The Lost Quake III x Eminem & Dr. Dre mod

When Interscope Records Dropped a Quake III Arena Mod to Promote Eminem and Dr. Dre

Back in the early 2000s, crossovers between music and video games were still rare and experimental—but Interscope Records made a bold move that merged both worlds in a wild, unforgettable way.

To promote The Marshall Mathers LP and the upcoming tour featuring Eminem and Dr. Dre, Interscope released an official Quake III Arena mod called "Chronic." This wasn't just a slapped-together promo—it was a full-on custom map that transformed a gritty city block into a hip-hop battlefield. Billboards and textures throughout the level hyped the album and tour, while snippets of then-unreleased music played in the background, giving fans a sneak peek in the most unexpected setting: a fast-paced deathmatch arena.

The mod went even further by including playable character models of both Eminem and Dr. Dre, complete with their own voice lines and taunts. Imagine fragging someone as Slim Shady while his lyrics blared through a dystopian street corner—that was the vibe. Eminem’s model has his left middle finger extended, so he’s always flicking off other players, a nod to his rebellious persona and frequent use of this gesture during that era.

"Chronic" was more than a gimmick. It was ahead of its time, blending marketing, fan culture, and interactivity in a way that today’s music/game crossovers (like Travis Scott in Fortnite) have only recently started to explore on a larger scale.

The mod was created by MeatPak, a known Quake III level designer, in collaboration with Fullerene Productions, a design agency, and released in partnership with Interscope Records.