Prepare yourselves, Star Wars fans, one of the franchise’s biggest game series is about to see action once again. Leaked information over at GOG.com indicates that the service, which updates classic games to be playable on modern computers, has secured X-Wing and TIE Fighter, two of the most beloved games in history, for a digital DRM-free re-release.
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Originally released in 1993 and 1994, respectively, X-Wing and TIE Fighter were stunning games for their time, putting players in the cockpits of Alliance or Imperial starfighters as the battle for the galaxy unfolded. The franchise saw a “Collector Series” update in the late 1990s that brought enhanced visuals and audio, but publisher LucasArts turned its attention away from the games in the 2000s and focused on more arcade-style Star Wars games, like the Rogue Squadron series that made a popular splash on Nintendo consoles, until its downfall and purchase by Disney in 2013.
A large community of fans have worked to keep X-Wing and TIE Fighter playable on modern systems, but it’s a losing battle as operating system architectures continue to evolve. Now, with an official re-release, even casual fans of the series will be able to play on even the most modern PCs with just the click of a mouse.
The announcement of the games’ re-release was prematurely published to the GOG.com forums on Monday. According to that post, which was quickly taken down, each game will include the updated graphics, sound, and voice-overs from the Collectors Series editions, as well as the expansion packs that added new campaign missions and game modes. Fans can expect the games to land this Tuesday, October 28th, for $10 each.
Although it took many years to get an official re-release, this week’s launch of X-Wing and TIE Fighter may not be a complete surprise given recent developments. Disney now owns the LucasArts game catalog, and has pledged renewed focus on bringing more Star Wars games to market, both on its own and in partnership with EA. With a large launch of non-Star Wars Disney games last week on Steam, this week could see the return of multiple classic LucasArts properties.
The only downside to this exciting news? The franchise’s final game, X-Wing Alliance, and multiplayer entry, X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter, are nowhere to be found. Both were largely overshadowed by X-Wing and TIE Fighter but still maintain a dedicated fan base. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see what, if anything, GOG and Disney have to say about these missing pieces. Until then, get your wallets ready; according to the countdown on the GOG.com website, Star Wars fans can expect the games to become available around 10:30 a.m. EDT / 7:30 a.m. PDT on Tuesday.
