Link to original interview: https://goodgame.ru/news/24847/

Google translated:

The first question will be about PAX East, which has just ended. This is the first event where the game Quake Champions has been widely shown, and any participant can play in it. So - what sensations from the show and what responses you get to Quake Champions?
We've brought the game to the exhibition PAX East, which took place over the weekend, and it was very nice for us. The most common comment I hear: "Yes, this is the Quake!". And it was the most important, it tells us that we are moving on the right track, that we are moving to where planned. What we have preserved the spirit and heart of Quake, which we all love. People sat down and played and commented: "Yes, a great speaker and muvment" "Yes, trunks that must be!", "Yes, this is the whole Quake!". We received a lot of feedback and comments, but you yourself can see them on the network, such that the Champions appearance did not kill the game process, it is still Quake, and the people were fun to watch as the Champions ability to impact on the whole gameplay . So I'm absolutely happy with the display of the game at PAX last weekend.

Very cool, we congratulate you on this! Now you have quite a large number of reviews. How do you take advantage of them? Who will process the information and how?
We have a few details that we'd like to correct. There are a lot of comments and feedback, which we would like to pay close attention. Basically, it reviews the professional players who tried the game. We had the intention, and we did it, brought the game to the Intel Extreme Masters in Katowice, Poland, which took place a couple of weeks ago. And there we have shown the game a large number of professional competitive players, and some of their comments have led to changes in the command mode of the game, they gave us very specific comments about the technique of movement in the game. They wanted a faster weapon switch, in general, they were given a set of tips for improvement, which we tried on some time on tests. Finally, for several future weeks we start closed beta testing of the game. In the beginning it will be "very small" beta testing. With the small number of participants. We want to get the first reviews of the game from the beta testers. We have already shown that the community hear, take into account their wishes. And if all goes well, we will gradually expand the audience, inviting to test more and more new players.

So, closed beta testing is just around the corner?
Yes Yes Yes! If you go to quakechampions.com site, register and sign up for the beta, then, when a few weeks we will begin to invite people to test - wait for your invitation! Very soon, yes. But, bear in mind that the number of invitees will be increased gradually. We want to test the server infrastructure, we want to test the so-called "backend" - matchmaking application for rating, Champions balance, game modes and collect statistics. And we will all the time to expand the number of participants in closed beta. So - "Stay tuned"!

And another small question about the closed beta. Can you name the number of people who are currently signed up for testing?
Yes, I have, of course, there is a number, and it is great! This, of course, was amazing for us! We were very pleased so many willing and this number exactly enough for all of our plans for the closed test. As I said, we no longer wanted to test the server part: if the server crashes at high load the game, which will withstand the load with an increase in the number of players. We want to test the balance of Champions, to make sure that none of the champions has no superiority. Of course, we will gradually increase the load and are very pleased that wishing enough.

But, nevertheless, shed a ray of light - what about the order of registrations on the beta? It is hundreds, or thousands, or even tens of thousands of applications?
Yes, I understand the question, but, alas, I can not talk about the numbers. I can say one thing: you know what the second country in the number of registrations in the beta test after the United States? Russia!

Go to the block of questions about the eSports scene. And the first is this: how do you plan to promote Quake Champions eSports? Will the game to advance in the tournament known eSports organizations, such as, ESL, or you plan to do it all yourself through Quakecon?
Yes, as we have said before, we intend to move in the direction of e-sports. At the moment, we can not disclose any agreements with third parties, but yes, we are negotiating with large cyber companies, such as, Intel Extreme Masters in Katowice, which is part of the ESL. We definitely are in discussions with the companies, we want to make the game, not only sports competition, but also convenient for eSports, with many options for viewing and broadcasting matches. We would like to introduce suitable for eSports game modes. And after we talked to the professional players, we felt that the duels niche games alone, absent, and decided to implement it in a Quake Champions. Yes, we are committed to eSports. Quake has the longest history of competitive and we most definitely are configured to hold as many tournaments Quake Champions.

Will we see on Quake Champions competition at the upcoming Quakecon?
Yes, definitely, we want to hold on Quake Champions tournament Quakecon this year. I already talked about this in the last Quakecon, so yes, the tournament will be, and soon you will learn more about it. This, of course, very important for us.
You mentioned modes of play, and I ask you to talk a little more about them, particularly about the tournament and about the competitive modes rating modes. What will they be?
You will play in the league matches - it will be a batch mode, primarily the TDM, and dueling matches alone. And we have a new eSports mode "victim" (Sacrifice), which is one of the famous players played in the last Quakecon and said that it must be completely replaced (ha ha). In fact, developing a competitive mode, we heavily relied on professional advice and did what they told us. Of course, we knew that we needed a team with a mission mode and, of course, a duel. As we look forward, these regimes are the major cyber disciplines Quake Champions, and, of course, it will be a classic TDM.

And what about the automatic matchmaking, for example, I run Quake Champions, I want to play in the league match at Sacrifice mode, press the button "to find a match." Whether this option is available?
All the development we have gradually improved and continue to improve the system of automatic search for a suitable match. Firstly, you will need to select the region where you currently are, then the system begins to search for the players around you, appropriate to your level of play and the system will find you a server geographically appropriate. In beta testing in the first place you select your region, then the matchmaking system will look for you to opponents in a given region. Clearly I tell?

