Once you've finished the official content, the community's best work is waiting. Our custom maps guide shows where to start.
