Challenge ProMode Arena (CPMA) is a modification for Quake 3 Arena focused on competitive gameplay. Originally called Challenge ProMode (CPM), it was created in May 1999 by Richard “Hoony” Sandlant shortly after the release of the Q3 beta. It became the standard competitive mod for Q3 after the Cyberathlete Professional League adopted it, and was used in the Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC).
Three things define CPMA as distinct from base Q3: full air control, the held Mega Health, and the double/ramp jump. Instant weapon switching, rebalanced weapons, and additional gametypes all matter, but these three are what the mod is built around.
The recommended engine for playing CPMA today is CNQ3 (Challenge Quake 3), maintained by the same team. Download and guides at playmorepromode.com.
Air Control
In base Q3 (VQ3), holding forward while airborne contributes almost nothing to steering. Directional changes require landing contact or wall interaction. In CPM, strafing while airborne steers the player meaningfully. Turns of 90 degrees or more are possible without losing momentum. A/D handles large changes, W handles small adjustments.
This changes the geometry of the game. Routes that require sharp mid-air turns are not possible in VQ3. In CPM they are expected. The skill floor for using air control effectively is high; the ceiling is what separates top-level CPM movement from everything else.
Air acceleration in CPM is 15.0 vs VQ3’s 10.0. Combined with air control, circlejump speeds are higher: roughly 492 UPS in CPM vs 407 UPS in VQ3 from a standing start.
Held Mega Health
In base Q3, the Mega Health respawns on a fixed 35-second timer from the moment it is picked up. The carrier has no influence over when it comes back.
In CPMA, Mega Health behavior is configurable per server and gametype via the simplemega setting. The default configuration for duel (1v1) uses wearoff-based respawn: the timer does not start until the carrier’s health drops to 100 or below. A player sitting above 100 HP indefinitely delays the respawn. In this mode, Mega Health becomes a strategic resource. Controlling it means not just picking it up but understanding when to let health decay and when to hold it.
FFA and some other configurations use fixed-interval respawn (same as VQ3). Whether a given server or gametype uses wearoff or fixed respawn is determined by the simplemega cvar; it is not an immutable property of the CPM ruleset.
Note: exact per-gametype defaults in standard CPMA distributions (CTF, TDM) need verification. If you know these, contribute via the TARP Discord.
Double Jump and Ramp Jump
These are two distinct mechanics that combine.
Double jump: pressing jump a second time within 400ms of landing grants additional upward velocity. This is a second jump input. It requires the player to hit the key again at the right moment. The timing window is tight and has to be developed by feel.
Ramp jump: jumping while moving up a slope converts forward speed into vertical speed, proportional to the slope angle. This is not a button press. It is the physics response to the geometry at the moment of takeoff. VQ3 also has ramp jumps but the effect is weaker; CPM amplifies it.
The two mechanics chain: a ramp jump can be followed immediately by a double jump to extend height and distance further than either alone. CPM maps are designed around routes that require this combination to reach certain positions. Faster approach speed into a ramp = higher jump.
Physics Constants (CPM vs VQ3)
| Constant | CPM | VQ3 |
|---|---|---|
| Ground speed | 320 UPS | 320 UPS |
| Air acceleration | 15.0 | 10.0 |
| Air control | Full | Minimal |
| Bunny hopping | Yes | No |
| Double jump | Yes (400ms window) | No |
| Ramp jump | Amplified | Base |
| Weapon switching | Instant | 450ms delay |
CPMA supports both CPM and VQ3 physics. VQ3 mode behaves identically to base Q3.
Ruleset Variants
| Variant | Notes |
|---|---|
| CPM / PM2 | Challenge ProMode II. Current standard. |
| PMC / PM1 | ProMode Classic. Original ruleset. |
| CQ3 | Challenge Quake 3 ruleset. |
| VQ3 | Vanilla Q3 physics. |
Gametypes
Inherits FFA, TDM, 1v1 Tournament, and CTF from base Q3. CPMA-exclusive modes:
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Clan Arena (CA) | Full loadout on spawn. No pickups. Respawn only between rounds. |
| Freeze Tag | Freeze all enemy players to win the round. Frozen players thawed by teammate contact for 3 seconds. |
| Capture Strike | CTF + Rocket Arena hybrid. Teams alternate offense and defense. |
| Not Team Fortress (NTF) | Class-based CTF. 4 classes: Fighter, Scout, Sniper, Tank. Health and armor regenerate. |
| HoonyMode | Tennis-format 1v1. Players choose spawn points, deaths score points. |
Weapons
CPMA rebalances Q3’s weapons. Instant weapon switching removes the 450ms switch delay from base Q3.
Key Versions
| Version | Date |
|---|---|
| Beta 3 | March 24, 2000 |
| 1.0 | August 28, 2000 |
| 1.52 (latest) | March 31, 2019 |