The 25th anniversary of the original Quake is almost here, and there's a chance that news regarding the franchise will be revealed at E3 2021. There have also been a lot of remasters of old id Software games for modern systems, so the Quake franchise could be next in line.
Doom popularized the first-person shooter genre, but it wasn't a 3D game. The visuals were actually 2.5D, with flat sprites arranged in such a way that they gave the false impression of being in a 3D environment. When the original Quake was released in '96, it was the real deal. Quake was a fully 3D game, with atmospheric lightmapping and 3D models for enemies. Games like Half-Life helped push the envelope in terms of using graphics to help create an atmosphere in 3D games, but it was only possible thanks to the technical framework laid out by id Software. Quake also had a massive online deathmatch scene and was a popular title during the early days of speedrunning.
There are a number of big video game anniversaries in 2021 and Quake is at risk of being overlooked. The original Quake was released on June 22, 1996, which means the anniversary is, at the time of this writing, just a few weeks away. There could be plans in motion for the Quake franchise, and they may be revealed next week.
How id/Microsoft Could Celebrate Quake's Anniversary
The fact that Quake's anniversary is happening so close to E3 2021 means that news will likely be revealed there, rather than on the day itself. The Quake license is currently owned by Microsoft following its purchase of ZeniMax Media, which was approved earlier this year. Microsoft needs a big E3, as this is the first major event where the Xbox Series X/S will be competing with the PS5 and Nintendo Switch, following the systems' launch last November. It has been revealed that there will be a joint Bethesda/Microsoft presentation at E3 2021, so it's clear both companies will be bringing the big guns, and more id Software titles could be revealed during this showcase.
There is evidence that a Quake VR game could be in development and will launch this year, due to a mystery id Software game called "Project2021A" being rated in Australia. It's also possible that the original Quake could receive a port to modern systems, following the positive response to the Doom ports in 2019. A rerelease of the original trilogy on modern platforms, with a day one launch on Xbox Game Pass, would be a great way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Quake.
The 25th anniversary of Quake will take place on June 22, 2021.