As QuakeCon 2023 draws nearer, a trusted leaker has claimed that the event will mark the unveiling of a remaster of Quake 2. The news comes from billbil-kun, a reputable leaker and data miner who has previously had success in leaking PlayStation Plus monthly titles, game prices and release dates, and more.
Reporting for Dealabs, billbil-kun claims that the prospective Quake 2 remastered version will be announced at QuakeCon next week following the discovery of its South Korean age rating in June. If it is indeed coming, the Quake 2 remaster would be the second remaster in the series following Quake Enhanced in 2021.
What Do We Know About the Quake 2 Remaster?
Back in June, the Japanese video game news outlet Gematsu reported on the evaluation of a game by the Game Rating and Administration Committee, South Korea’s equivalent of the ESRB. The game in question was titled “Quake II Remastered,” which all but confirmed developer id Software’s intentions to remaster the game.
This comes on the heels of 2019’s Quake II RTX, another visual update to the game developed by Lightspeed Studios. That game release had enhanced graphics and ray tracing. It would be followed by Portal with RTX in 2022, starting a series of RTX-enhanced remasters. Quake II Remastered, however, was evaluated by the GRAC this year, implying that the rating refers to a different game entirely.
RELATED: Alan Wake 2 Director Begs for a Break as Red Dead Redemption Remaster Rumoured for October Release
billbil-kun noted that evaluation documents for Quake II Remastered had been discovered from the ESRB and PEGI. According to these documents, the game will simply be released as Quake II or Quake II Enhanced, much like 2021’s Quake Enhanced. These documents also reveal the game’s announcement date and release platforms; reportedly, the ESRB evaluation will be made public on August 11th, 2023. The game will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.
How Do We Know that Quake 2 Will Be Announced at QuakeCon?
In 2021, billbil-kun notes, a similar situation to that of Quake 2 occurred with Quake Enhanced: the GRAC evaluated a game called “Quake,” and then the game was announced at QuakeCon 2021 to be Quake Enhanced. Given the present information, it is not a far leap of logic to assume that Quake II Enhanced will be announced at QuakeCon 2023. Add this to the fact that the game is allegedly scheduled to be announced on August 11th, right in the middle of QuakeCon, and it seems all but certain that history will repeat itself.
This year’s QuakeCon will be the first in-person iteration of the event in three years, having been digital-only since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. What better way to celebrate the return of in-person QuakeCon than with a remaster of Quake 2? If that wasn’t enough good news for you, billbil-kun also reported that the remaster would be a Day One release on Xbox Game Pass, according to publisher Bethesda. It’s safe to say that if all of these leaks are true, fans of the Quake series are going to leave QuakeCon 2023 very satisfied.
Do you want a Quake 2 Remaster? Do you think we’ll get one? Let us know in the comments!
Follow us for more entertainment coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
