About Quake III Arena
id Software released Quake III Arena in December 1999, with Activision as publisher. Earlier Quake games were built around single-player campaigns, but Quake III went all in on multiplayer: fast deathmatch on compact arenas, jump pads, power-ups and a tight set of weapons that each fill a clear role, from the rocket launcher to the railgun. Solo players get a ladder of matches against bots, but the game was designed first and foremost for playing against other people.
It ran on id Tech 3, an engine id later released as open source. Its speed, and movement tricks such as strafe-jumping, kept a competitive scene going for years.
How it runs in your browser
Both hosts run community builds of the game compiled to WebAssembly, both include online multiplayer, and both play directly on this page. Neither is affiliated with id Software.
- q3.pieter.com is the default. It runs a map rotation with a leaderboard and a daily match, and it supports gamepads and phones as well as keyboard and mouse.
- Q3JS works more like Quake III online did on PC: a server browser lists live public servers, and you pick one to join.
Start with pieter.com if you want to drop straight into a match. Switch to Q3JS if you’d rather choose your own server. Since both are online games, how busy a match feels depends on who else is playing at the time.
Controls and devices
A keyboard and mouse gives you the precise aim Quake III expects. It uses standard first-person PC controls, and the game’s setup menu lets you remap them. Click inside the game to capture the mouse, and press Esc to release it.
Gamepad support is listed for pieter.com, and that host can also be played on a phone, though touch controls are a tough way to play a shooter this fast. For serious matches, a desktop or laptop is the better choice.
Who it’s for
Anyone who played Quake III on PC around the turn of the millennium, and anyone curious about the arena shooters that later competitive games grew out of. For single-player Quake, try Quake or Quake II, and see our Quake page for every version we list.
Is Quake III Arena (browser) Free, Safe and Official?
Is this an official version of Quake III Arena?
No. Both hosts are unofficial community projects and aren’t affiliated with id Software. Both are free to play in the browser with nothing to install.
Can I play Quake III Arena online?
Yes. pieter.com runs a map rotation with a leaderboard and a daily match, and Q3JS has a server browser listing live public servers.
Does it work with a gamepad or on a phone?
pieter.com supports gamepads and can also be played on a phone. A keyboard and mouse still gives you the most precise aim.
