EA is preparing a Wing Commander III remaster after producer Jim Vessella recovered original video tapes while digitising the publisher’s archives.
According to PC Gamer, Vessella revealed the project during a presentation at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo. Finding 600 source tapes gives the restoration access to footage that predates the original game’s heavily compressed cutscenes.
The Chris Roberts space combat game launched in 1994, combining spaceship battles with filmed performances from actors including Mark Hamill and John Rhys-Davies.
Video Game History Foundation board member Steve Lin shared photographs of Vessella’s presentation on Bluesky, revealing several planned features.
The project is titled Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger, 30th Anniversary Edition, even though the original is now 32 years old.
The presentation promises original-source and upscaled versions of the full-motion video sequences, giving the restoration two approaches to its cinematic material.
The reported feature set includes 60fps operation, with Lin sharing further details indicating that controller support is planned.
A slide mentions “Kilrathi Saga integration”, although the report leaves the precise contents of that addition unresolved. PC Gamer suggests it could bring the earlier games and their expansions into the package, which remains an interpretation.
The announcement gives fans something concrete from EA’s back catalogue, with archival recovery forming a substantial part of the project.
The report provides no release date or price, so prospective pilots still have some waiting before returning to the cockpit.
Lin’s additional details identify Steam and GOG as planned storefronts, with the remaster scheduled to reach the EA app too.