Yes, thank you, everything is clear. Next, we would like to ask a question about the card and its design. For example, Blood Covenant card is Campgrounds, taken from Quake 3. Are there any other famous and recognized the card, such as Blood Run or Aerowalk, carried over from the previous installments in the series Quake Champions?
This is a very good question. Yes! We have another classic card is almost ready for release. I can not say what kind of a map, but I am absolutely sure that it is exactly all painfully familiar. This card dueling - people are happy to see it and play it.
We are glad to hear it. Each previous game Quake had its own set of physical parameters, for example, Quake World bannihop it was in Quake 3 - streyfdzhampy in Quake 4 - sliding. It is always influenced the balance of cards and their design size.
New Quake champions have different abilities, as reflected in the design of the card, and how to solve the imbalance problem?
Oh, yes, it's another great question. Yes, as you said, Champions have different styles of movement. For example, Anarki owns EIR-control, both in the Quake World, and Ranger strafe-jumping, as it was in Quake 3. And it seems to say, sets a certain task to design cards. For example, the current version of q3dm6, Blood Covenant, on the map now has a place where Anarki or Slash can get much faster and easier than other champions. This is also taken into account in the design of a balance between the champions, of the strategy and card design. Of course, we are trying to find a delicate balance, but here's an example - q3dm6 place where lies railgun. If you play Nyx, you can jump, the ability to use wall-run, and get to the railgun and the same back. But Snorlag under the same conditions only rocket jump-jump. Playing for Anarki you can rasprygatsya enough to fly this flight. So, depending on the Champion for whom you play, you need to understand your options applicable to that particular map. But we hope to further delve into the balancing process and find the perfect balance.

Now we have a few questions about the technical side of the game. The first one of the servers. Will you be able to run your own server Quake Champions?
In the beginning, we run the server themselves. In terms of - we need a server in the right places, in the territories that will provide playable settings for the greatest number of participants. It is very important for us, because it is very important ping. Because with the development, we need to test the load and stability, because the game will be free-to-play, and immediately after the release, we expect a huge number of players. You will be able to run custom-server, to invite people to play with. But the official server will be started by us and will be managed by us.
That is, if we understand correctly, the server for the official launch of rating games can not, it will all be under your control?
Yes, the server for the matchmaking will be exclusively under our control. You can start the server, but matchmaking he would not participate.

The next question is about the notorious 120 Hz. In one of your interviews that you gave a few years ago about Rage, said that most games run at 30 Hz, and Rage will run at 60Hz. In Quake Champions we are talking about 120 Hz, what impact will this have on the game.
So, it is about the hertz. It is necessary to separate and not to confuse the concept of FPS and Hertz. Hertz - a concept which is embedded in the rate of change of the game space, and FPS is simply the number of frames per second are drawn. And Quake Champions we strive to get 120 Hz frequency of the FPS and independent, to ensure excellent responsiveness of the game, and make it smooth and fast as possible. And I believe that the more we get the frequency, the more will be more enjoyable gameplay.

So, okay, but does that mean that the server will be 120 times per second to send to the client an update on the game situation. Or it is only about the client side?
Of course, this is only on the client side. Internet chock cluttered up, if you put games in 120 packets per second. Yes, this is a client-side responsiveness.

What is currently the general requirements for the client side Quake Champions? What, for example, a video card, you have to get a pleasant and comfortable game?
You know, we are focused on debugging gameplay and balancing Champions, and is not particularly engaged in the optimization of the code, but we are sure, or rather, we want to try and do everything possible to make the game gave out a high FPS on most computers. But we do, however, have not yet begun to do the work on optimization. As soon as we have information on the recommended hardware - we will publish it immediately, and is sorry.

Another acute issue for the community: Tim, what do you think about the possibility of cheaters in the game? You promise the game free-to-play, so everyone will be able to play for free. In the competitive game with a large advertising campaign, especially in the discipline of eSports, always flooding back cheaters. How to prevent it or how to deal with them?
Yes, we know the problem and we are working on two lines in this context. First - we try as much as possible the critical game moments transferred from the client side to the server, the purpose is not to inform the customer more information than he needs to know, and the second - we are now cooperating, working with an outside organization, develop a special service, but we do not announced it. All that I can say - we work with a certain company, which helps us with the anti-cheat, and we have a whole group that works with the company. We have, in a short time, to announce this cooperation. We hope that by cheaters protection will be for us and it will work.

At the end of the interview let us once again discuss the business model on which the game will be distributed.
So, the game itself is free, but the free part is only one champion - Ranger. You can buy Champions Pack with all champions or buy individual Champions temporarily or permanently.
If I buy a Champions Pack at the start of the game, I get access to the champions who appear later in the game?
Yes, the complete package includes full access to the current set of Champions and all future.

Thank you, Tim, for your time, we hope that we still manage to communicate in the future. Thank you, good bye!
You will also thank you and good evening!

TLDR ztn confirmed