The forerunner of the influential “4X” style, Master of Orion builds on the iconic eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate, gameplay that the original game pioneered. This re-imagined title stays true to its legacy, delivering on the promise of deep strategy, hard fought battles, diplomacy, and exploration—all with a healthy dash of humor.

Enhanced visuals, built from the ground up, breathe new life into the vast galaxy available to explore and conquer, as well as a fresh perspective on the original 10 races, each offering different styles of play. Within thousands of ever-changing galaxies, hundreds of unique technologies, and dozens of ships waiting to be tested, no two games will ever be the same.

Players can expect a revamped user interface, an orchestral score from the original game’s composer, voice-overs by well-known actors, new user tutorials, and more to deliver a classic yet fresh experience to one of gaming’s most respected franchises.

Early Access puts players first in line to experience all of Master of Orion’s iconic 4X gameplay and more. There are many paths to victory for explorers in their quest for Orion, such as “Diplomatic”, “Conquest” and “Excellence”, and more on the horizon.

Multiplayer is a big part of the Early Access package. Explorers can lay down the gauntlet to friends across the world and challenge them to a campaign or embark on their own road to galactic conquest against AI races. Real-time Tactical Battles add a new, immersive dynamic to Master of Orion, letting players take their own, custom-designed fleets to war, where they must use every trick and tactic at their disposal to claim victory.

Master of Orion’s galaxy just got a little bigger. Beginning tomorrow, March 25, those who have already started their quest to conquer the stars will be able to lead even more races to galactic domination. Explorers can wield the power of the hive with the Klackon, control the technological might of the Meklar, or harness the ruthlessness of the Terran—a race exclusive to the Master of Orion Collector’s Edition. A new victory condition has also been added: Technological.

The Klackon are part ant, part cockroach. There are lots of them, which means they develop rapidly and can build a large fleet in a heartbeat—perfect for a head-on strategy. The Mecklar, on the other claw, may not be the most industrious, but they are masters of technology and can produce fleets of huge ships.

The Terran, the black sheep (with white hair) of the Human race, have spent millennia preparing for war. They can create ships at a reduced cost, which boast powerful beam attacks, and are great at engineering. You don’t have to be genius to know that you should focus on growing your army to dominate space. However, if you want to keep some enemies closer for a while, the Terran can swing their weight about in the Galactic Council thanks to their commanding nature.

If, for some reason, this selection of races doesn’t quite fulfill your game plan, you can now create your own custom race. Custom races are great to test new ways of playing the game. Ever wanted to see what the normally intellectual and reserved Psilons would be like if they had the skills to become warmongers? Now you can.

Early Access (either on Steam or GOG.com) is NGD Studios’ chance to hear your feedback, and the team has been hard at work listening to fans. So far, the team has improved Tactical Battles, offering explorers more of a challenge. You’ll find that AI has been enhanced, making races more individual, and levels of difficulty have been implemented. Finally, your ship designs influence your fleet characteristics and impact battle results.

Remember, the team still want your feedback, so why not join intrepid explorers who have submitted feedback and help make the game greater together with NGD Studios and the WG Labs Team?

During Early Access, Master of Orion will support 64-bit Windows PC, with other platforms and specifications to arrive later. The game will arrive with full English localization and its star-studded cast, as well as Russian localization. Explorers from across the world can expect German, French, Spanish, Czech, Polish, Turkish, Spanish (MX), Portuguese, Korean and Japanese to be implemented soon.