Electronic Arts announces Wing Commander III 30th Anniversary Edition

Electronic Arts producer Jim Vessella announced a remastered release of the classic space combat simulator, titled ‘Wing Commander III: 30th Anniversary Edition’, at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo. The project aims to revitalize the 1994 title, which famously featured live-action film sequences starring actors such as Mark Hamill.

The remaster is made possible by a significant archival discovery: over 600 original video tapes found within the Electronic Arts archives. These tapes will allow the team to restore and upscale the original full-motion video (FMV) sequences, which suffered from heavy compression due to technical limitations when the game was first released.

Key features of the anniversary edition are expected to include 60fps gameplay, modern controller support, and the inclusion of community expansion patches. There are also indications that the release may integrate the original Wing Commander trilogy. The title is planned for release on Steam, GOG, and the EA app, though a specific release date has not yet been confirmed.