Hidden Quake 6 Tease Unearthed in Xbox Developer Direct, Sending Fans into Frenzy

 The Xbox Developer Direct 2024 treated fans to a plethora of reveals, footage, and information about what's in store for Xbox this year. Among the highlights were the official unveiling of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a release date for Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga, more details about Obsidian's Avowed, a surprise update from Square Enix on Visions of Mana, and an in-depth look at Ara: History Untold. However, keen-eyed fans also noticed something intriguing on MachineGames' whiteboard: the words "Quake 6" right next to the iconic Quake logo, causing quite a stir.

The tease was first spotted on the Quake subreddit, sparking speculation about what a new installment in the Quake series might entail. You can catch a glimpse of the logo and title in MachineGames' Official Gameplay reveal around the 11:36 mark or in the screenshot below.

The interesting twist in all of this is that there isn't officially a Quake 5—unless you count Quake Champions, a free-to-play hero shooter that offers a unique take on the classic IP. It's possible that MachineGames is simply having a playful moment.

However, if it's more than a jest, the only developer seemingly more qualified to handle a new Quake installment might be the series creator, id Software. MachineGames holds a strong connection to the Quake franchise, having worked on two expansions for the original Quake—Dimension of the Past and Dimension of the Machine—which were included in the 2021 remaster. Additionally, MachineGames developed 28 new campaign levels and a Deathmatch level for the Quake 2 remaster released last year. If someone other than id were to take on a new Quake project, MachineGames appears to be a natural choice.

We've reached out to MachineGames for comment and will update this post if we receive a response.