Strafe Jumping

Lore & Background

Strafe-jumping originated as a bug/exploit in the original Quake (1996), not Quake II. The exploit relies on an oversight in acceleration and maximum speed calculation: when pressing a movement key, the game adds an acceleration vector in that direction to the player's current velocity. When the player has reached a maximum speed value, further acceleration is prevented. However, the movement speed limit is only applied in relation to the acceleration vector's direction and not the direction of the overall velocity, meaning that precisely manipulating the angle between overall velocity and this acceleration vector lets the player break the intended speed cap. In Quake II (1997), the bug was not deliberately kept and the mechanic works differently. In Quake III Arena, however, it was intentionally kept as a core gameplay feature.

In Their Own Story

The airlock hissed open, releasing the acrid smell of sulfur into the arena. Kael didn't run; he launched. As his boots left the grating, he shifted his weight hard to the right while pressing jump again before landing. The world blurred into streaks of neon and rusted metal as he gained altitude, defying gravity's laws. A Cacodemon rose from the shadows below, jaws agape, but Kael was already a hundred feet away, strafe-jumping over its reach, a phantom in motion that no monster could catch.

Reader's Guide

Strafe-jumping requires a precise combination of mouse and keyboard inputs. The exact technique involved depends on the game in question. In several games, there are entire maps devoted to this, much like obstacle courses. The controls are typically as follows: The player holds the move forward key, accelerating to the maximum walking speed. The player jumps and simultaneously starts holding either the strafe left or the strafe right key. While airborne, the player moves the mouse slowly in the direction they're strafing. This turns the character and directs the acceleration to an angle that lets the player break the speed cap. To prevent speed loss from ground friction, the player immediately jumps again on landing. Strafe-jumping this way will slowly curve the player's trajectory, so to compensate the player can switch the direction of strafing and mouse movement to the opposite side. Done correctly and continuously, this will gradually increase the player's speed. Mastering this technique requires much practice. Sustained strafe-jumping is mainly a matter of muscle memory, as it requires a strict range and precision of mouse movements. In Quake III Arena and some games based on its engine, such as Call of Duty and Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, slight increases in jump height can be achieved by playing the game at specific frame rates.

Did You Know?

• Strafe-jumping originated as a bug/exploit in the original Quake (1996), not Quake II.
• In Quake II (1997), the bug was not deliberately kept and the mechanic works differently; it was intentionally kept in Quake III Arena.
• The exploit relies on an oversight in acceleration and maximum speed calculation: the movement speed limit is only applied in relation to the acceleration vector's direction, not the direction of the overall velocity.
• The pre-strafe (also known as circle jumping) uses the same mechanics as strafe-jumping, but on the ground before the first jump, and requires faster mouse movement.