14 DAY TRIAL // Quake Live players should know that the game will be finally transitioning out of a web browser and into a standalone game. They can expect it by the end of the year.
This decision was made due to the decreased browser support for the game over the past few years. That caused problems, preventing plugins from operating in the best possible way.
The recent announcement of Google Chrome's roadmap to turn off plugin support, as well as the changes that will appear in Firefox, has also led to this transition.
This change will allow the developers to have a better control over the game environment, and also to tightly integrate the Quake Live with the online components.
Of course, there will be some benefits, such as an easier way to get in and out of games. Also, players will be able to view server pings from the match browser before they join the game so that they may correctly judge connection quality.
For those who already have the game installed, things will be easy. They just need to download and install a small launcher, updating their existing installation files.
Moreover, player stats will be transitioning along with the standalone version of the title, therefore users will get to keep them.
Concerning the website, certain functions will still be available on the site after the update is released. Users can manage some of their account settings and clans, view profiles, and even launch Pro matches from any web browser.
Viewing the match browser, chatting with friends, and joining games will require players to open the game.
A specific release date has not yet been announced, but the developers expect to have it available before the end of the year. More details will be given as they get closer to launch.
Do know that there won't be any more support for Mac and Linux this time.