Babylon 5: Into the Fire

Last updated: January 23, 2026

Overview

Babylon 5: Into the Fire was an ambitious space combat simulator developed by Yosemite Entertainment and published by Sierra Entertainment, based on the critically acclaimed science fiction television series that won two Emmy Awards and two Hugo Awards¹. The partnership between Sierra and Warner Bros. was announced on October 27, 1997, setting in motion what would become one of the most mourned cancelled games of the late 1990s¹. The game promised to deliver an unprecedented combination of authentic Babylon 5 universe combat, innovative flight mechanics, and involvement from the television series’ original cast and crew².

Development began in 1998 with the goal of creating what Sierra described as a “self-evolving universe” that would allow players to experience the major conflicts of the Babylon 5 timeline³. The game utilized ships based on the television show’s original digital models, created in Lightwave 3D but optimized with lower polygon counts for real-time gameplay¹. Sierra boasted the ability to render up to 1,000 simultaneous ships in battles, with over 60 unique ship models from Earth Alliance and alien factions¹³.

Tragically, despite being approximately 65% complete with all live-action sequences filmed, the game was cancelled on September 21, 1999, as part of Sierra’s corporate reorganization¹⁴. The development team was laid off, and the project was shelved just months before its intended late spring 2000 release². A playable alpha version eventually surfaced in autumn 2014, fifteen years after the cancellation, allowing fans a tantalizing glimpse of what might have been⁵.

Game Info

Developer: Yosemite Entertainment¹ Designer: Randy Littlejohn, Christy Marx, Dan Foy¹² Publisher: Sierra Entertainment¹ Engine: Inertia Flight Engine (patent pending)¹ Platforms: Windows¹ Release Year: Cancelled (1999) Series: Babylon 5 Protagonist: Player-created character Sierra Lineage: Core Sierra

Story Summary

The game was set during a pivotal moment in the Babylon 5 timeline, beginning on the third anniversary of the Interstellar Alliance—two years after the end of Season 5 of the television series and falling chronologically between Babylon 5 and its spin-off series Crusade²³. Aside from one brief conflict with the Centauri Republic early in its first year, ISA President John Sheridan had delivered on his promise to keep the peace among its member worlds².

The main storyline placed players after the conclusion of the devastating war against the Shadows, though an in-game simulator would have allowed players to experience combat against Shadow vessels⁴. Series creator J. Michael Straczynski described the game’s ambitious scope: “The game would have allowed players to go through all of the major wars of the B5 universe—the Dilgar War, the Earth/Minbari War, the Shadow War and the Earth Civil War—with a chance of affecting the outcomes and dealing with the temporal stresses caused by that”².

A 100-page script was developed for the game’s narrative sequences². The story allowed players to move up through the ranks of their chosen faction while experiencing both the game’s original storyline and historic missions from the television series³⁴. The narrative featured the return of major characters from the show, including President John Sheridan, Ambassador Delenn, Michael Garibaldi, and Captain Elizabeth Lochley, all portrayed by their original actors².

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Into the Fire was designed as a real-time, 3D, first-person space combat simulator with what Sierra called a “patent pending inertial flight mode”⁵. The game’s Inertia Flight Engine was specifically designed to simulate realistic Newtonian physics in space combat, a significant departure from the more arcade-style flight models common in space sims of the era¹. IGN’s hands-on preview noted that “it actually does feel like you’re floating around in space,” praising the authentic feel of the flight mechanics³.

The control system featured innovative mechanics such as the ability to lock certain axes while moving, providing pilots with unprecedented control during combat maneuvers⁶. Sierra was credited as potentially being “the first company to really get space flight accurate while keeping it fun”³. The game required a 3D accelerator and was optimized for Pentium III processors, with support for resolutions exceeding 1600x1200¹³.

Structure and Progression

Players would progress through a military career structure, advancing through the ranks of their chosen faction⁴⁶. The game was designed so that players did not need to be fans of the television series to enjoy the experience³. The structure included:

• Campaign Mode: A story-driven experience following the post-series timeline
• Historical Missions: Recreations of major battles from the TV series including the Dilgar War, Earth/Minbari War, Shadow War, and Earth Civil War²
• Simulator Mode: Practice missions including the opportunity to fight against Shadow ships⁴
• Multiplayer Mode: A robust online component designed “from day one” according to development documentation⁴

Puzzles and Mechanics

The game featured over 60 combat ships from various factions, including Earth Alliance vessels like the Starfury and Thunderbolt fighters⁵¹. Players could also test their skills aboard alien fighters in the multiplayer mode⁵. The combat system emphasized the unique characteristics of each ship type, with the promotional materials noting both “slow and fast” fighter types with distinct handling characteristics⁷.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

As Into the Fire was cancelled before release, it never received final review scores. However, preview coverage was enthusiastic. IGN provided extensive hands-on coverage from E3 1999, praising the authentic space flight mechanics and the ambitious scope of the project³. The game’s multiplayer mode was demonstrated at both E3 1999 and GenCon, generating significant anticipation among Babylon 5 fans⁴.

