Creative director Tim Willits recently had an interview with Polygon and has revealed quite a bit about Quake Champions. He’s confirmed that the game will be free-to-play but will also have a pay-to-play option.

The free-to-play version of the game will give players access to a single champion. This champion is Ranger and a full reveal is expected at a later date. The game also allows players to buy the Champion Pack which unlocks all characters in the game.

Willits stated that Quake Champions is a free-to-play game at “its core” as the team wants the game to be flexible. According to him, the team knows they have a large fan base across the world and they want to give all of those players a chance to play their new game.

Free-to-play and buy-to-play gamers will share the same maps. Both sets of players will be able to compete with each other in matches. The only difference is the character restrictions where buy-to-play gamers will have the full game unlocked to them.

The Champion Pack is the full priced version of the game which unlocks all characters in the game. The developer has confirmed that free-to-play gamers will have a chance to play other characters however. While it’s possible to play other characters, these players will need to use an in-game currency to unlock a character for a short period of time.

This system should ensure that Quake Champions remains a skill-based game which is accessible to everyone. More news about the Champion Pack and the business model for Quake Champions should be released later this year.

During the interview, Willtis also talked a little bit about eSports and it’s clear the team want Quake Champions to succeed in this area also.

We will provide you with updates throughout the year as the Closed Beta and release date approaches.