Master of Orion: Wargaming's plan for remaking a classic

22 years is long enough to make Master of Orion one of the ancestors of 4X. But it’s also been dormant for a longer time than many of the early turn-based strategy games. That changed earlier this month when Wargaming, mostly known for World of Tanks and other games in its free-to-play franchise, revealed a Master of Orion remake.

I had a chance to see a hands-off demo of Master of Orion at E3, after which I spoke with project director Chris Keeling about Wargaming’s approach to remaking a PC classic, how they’ll handle faction AI, and the prospect of moddability for MOO.

Evan's a hardcore FPS enthusiast who joined PC Gamer in 2008. After an era spent publishing reviews, news, and cover features, he now oversees editorial operations for PC Gamer worldwide, including setting policy, training, and editing stories written by the wider team. His most-played FPSes are CS:GO, Team Fortress 2, Team Fortress Classic, Rainbow Six Siege, and Arma 2. His first multiplayer FPS was Quake 2, played on serial LAN in his uncle's basement, the ideal conditions for instilling a lifelong fondness for fragging. Evan also leads production of the PC Gaming Show, the annual E3 showcase event dedicated to PC gaming.