Report: Quake Modders Banded Together To Release The Third Brutalist Map...

The Quake Brutalist Jam is back and bigger than ever.

At some point, fan retoolings of classic games are just whole new games in their own right. In 1996, Quake released with 32 levels and 6 deathmatch maps. Today, Quake Brutalist Jam 3 released with a ludicrous 77 maps tributing both id's classic shooter and brutalism, an architectural style defined by moody harshness and concrete.

You can find the project on the Slipseer website alongside an explanatory blog post. "The goal for QBJ3 was to make something uniquely ambitious for the community to build with us. Beginning production in the winter of 2024, the team slow-cooked a total conversion mod in (semi) secret," the announcement reads.

"The community came out in force, producing an unprecedented 77 maps, pushing the limits of the Quake engine to bring the oppressive, gritty, and beautiful aesthetic of brutalism to life."

The first and second Brutalist Jams were already impressive, but this new one is on another level. It comes bearing all sorts of new weapons, enemies, power ups, 3D art assets, which the release announcement posits is a "a complete visual overhaul of Quake's existing roster." It shows off the goods in a trailer that released yesterday and it's barely recognizable as a game from the '90s.

You can find a more detailed look at all the new guns and mechanics in an introduction teaser released in Oct. 2025. If you've ever wanted to dual wield wrenches, now's your chance.

It's a testament to both the resilience and passion of Quake's mapmaking community, and specifically to the growing influence of the Quake Brutalist Jam as its most prominent event. Playing it for yourself will take some tinkering, but don't let that turn you off if you have no experience modding games; detailed instructions are attached in the announcement blog post.

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Justin first became enamored with PC gaming when World of Warcraft and Neverwinter Nights 2 rewired his brain as a wide-eyed kid. As time has passed, he's amassed a hefty backlog of retro shooters, CRPGs, and janky '90s esoterica. Whether he's extolling the virtues of Shenmue or troubleshooting some fiddly old MMO, it's hard to get his mind off games with more ambition

Source: PC Gamer