Activision Approve Fan Release Of ‘Dark Reign Redux’

Activision has worked out a deal with Magnetar Games to bring a port of Dark Reign: The Future of War to the Xbox Live Indie Game marketplace. Dark Reign Redux is now available on the store for 400 Microsoft points. A full PC version is planned, but has not been dated or priced at this point in time.

The game has been fully approved by Activision. Magnetar Games explained that the art assets have been fully authorised and that “legal issues have been reviewed by Activision’s lawyer”. As a result, “Dark Reign Redux is a remake game QA’ed by Activision”. It is currently possible to try a version of Dark Reign Redux on Magnetar Games’ website.

If you missed Dark Reign when it was originally released, it is a sprite-based real-time strategy game in the same vein as Command & Conquer or Total Annihilation. In the story, humans have fled a toxic Earth to colonise planets across the galaxy. In the original the player was able to take command of the rival factions known as the Imperium and the Freedom Guard.

This is not the first time that Activision has approved fan remakes of licenses that it holds. Fans were also granted permission to remake the King’s Quest series. The Silver Lining was released in several episodes, despite attempts to halt progress on the game.

Dark Reign Redux can be downloaded from the Xbox Live Indie Game marketplace. The trial version of Dark Reign Redux is available to play through browsers on the Magnetar Games website.