# QuakeCon
**QuakeCon** is an annual gaming convention and [LAN party](https://www.edgepedia.org/lan-party) held in the Dallas, Texas area, organized around a large Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) hall where attendees network their own machines and play together for several days. It began in August 1996 as a gathering of Quake players and has grown into one of North America's largest LAN events, historically sponsored by id Software, the studio behind Doom, Quake, and [Wolfenstein 3D](https://www.edgepedia.org/wolfenstein-3d).[1](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/88099-largest-free-local-area-network-party) • [2](https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/pop-culture/2015/07/27/after-two-decades-quakecon-is-still-going-strong-in-dallas/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First event | August 1996; Guinness records around 100 attendees with a surprise appearance by the id Software development team, while The Dallas Morning News describes roughly 30 people at a hotel in Garland[1](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/88099-largest-free-local-area-network-party) • [2](https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/pop-culture/2015/07/27/after-two-decades-quakecon-is-still-going-strong-in-dallas/) |
| Record | Holder of the Guinness World Record for the largest free LAN party: over 7,000 gamers at QuakeCon 2007, occupying 6,500 m² (70,000 ft²)[1](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/88099-largest-free-local-area-network-party) |
| Venue | Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas, its home since 2004[3](https://www.techtimes.com/articles/323443/20260806/quakecon-2026-launches-free-19-map-quake-campaign-gpu-prices-surge-past-msrp.htm) |
| Organization | Run largely by volunteers, with crews for networking, registration, tournaments, and setup and teardown[4](https://lanoc.org/review/editorials/cytogs-guide-to-quakecon) |
| 30th anniversary | Celebrated at QuakeCon 2026 (August 6 to 9), with a reunion of id Software co-founders Adrian Carmack, John Carmack, Tom Hall, and John Romero[5](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/thank-you-so-much-for-the-best-weekend-ever-the-id-software-gang-got-together-at-quakecon-and-it-sure-looks-like-everyone-had-a-great-time/) |
## History
The first QuakeCon grew out of an [IRC chat](https://www.edgepedia.org/irc) group of players who wanted to meet face to face. They met at a hotel in [Garland, Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/garland-texas), in the hope that developers at id Software, then based in nearby Mesquite, might come over; the id team made a surprise appearance.[2](https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/pop-culture/2015/07/27/after-two-decades-quakecon-is-still-going-strong-in-dallas/) • [6](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/quakecon-shakes-up-10th-anniversary/1100-6120912/) • [1](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/88099-largest-free-local-area-network-party) In a separate event, Dennis Fong, known as "Thresh," defeated Tom "Entropy" Kimzey at the 1997 Red Annihilation tournament and won [John Carmack](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-carmack)'s Ferrari as the grand prize.[7](https://www.wired.com/2002/08/a-gargantuan-gathering-of-gamers/) • [12](https://esl.com/article/worlds-first-pro-gamer-dennis-thresh-fong-to-receive-esports-hall-of-fame-spot-at-quakecon-2016/)
**Growth under id Software.** Attendance reached 650 by 1997. In 1999 id Software formally took a sponsorship role, moving the event to Mesquite, one block from its own headquarters, and establishing official tournaments. In 2004 QuakeCon moved to its current home at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine and first broke records as North America's largest LAN party with more than 3,000 BYOC attendees.[3](https://www.techtimes.com/articles/323443/20260806/quakecon-2026-launches-free-19-map-quake-campaign-gpu-prices-surge-past-msrp.htm) The 2007 event drew over 7,000 gamers, the figure behind its Guinness World Record for the largest free LAN party, and featured two tournaments each with a $50,000 cash prize.[1](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/88099-largest-free-local-area-network-party)
**Tournaments and reveals.** The event combined the LAN hall with a trade show and professional competition. In 2002, organizers expected over 1,200 people at the 35,000-square-foot Mesquite convention center, with 64 four-person clans playing [Return to Castle Wolfenstein](https://www.edgepedia.org/return-to-castle-wolfenstein) and 256 players in a single-player Quake tournament, each competition carrying a $25,000 prize.[7](https://www.wired.com/2002/08/a-gargantuan-gathering-of-gamers/) In 2015, at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, attendees were the first people outside id Software to play the new Doom multiplayer, and a QuakeCon-exclusive Fallout 4 demo drew lines forming more than three hours before its panel; that year's Quake Live finals were won by U.S. player Shane "Rapha" Hendrixson, his fourth QuakeCon title.[2](https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/pop-culture/2015/07/27/after-two-decades-quakecon-is-still-going-strong-in-dallas/)
## The BYOC
The Bring Your Own Computer hall is the event's center. Attendees reserve seats during a registration window, then haul in towers, monitors, and peripherals to play on a dedicated event network for the duration, which has typically run from Thursday morning to Sunday afternoon in early August.[4](https://lanoc.org/review/editorials/cytogs-guide-to-quakecon) • [8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5plGltwDE_M)
