New Quake re-release includes upgraded visuals and four expansions

Update: A newly-enhanced edition of the original Quake has been officially revealed by Bethesda at QuakeCon 2021. The updated edition of the classic 1996 FPS is out right now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Nintendo Switch.

There's updated visuals, online and local multiplayer, and new content available in the enhanced edition of Quake. Two expansions for the original game - The Scourge of Armagon and Dissolution of Eternity - are included in all purchases, as are the Dimensions of the Past and the brand new Dimension of the Machine expansions, the latter two of which are developed by Wolfenstein studio MachineGames.

Original: A version of Quake has been rated by the ESRB amid rumours of an upcoming remaster.

A new listing on the USA's Entertainment Software Rating Board attaches a Mature 17+ rating to a game simply called 'Quake', an FPS reportedly heading to PC and consoles.

Bethesda is yet to officially announce a new version of the classic shooter, but this isn't the first clue we've had regarding an imminent new Quake experience. Last week, the QuakeCon 2021 schedule revealed the existence of a 'Let's Talk Quake' event at the convention in which Jerk Gustafsson, developer at Wolfenstein studio MachineGames, would "discuss the additional content MachineGames have contributed to this revitalized edition." That line was swiftly removed from the event description but ignited rumors about an upcoming remaster.

Since then, however, there's been another hint, as SteamDB (via VG247) picked up two updates to the original version of Quake, which is available on Valve's PC platform. A new beta branch has been added to the game, as well as a 64-bit executable. That could mean visual updates, but it could also be part of the puzzle around a new Quake experience.

Quake is probably not in line for the same overhaul afforded to Doom in recent years - Bethesda is unlikely to drop a whole new FPS with almost zero fanfare, but with updates to the original game, an ESRB rating, and QuakeCon kicking off later today, a remastered or enhanced version could be about to arrive very soon.

An updated version of Quake could make it onto our list of the best FPS games.