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Original XCOM publisher MicroProse returns from the dead with 3 upcoming games

The former publishing juggernaut behind the original XCOM and Civilization games has returned with three upcoming military sim titles based on land, sea, and air.

TJ Denzer

May 5, 2020 8:42 AM

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MicroProse used to be an undeniable force in the PC gaming world. The former juggernaut had publishing rights that helped launch the original XCOM (then UFO: Enemy Unknown), Master of Orion, and Sid Meier’s Civilization and Pirates! just to name a few. The publisher shut its doors and has been out of the game since the early 2000s, but it seems MicroProse is back from the dead. It’s announced its return with the promise of three new upcoming games.

MicroProse announced its relaunch on May 5, 2020, alongside a fresh slate of upcoming military games focused on land, sea, and air combat. Task Force Admiral will put players in the role of aircraft pilots in the skies of 1942, carrying out action-packed dogfights against opposing aerial combatants. Sea Power : Naval Combat in the Missile Age is a naval ship sim in which players will engage in battles on the ocean with NATO and Warsaw Pact forces, battling against other warships and warding off aerial fighters. Finally, Second Front is a strategy game in which players will take over armies in World War 2 and strategize across a turn-based hexagonal battle field.

Having only been announced as a part of of MicroProse’s return to action today, none of the above games have launch dates as of yet. Even so, it’s interesting to see MircoProse back in action. Back in 2001, the publisher met with trouble after French publisher Infogrames Entertainment purchased then-MicroProse owner Hasbro interactive. Its last office seemingly closed in 2003. Even so, the publisher has a huge history of classic PC gaming behind it, helping launch two legendary Sid Meier franchises and a wealth of other classic games, and its return looks to be a fruitful one with the above three games on its slate.

As we await further details, stay tuned to Shacknews for more information on MircoProse and its upcoming games. Did you have a favorite classic MicroProse game? What memories do you have of the company’s original line-up? let us know in the Shacknews Chatty comment section below.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.