EA Returns 25 Classic Games: Road Rash, Wing Commander & Ultima Now 50% Off on Steam

Electronic Arts has returned 25 legacy PC titles to digital storefronts, with seven of them rebuilt as Anniversary Editions and the entire batch discounted 50% until November 19, indian-tv.cz reported. The lineup spans the Wing Commander space-combat series, the Ultima role-playing saga, and the motorcycle-road-racing game Road Rash, all available on Steam and GOG under the Restored Classic Sale event, GamingSite.cz reported.

The remastered seven — Road Rash: 30th Anniversary Edition, Wing Commander and Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi 35th Anniversary Editions, Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger, Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom, Wing Commander: Prophecy and Privateer 2: The Darkening 30th Anniversary Editions — were rebuilt to run on modern operating systems and displays, with community modifications and fixes folded into the official releases, GamingSite.cz reported. Hrej.cz added that the Wing Commander III restoration went back to the original film tapes, recovering more than 1,500 full-motion video scenes that had been heavily compressed to fit the CD-ROMs of the 1990s.

What the 25 returning titles include

Beyond the seven remasters, 18 further classics are on sale in their original form, Hrej.cz listed: the full Wing Commander spinoffs Privateer, Academy and Armada; Strike Commander; both Crusader titles, No Remorse and No Regret; Theme Hospital; and the Ultima series from Ultima I through Ultima IX, plus both Ultima Underworld games. According to GamingSite.cz, Theme Hospital and the Ultima entries are the versions previously sold on GOG, now also purchasable for Steam libraries.

Owners of the original Wing Commander releases on GOG or in the EA app receive the matching Anniversary Edition in their libraries at no extra cost, Hrej.cz reported. The Wing Commander III install also includes its version from the Kilrathi Saga collection, the outlet said.

GamingSite.cz confirms discounts and launch timing

All 25 games carry a 50% discount through November 19, and complete series bundles for Ultima or Wing Commander are reduced 55%, GamingSite.cz reported. Wing Commander III itself launched on Steam, GOG and the EA app on November 5, Hrej.cz noted.

Why EA is doing this now

GamingSite.cz framed the move as an unusually positive step for a publisher that players have long accused of letting its back catalog decay while the games became difficult to run on new Windows systems without emulator workarounds. The same outlet noted, however, that the return of Road Rash and Wing Commander is unlikely to fully calm community anger: EA is currently facing a wave of social-media criticism from Mass Effect fans over the recent closure of BioWare and fears for that franchise’s future.

Frequently asked questions

Hrej.cz lists them as the Anniversary Editions of Road Rash, Wing Commander, Wing Commander II, Wing Commander III, Wing Commander IV, Wing Commander: Prophecy and Privateer 2. The other 18 titles are sold in their original form.

GamingSite.cz reports the 50% sale runs until November 19, with 55% off complete Ultima or Wing Commander series bundles.

No — Hrej.cz reports that owners of the original Wing Commander titles on GOG or in the EA app get the corresponding Anniversary Edition free in their library.

The restoration work, including the recovery of more than 1,500 film scenes from original tapes, shows EA investing in its archive while it faces criticism over the BioWare closure, GamingSite.cz reported.

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