Enemy Territory: Quake Wars

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is a 2007 class-based, objective-driven team shooter developed by Splash Damage and published by Activision, released for Windows on September 28, 2007 in Europe and October 2 in North America, then for Linux, Mac, and, in May 2008, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is set in 2065, before the events of Quake II, and pits the human Global Defense Force (GDF) against the alien Strogg. On PC it earned a Metacritic score of 84 and went to number one on both the UK PC sales chart and the US NPD PC chart; the console ports were rated much lower (PS3 60, Xbox 360 69). Its engine, a modified id Tech 4, introduced MegaTexture to avoid repeating terrain tiles.

Two things trip up searchers. The name refers to Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory (2003), Splash Damage’s earlier free multiplayer game, but this is a separate, commercial game; see Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. And, since 2011, it has been hard to buy — see the last section.

Technical Specifications

GDF versus Strogg, Before Quake II

The game narrates the first stage of the war that Quake II later joins in progress: the Strogg’s invasion of Earth in 2065 and the GDF’s attempts to hold them back. It is a multiplayer game played in three-map campaigns, online or offline against AI-controlled teammates and opponents. The two factions are asymmetrical but share basic weapons and tools, and each side offers five character classes, so a map has a distinct set of roles for each team. The invasion fiction is a framework for the battles more than a narrative in its own right.

Classes, Objectives, and Vehicles

Each GDF player picks from Soldier, Medic, Engineer, Field Ops, or Covert Ops; the Strogg have Aggressor, Technician, Constructor, Oppressor, or Infiltrator. Teams succeed by combining their roles on map objectives rather than by killing alone. Players can drive vehicles and fly aircraft, play with fireteams, and rely on AI-controlled deployables and bots. Experience points unlock abilities and equipment during a campaign, resetting at the end of each three-map set, and the maps are large, open, and textured with MegaTexture’s non-repeating terrain. The structure is a direct descendant of Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, scaled up and given a sci-fi coat.

Reception and the Console Gap

PC reviews were strong — Metacritic 84, GameRankings 84% — and the game was a sales chart leader on release. The consoles were not so well served: the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions reached only 60 and 69 on Metacritic, and IGN scored them 5.3 and 6.1. The PC version is the one to look for.

Can You Still Buy It? Can You Still Play It?

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars was sold on Steam but was delisted around December 2011, the same year its rights reverted to ZeniMax Media. No official explanation has been given; community reports suggest a licensing change between Activision and id Software, which is unconfirmed. It is not on GOG. The practical routes are a retail copy (still sold secondhand and listed at Amazon and GameStop) and its disc key: install the game, then add the free patch. Splash Damage’s official page still hosts the demo, the client and server software, the v1.5 patch, an SDK, and a competition mod, and the game can be played offline against AI bots. Fans have kept online play going on community servers — in 2016 forum posters reported full European servers most evenings, and in 2021 there were still players — but we have not verified current server populations, so check a community resource before buying.

Where to Play It Today

Retail copies for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 remain the only legitimate way to get the full game, as the Steam listing is gone; Splash Damage’s free demo and tools are a safe way to test the engine and your connection first. If you want its predecessor, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is a free download. For the series’ other multiplayer, start with Quake III Arena.