Not long ago, they simplified the characters into three weight classes, each with a fixed health/armour/speed balance. They've been cutting back on a lot of the fluff in the game. It's a simple, clear system and a major improvement in my opinion. Mostly, you'll just unlock costumes by playing your favourite, though. Twenty shards unlocks a character permanently, or one shard unlocks one level of cosmetic rewards for a character. Shards are earned though battle pass and weekly challenges. From now the only non-premium currency is Shards, and they're very simple. Those who still had currency left over before this change will find themselves with a final stack of loot boxes to open (gorge yourself!) based on how rich you were on both resources and XP - everyone's level has been reset. The convoluted economy of the game is no more. They've also brought back Capture The Flag mode (my favourite way to play classic twitchy shooters), added a new map and squeezed a little more performance out of the game for those on lower-spec PCs. The much-maligned loot box-based economy of the game is dead, replaced by a linear progression of cosmetic rewards for each character, and extra goodies for those who pick up a Fortnite/Rocket League-styled season pass. Quake Champions's December update is live, and it's one of the biggest the old-school arena shooter has seen since it entered early access.

Quake champions capture the flag