Wing Commander is the space-combat series Chris Roberts created at Origin Systems. The first game shipped on 26 September 1990. The last original release is Arena, on 25 July 2007. Six restored Anniversary Editions arrived on Steam, GOG and the EA app on 5 November 2026.
Start here
If you want the whole story, begin with the games in release order. If you will play only one, read which game to start with. If you are buying this month, the 2026 edition comparison lists each price in US dollars as of 8 November 2026. Setup for Windows lives on how to play.
What changed in 2026
These are restored editions, not rebuilt games. Electronic Arts wrote that about 600 Wing Commander tapes were digitized. The Wing Commander III edition restores 475 full-screen scenes and 460 in-flight comms scenes. Wing Commander IV restores 275 scenes. Prophecy restores 150. Privateer 2 restores more than 100. Wing Commander and Wing Commander II integrate the Kilrathi Saga builds with the WCAT and Wcdx patches, windowed mode and cloud saves.
I keep the store word "restored" instead of calling the set a remake. The flight model and mission trees are the originals.
Questions people ask
Is there a way to play Wing Commander in the browser?
No official browser version exists. The 2026 editions are Windows downloads on Steam, GOG and the EA app. Legal free options are the fan games linked from the play-online page, not ROM sites.
When did the Anniversary Editions launch?
5 November 2026. That is the first time the series has been sold on Steam.
What is the last Wing Commander game?
Wing Commander Arena, released on Xbox Live Arcade on 25 July 2007. The 2026 editions are re-releases, not a new game.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Wing Commander (franchise) — checked 2026-11-08
- EA: From the Vault to Your Library — checked 2026-11-08
- wcnews: Anniversary Editions released — checked 2026-11-08
- YouTube (EA): WC2 35th launch trailer — checked 2026-11-08