Usually the opposite happens: Xbox suddenly made the free-to-play Quake Champions paid

And the shooter can only be purchased on Steam.

The arena shooter Quake Champions, which has been distributed under a free-to-play model with in-game purchases since August 2022, has now become a paid project without microtransactions.

The new price for Quake Champions is $9.99, and the game can now only be purchased on Steam. All those who previously launched the free version on Steam at least once automatically gained access to the paid version without any additional costs. Players who used the Microsoft Store version will also be able to continue playing for free after linking their Bethesda account to Steam. The Microsoft Store version has been removed from the store.

The change in the distribution model did not affect player progress. Profiles, ratings, and previously obtained items are retained. Moreover, the developers have completely removed in-game currencies, and all champions, weapon skins, and costumes that were previously associated with them are now available to everyone without additional payments through the customization menu.

Along with this, battle passes, the in-game store, loot boxes, daily rewards, the champion progression system, and challenges have disappeared from Quake Champions. Players who purchased Platinum in the last 60 days will receive a full refund for the corresponding purchase.

Simultaneously with the transition to the paid model, the game received an update. It added three new weapons, increased the maximum level to 999, and introduced a number of gameplay improvements.

However, no further major content updates are planned for Quake Champions.