I am well aware Quake Champions is far from the most popular multiplayer shooter out there. A lot of people have avoided it ever since its release thinking it was a cheap answer to the hero shooter craze (hell, even I did that). A lot of people have avoided it ever since its release due to its free-to-play nature. I should also mention that initial impressions for the earlier build of the game were really negative.

I still decided to give the game a shot a week or so ago, due to the fact I had downloaded it during Bethesda’s E3 conference. I was surprised by what I saw: Quake Champions is actually tons of fun. It’s what the multiplayer modes from Doom should have been in the first place. I urge people to try the game out if possible (it runs pretty well on budget computers, so that’s a plus). I’ve also decided to come up with a few tips for newcomers, written by a newcomer who can clearly understand their initial struggles and concerns.

This isn’t Overwatch

This might sound like a dumb hint, but Quake Champions has suffered from being labeled as an Overwatch ripoff ever since its debut, due to the fact it features characters with special abilities, as well as its multiplayer-focused nature.

This is far from being Overwatch. This game looks, plays and feels like your typical Quake. Weapons are scattered throughout the stage, health and shield pickups are thrown around to be collected. Rounds aren’t objective based, it’s all about going full berserk on one another. Even though each character has unique abilities, it doesn’t mean they are like Overwatch‘s heroes. Everyone uses the same weapons and pickups, and none of the abilities are significant enough to place characters into different “classes”. Quake Champions feels very retro in that sense.

Keep moving at all times

Do you like shooters like Battlefield? Do you like searching for a strategic spot and camping for the rest of the round? Well, too bad, that ain’t going to work in Quake Champions.

Just like DOOM‘s multiplayer, Champions features small maps and extremely fast-paced action. Never slow down. Keep running at all times. You’ll always be near an enemy who won’t think twice about shoving a dozen bullets inside your pretty little skull. You’ll also be near health and ammo pickups, so don’t worry about going full rampage-friendly at your foes at all times.

Assign a mouse key for the pummel

The pummel is one of the best weapons in this game, and your only physical weapon, if not counting some character-specific special abilities. However, you can’t choose with the mouse wheel like other weapons.

In order to take advantage of its insane damage capabilities, specially during the Instagib mode, I’d recommend assigning the mouse wheel button as your pummel drawing button. You need a fast and easy way to draw this weapon whenever you need it. There’s nothing as pleasant as hearing the announcer saying “humiliation” every time you murder a foe with this beauty.

Warm-up during Warm-up

The Warm-up minute before the start of each round isn’t only there for you to hunt down players and make them hate you before the game begins. It’s a useful way to actually learn more about the arena: its shortcuts, portals, weapon and pickup locations, and much more. Since each level is somewhat small (made for a maximum of 8 players), a minute is more than enough for you to learn about their layout before the fun begins.

There’s no such thing as a bad weapon

Quake Champions doesn’t feature a vast arsenal. There are only seven weapons available, plus the pummel and your special abilities. But each weapon can become an instrument of death in your hands. The balancing is excellent, with each gun featuring strengths and weaknesses.

The railgun is the deadliest weapon but it’s tricky to aim. The rocket launcher’s shots are easy to dodge, but you can cause massive damage to enemies if you aim the rockets at their feet. The nail gun does a lot of damage, but it’s a bit hard to aim, making it an excellent close-quarter choice, just like the shotgun, and so on. There’s no such thing as an easier or difficult weapon in this game. After a few rounds, you’ll quickly learn how to properly use each one of them.

Abilities can be used for offense and defense

Each character has a special ability that can be used in more than one way. Ranger can use his teleportation beam to either reach higher areas or actually instantly kill any target you aim the beam at it. Doomguy’s Berserk can be used as a means of furiously beating someone to death, but it can also be used in order to run away from someone chasing after you when you’re low on health.

Since abilities are easy to use, and can be used frequently (you can collect powerups to reduce your cooldown meter), it’s all about testing each character out until you find the one with the best ability for you.

Use other means of attack during Instagib

The Instagib mode is my personal favorite. In this mode, everyone wields a railgun with infinite ammo. Every hit is an insta-kill. It doesn’t mean you can only attack with the railgun, though.

Between the pummel and your character’s special ability, you have other means to kill your opponents in this mode. Persoally, I think Doomguy’s Beserk is the best for this. It’s all about avoiding the imprecise railgun shots and getting as close as possible. Use this to your advantage, mobility is even more important than accuracy in a mode like this.

Do you have any other tips you want to share? Tell us in the comment section!

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