Except if you want unlimited access to the character roster.
The information comes from Quake Champions’ Creative Director Tim Willits, who confirmed the free-to-play model to Polygon. Each player can play a single character for free – namely the Ranger.
There’s also a Champion Pack, a single-payment option that grants access to all Champions. The reason? id Software want to target both types of players – those who want the full gaming experience with a roster of characters and the part of the market that prefers somehow limited, but free access.
There won’t be any split between those groups, as they both will play on the same maps and be a part of same leaderboards. F2P users will be able to buy additional Champions for in-game currency called Favor. It’s unknown how long it will take to get one, but surely the upcoming beta will give us a glimpse at this solution.