It looks like Wing Commander 3 is getting a remaster, after EA producer discovers the original FMV source tapes in the company’s archives
Wing Commander 3, Chris Roberts’ acclaimed 1994 space combat simulator, is being remastered by EA. The project was announced by EA producer Jim Vessella at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo. The remaster will feature remastered cutscenes created from the original full-motion video (FMV) source material, following Vessella’s discovery of 600 source tapes while archiving EA’s video collection.
This announcement comes at a notable moment for Roberts’ work, occurring less than 24 hours after Cloud Imperium Games released a new trailer for Squadron 42, the single-player component of Roberts’ ongoing Star Citizen project. The timing highlights continued interest in Roberts’ science fiction franchises.
The discovery of the original FMV source tapes represents a significant find for game preservation efforts, as such materials are often lost or inaccessible. Vessella’s archival work has enabled the preservation and restoration of these materials for the remaster. The Wing Commander 3 remaster exemplifies a growing industry trend of revisiting classic games with restored content, leveraging digital archival work to recover source materials that might otherwise be lost to time.