Confused by Quake Champions controls? This guide breaks down the default keybinds for movement, weapons, and essential actions, so you can jump right into the action.
Alright, so you're jumping into Quake Champions and wondering what buttons do what? Don't sweat it! Most of the time, you'll be using the standard PC controls, but Quake gives you the flexibility to tweak them if you want. The game manual has the full rundown, and we've reformatted it here so you can get a clear picture. You can actually change most of these in the 'Key Configuration' menu from the Main Menu, though some keys like the Function keys, Escape, and the Tilde key are locked down.
Let's break down what you're working with by default:
| MOVEMENT | WEAPONS | ||
| Move / Turn | arrow keys | Axe | 1 |
| Jump / Swim | Space bar or Enter | Shotgun | 2 |
| Run | Shift | Double Barrelled Shotgun | 3 |
| Sidestep Left | . or > | Nailgun | 4 |
| Sidestep Right | , or < | Supernailgun | 5 |
| Strafe * | Alt | Grenade Launcher | 6 |
| Rocket | 7 | ||
| Thunderbolt | 8 | ||
| Change to next weapon | / |
A quick note on Strafe: When you hold down the Strafe key (Alt by default), your left and right arrow keys will make you sidestep instead of turning. This is super useful for dodging incoming fire while keeping your aim steady.
| OTHER CONTROLS | |
| Main Menu | Escape |
| Console | ~ (tilde) |
| Look Up | A or PgDn |
| Look Down | Z or Del |
| Center View | X or End |
| Mouse Look ** | \ or center mouse button |
| Keyboard Look *** | Ins |
| Increase view area | + |
| Decrease view area | - |
About Mouse Look and Keyboard Look:
- Mouse Look: If you're using Mouse Look, sliding your mouse forward or backward will make your character look up or down.
- Keyboard Look: When Keyboard Look is active, using the forward/backpedal arrow keys will also control your up/down view.
Remember, you can always hop into the Key Configuration menu to set these up exactly how you like them. Get comfortable with these, and you'll be fragging in no time!
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