Right then, Zenimax Media has been spotted filing for a new trademark on the Quake name, which has understandably got some fans a bit excited.
This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Quake franchise, which also makes this extra exciting as fans are hoping for some sort of announcement from Machine Games, who is also apparently working on a new Wolfenstein title.
Timur222 posted on X that they had spotted the new filing which was made on March 3. You can view it here. Interestingly, it’s not a renewal of the old trademark, but rather a new one.
ZeniMax did something similiar last year when they filed for trademarks for Quake, Deathloop, Wolfenstein and Dishonored. Those covered a variety of things such as videogames, other forms of media, merch etc.
Last year’s Quake trademark filing was focused on merchandise, whereas this year’s filing is aimed at videogames specifically.
But let’s pump the brakes for a moment because this new application is likely just regular maintenence. Trademarks like this are typically renewed every 9-10 years or else they lapse. Quake Champions launched in 2017 which would be the last time the series also provided “active use” of the name. This new trademark sits at the 9-year mark, exactly when a company would be looking to renew.
However, that doesn’t mean a game isn’t going to happen. There’s been a few little potential teases toward Quake making a comeback, and it is going to be the 30th anniversary.
In 2024, Machine Games very obviously teased something Quake related when a behind-the-scenes video of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle showed a whiteboard sporting the Quake logo.
So, in other words, the filing likely doesn’t mean anything by itself, but when combined with everything else, I think there’s a good chance Quake is going to reappear.
