QuakeCon is the latest gaming event to go all-online
Bethesda has announced that the 25th annual QuakeCon will move forward as an online only event from August 7th to 9th. The reimagined QuakeCon at Home will include livestreamed gameplay and announcements, a special tournament, charity initiatives, and exclusive merchandise.
The move is hardly surprising, given that major industry shows like E3 and Gamescom have either shifted to an online format or been cancelled outright in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Since Bethesda acquired id Software in 2009, the publisher has increasingly used QuakeCon as a platform for announcements about its games, frequently debuting gameplay footage of titles like Doom Eternal. It’s unclear exactly what we’ll be getting along those lines in this year’s event, but Bethesda is promising a full schedule of streamed content called the “Global Super Stream,” which will be run by influencers and Bethesda’s community team and offer “surprises.”
The first of these, a QuakeCon Digital Welcome stream, begins on August 7th at 9 a.m. PT. That’s where you’re likely to see the biggest announcements. The rest of the Super Stream schedule will be announced in the coming days.
QuakeCon, however, is traditionally much more about the in-person experience than the announcements, with a heavy focus on bringing your own gaming rig to set up in a massive, LAN-friendly environment. Bethesda plans to replace this side of things with the “QuakeCon Twitch Team”—apparently a way for community members to participate in the broadcasts. Members of the team will “celebrate QuakeCon, play and share games, and help raise money for the QuakeCon-supported charities,” including including Direct Relief, UNICEF, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and The Trevor Project.
As for competition, QuakeCon at Home will feature the conclusion to the Quake Pro League season, with 24 players competing from home in the Quake World Championship. The broadcast kicks off Sunday, August 9th at 2:00 p.m. PT.
On the swag front, QuakeCon at Home will offer exclusive t-shirts, hoodies, pins, and more, as well as a pair of adorable shirts that will directly raise money for animal charities. You can check out the designs in the gallery just below.
QuakeCon at Home charity shirts 
QuakeCon at Home swag
For more on QuakeCon at Home, including info on where to buy the merch, check out Bethesda’s official announcement.
