EA puts 25 classic PC games on Steam, with 7 restored Anniversary Editions
Road Rash and six Wing Commander games get restored FMV and community patches for $9.99. Ultima, Crusader and Theme Hospital are $4.99 each on Steam and GOG.
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Electronic Arts released 25 classic PC games on Steam, GOG and the EA App on November 5, 2026, most of them on Steam for the first time. Seven are restored Anniversary Editions: Road Rash and six Wing Commander games, rebuilt with recovered video masters and community-made patches. The other 18, including the Ultima series, both Crusader games and Theme Hospital, are faithful ports.
The Anniversary Editions cost $9.99 and the other classics $4.99, The Verge reports. EA says all 25 have special pricing on Steam and GOG until November 19.
What's confirmed
The seven Anniversary Editions. Road Rash (30th), Wing Commander and Wing Commander II (35th), Wing Commander III, IV and Prophecy (30th), and Privateer 2: The Darkening (30th). EA says each keeps the original look and design but adds fixes for modern PCs.
What is new in them. According to EA's announcement:
- Wing Commander I and II include the Kilrathi Saga versions, digitally for the first time, with a re-orchestrated soundtrack. They bundle two community patches: Wcdx for speed fixes, controller support and windowed mode, and WCAT, which restores the feel of a 386 PC for the DOS versions.
- Wing Commander III and IV use master tapes found in 2022 to restore more than 1,000 full-motion video scenes, with optional upscaled versions and the community Enhancement Patch for 60 fps play and widescreen cockpits.
- Privateer 2 restores more than 100 scenes from tapes found by the game's original cinematics director in 2024, with a new director's cut grade. Its cast includes Clive Owen, John Hurt and Christopher Walken.
- Road Rash is the first digital release of the 1996 PC version, with its licensed soundtrack, including Soundgarden and Monster Magnet, now playing during races, plus 60 fps, controller support and cloud saves.
The 18 ports. Wing Commander: Privateer, Academy and Armada, Strike Commander, Theme Hospital, Crusader: No Remorse and No Regret, Ultima I to IX (Ultima VII as the Complete Edition and VIII as the Gold Edition), and both Ultima Underworld games.
How it happened. EA says senior producer Jim Vessella found a physical media vault at its Redwood Shores campus in March 2022, holding almost 20,000 archival items. The team digitised about 2,500 hours of footage. The Verge says the tapes included Betacam, VHS and D1 formats.
Free upgrade. Anyone who already owned a Wing Commander game digitally on GOG or the EA App gets its Anniversary Edition free on that platform.
Background
These are some of the most important PC games ever made. Wing Commander launched in 1990 and defined the space combat sim. Wing Commander III in 1994 put a Hollywood cast in full-motion video at a time when CD-ROM drives were new. Richard Garriott's Ultima began in 1981, and Ultima Online in 1997 was one of the games that created the MMO genre years before EverQuest and World of Warcraft. Theme Hospital, from Bullfrog in 1997, is still the template for comedy management sims such as Two Point Hospital.
Many of these games have been sold on GOG for years. What is new is Steam, and the restored video in the seven Anniversary Editions.
My take: what it means for players
I am glad EA did the slow version of this. It would have been easy to dump DOS files on Steam with an emulator wrapper and call it done. Instead, the Anniversary Editions use footage recovered from master tapes and officially include patches that the Wing Commander community built over many years. Crediting fan work instead of replacing it is the right way to bring old PC games back, and more publishers should do the same.
The prices are fair, and there are no catches that I can see. At $4.99, Ultima IV and Ultima Underworld are essential history for anyone who loves RPGs. Underworld's first-person 3D dungeons came out in 1992, before Doom, and the immersive sims that followed owe it a lot. Theme Hospital still plays well as it is.
My one note of caution: these are 1990s games. Older DOS releases can take some patience with controls, even with the fixes. Start with Road Rash or Wing Commander III if you want the most modern feel.
What we don't know yet
- Sale prices. EA confirms special pricing until November 19 but did not list the discount in its post.
- More games. EA has not said whether more of the vault's titles will follow.
- SEA prices. We have not checked Steam prices in ringgit or other Southeast Asian currencies.
- Steam Deck. EA has not listed Steam Deck support for these releases in the sources we read.
Quick facts
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Release | November 5, 2026 |
| Stores | Steam, GOG, EA App |
| Games | 25 (7 Anniversary Editions, 18 ports) |
| Anniversary Edition price | $9.99 |
| Other classics | $4.99 each |
| Launch pricing | Steam and GOG, until November 19, 2026 |
| Restored FMV | More than 1,500 scenes, per EA |
FAQ
What EA classic games are on Steam?
Twenty-five, including Road Rash, the Wing Commander series, Privateer 2, Strike Commander, Theme Hospital, Crusader: No Remorse and No Regret, Ultima I to IX and both Ultima Underworld games.
How much do the EA classics cost?
The Verge reports $9.99 for the seven Anniversary Editions and $4.99 for the other classics, with launch pricing on Steam and GOG until November 19, 2026.
What is different in the Anniversary Editions?
Restored video from master tapes, optional upscaled scenes, community patches for modern PCs, controller support and, for Road Rash, 60 fps and cloud saves.
I own Wing Commander on GOG. Do I have to pay again?
No. EA says owners of the GOG or EA App versions get the Anniversary Edition upgrade free on that platform.
More: GOG Galaxy is coming to Linux in 2027.
Sources: EA (EA News); The Verge; PC Gamer.
