The upcoming release of Free Stars: The Ur-Quan Masters on Steam marks the arrival of the open-source remake of the iconic sci-fi exploration-adventure game Star Control 2. Available for free, this Steam version features some modifications and is set to launch with a slightly altered title.
Ur-Quan
To understand the evolution of The Ur-Quan Masters, a brief history lesson is in order. Star Control 2, developed by Toys for Bob and published by Accolade in 1992, gained immense popularity. Following a disappointing Star Control 3, which lacked the involvement of its original creators, Paul Reiche and Fred Ford, founders of Toys for Bob, released the source code for the 3DO version of Star Control 2 as open source in 2002. This led to the creation of the well-received fan game, The Ur-Quan Masters.
Twenty-five years later, Ford and Reiche embarked on developing a direct sequel titled Ghosts of the Precursors. However, a legal dispute arose when Stardock claimed ownership of the Star Control rights from Atari’s 2013 bankruptcy sale. Eventually, an amicable settlement was reached, granting Stardock the rights to the Star Control name, while Reiche and Ford retained the freedom to create new Ur-Quan Masters games.
The result of this journey is Free Stars: The Ur-Quan Masters, described as a classic space game capturing the allure of retro science fiction, space combat, and high adventure. The game, set to launch on Steam on February 19, is based on the UQM build with some tweaks, including voiceovers, 3DO music, and other minor changes, as detailed in a Steam FAQ.
While the original Star Control and Star Control 2 remain available on platforms like Steam and GOG, Free Stars: The Ur-Quan Masters aims to reach a broader audience by joining the Steam library. Pistol Shrimp Games, the studio formed by Reiche, Ford, Ford’s brother Ken, and Dan Gerstein to work on Ur-Quan Masters games, emphasizes the importance of Steam as a gaming hub for millions of players.
Pistol Shrimp Games acknowledges the availability of The Ur-Quan Masters on Sourceforge for free, but the decision to bring Free Stars: The Ur-Quan to Steam is driven by the desire to showcase the community’s efforts, attract new audiences, and establish a presence for the entire series on the platform.
Although Reiche and Ken Ford departed Pistol Shrimp in September 2023, work on the direct sequel, renamed Free Stars: Children of Infinity as per the Stardock settlement, is still ongoing. While no specific release target is indicated, interested players can stay updated on the developments at freestarsgame.com.