The hall hosts its own competitions alongside the main stage tournaments, including community-run events such as the Church of Quake's annual BYOC 1v1 [Quake Champions](https://www.edgepedia.org/quake-champions) duel tournament, which is open to any registered attendee and played on the event's LAN servers.[9](https://churchofquake.com/church-of-quake-2025-byoc-duel-tournament-thursday-august-7th-7-pm-central/) Volunteers run the network, seating, and operations; a participant account describes crews dedicated to cable runs, registration, tournament administration, and setup and teardown.[4](https://lanoc.org/review/editorials/cytogs-guide-to-quakecon)
## The 2026 anniversary event
QuakeCon 2026, held August 6 to 9 at the Gaylord Texan, marked the event's 30th anniversary. The event is now ticketed-only, with admittance for pre-registered BYOC ticket holders and Fan ticket purchasers, and all BYOC seats were sold out before the event.[10](https://quakecon.bethesda.net/en/tickets/) [Anniversary](https://www.edgepedia.org/anniversary) programming included free but ticket-limited experiences such as an id Software Founders Photo Opportunity, an id Software Founders Panel, and QuakeCon 30: Celebration Night, each requiring a valid QuakeCon registration.[10](https://quakecon.bethesda.net/en/tickets/)
The anniversary brought id Software co-founders Adrian Carmack, John Carmack, Tom Hall, and [John Romero](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-romero) together at the event for the first time in a very long time.[5](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/thank-you-so-much-for-the-best-weekend-ever-the-id-software-gang-got-together-at-quakecon-and-it-sure-looks-like-everyone-had-a-great-time/) A Quake update was revealed during the event in a panel that included Romero, who noted that the date fell on the 30th anniversary of the day he left id Software rather than of the game's June 1996 release.[11](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/30-years-after-it-ruined-id-software-quake-gets-another-big-update-while-the-studio-once-again-grapples-with-adversity/)
## References
1. [Largest free Local Area Network party, Guinness World Records](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/88099-largest-free-local-area-network-party)
2. [After two decades, QuakeCon is still going strong in Dallas, The Dallas Morning News (2015)](https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/pop-culture/2015/07/27/after-two-decades-quakecon-is-still-going-strong-in-dallas/)
3. [QuakeCon 2026 Launches Free 19-Map Quake Campaign as GPU Prices Surge Past MSRP, TechTimes (2026)](https://www.techtimes.com/articles/323443/20260806/quakecon-2026-launches-free-19-map-quake-campaign-gpu-prices-surge-past-msrp.htm)
4. [Cytog's Guide to QuakeCon, LanOC Reviews](https://lanoc.org/review/editorials/cytogs-guide-to-quakecon)
5. ['Thank you so much for the best weekend ever': The id Software gang got together at QuakeCon, PC Gamer (2026)](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/thank-you-so-much-for-the-best-weekend-ever-the-id-software-gang-got-together-at-quakecon-and-it-sure-looks-like-everyone-had-a-great-time/)
6. [QuakeCon shakes up 10th anniversary, GameSpot (2005)](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/quakecon-shakes-up-10th-anniversary/1100-6120912/)
7. [A Gargantuan Gathering of Gamers, WIRED (2002)](https://www.wired.com/2002/08/a-gargantuan-gathering-of-gamers/)
8. [QuakeCon 2011: BYOC Lan Party, QuakeCon Official (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5plGltwDE_M)
9. [Church of Quake 2025 BYOC Duel Tournament, Church of Quake](https://churchofquake.com/church-of-quake-2025-byoc-duel-tournament-thursday-august-7th-7-pm-central/)
10. [QuakeCon - Event Tickets, official site](https://quakecon.bethesda.net/en/tickets/)
11. [30 years after it 'ruined id Software,' Quake gets another big update, PC Gamer (2026)](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/30-years-after-it-ruined-id-software-quake-gets-another-big-update-while-the-studio-once-again-grapples-with-adversity/)
12. [World’s first pro-gamer Dennis “Thresh” Fong to receive Esports Hall of Fame spot at QuakeCon 2016 - ESL](https://esl.com/article/worlds-first-pro-gamer-dennis-thresh-fong-to-receive-esports-hall-of-fame-spot-at-quakecon-2016/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Game industry › Industry events and awards › Community and competitive play events*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license