Modern Assessment

The surviving alpha version has been evaluated by preservationists and fans who have managed to run the incomplete build. The French abandonware site noted that the beta version is “assez capricieuse à faire tourner” (quite finicky to run), requiring period-appropriate hardware or carefully configured virtual machines¹. Users on My Abandonware have rated the available alpha version 4.2/5 based on the playable content⁷.

Aggregate Scores:

• My Abandonware: 4.2/5 (user ratings)⁷
• Unseen64: 3.71/5 (user ratings)⁴

Development

Origins

The project originated from a partnership between Sierra and Warner Bros. announced on October 27, 1997¹. Sierra took an unconventional approach to the crowded space combat genre—rather than competing directly with established franchises like Wing Commander and Star Wars, they chose to develop a game based on the Babylon 5 universe, which offered a rich fictional setting with a dedicated fan base¹. The project was initially handled by Sierra FX before development responsibilities shifted to Yosemite Entertainment⁵¹.

Production

Development began in earnest in 1998, with the team utilizing the same 3D models created for the television series’ special effects, albeit with reduced polygon counts for real-time gameplay¹. Series creator J. Michael Straczynski had input on all game elements, ensuring authenticity to the Babylon 5 universe¹. Writer Christy Marx, who had written episodes of the television series, contributed to the game’s 100-page script²³.

In February 1999, the development team was relocated to Bellevue, Washington as part of broader changes at Sierra¹³. The FMV (full-motion video) sequences were directed by Janet Greek, featuring a week-long shoot on the standing Babylon 5 sets followed by a three-day blue screen shoot². Optic Nerve Studios provided the alien makeup effects for the live-action sequences².

By E3 1999, a playable demo was shown that demonstrated the game’s potential¹. According to lead designer Dan Foy, the game was 65% complete when cancelled, with AI and missions not yet finalized¹.

Development Credits:¹²

• Lead Designers: Randy Littlejohn, Dan Foy
• Writer: Christy Marx
• Composer: Christopher Franke, Victor Crews
• FMV Director: Janet Greek
• Makeup Effects: Optic Nerve Studios
• 3D Models: Based on Lightwave 3D models from TV series

Technical Achievements

The proprietary Inertia Flight Engine represented a significant technical achievement in simulating realistic space physics while maintaining engaging gameplay¹⁵. The engine supported resolutions up to 1600x1200, impressive for 1999, and could render up to 1,000 ships simultaneously in large-scale battles¹³.

The game engine incorporated built-in logic to dynamically match Christopher Franke’s music to in-game situations and events⁸. Music themes were designed as modular pieces, mostly around 30 seconds in length, that could be seamlessly combined based on gameplay circumstances⁸.

Technical Specifications

System Requirements:³

• 3D Accelerator: Required
• Processor: Optimized for Pentium III
• Resolution: Support up to 1600x1200+
• Media: CD-ROM

Game Features:¹⁵

• Ships: 60+ unique models
• Battle Scale: Up to 1,000 simultaneous ships
• 3D Modeling: Lightwave 3D (based on TV series models)

Cut Content

The entire game represents cut content, as it was cancelled before completion. According to Dan Foy, the AI systems and mission scripts were not finalized at the time of cancellation¹. Shadow ships were modeled but reportedly not fully implemented in the surviving alpha builds⁶. The voice recordings featuring the complete television cast, including actors Andreas Katsulas, Rick Biggs, and Jeff Conaway (all now deceased), remain locked in Sierra’s archives and are presumed lost⁶.

Version History

Version	Date	Platform	Notes
E3 Demo	May 1999	Windows	Multiplayer demonstration4
Alpha/Beta	September 1999	Windows	65% complete when cancelled1
Leaked Alpha	Autumn 2014	Windows	Surfaced on The Iso Zone15

Technical Issues

The surviving alpha version is notoriously difficult to run on modern systems. Users report that the ISO file structure can be problematic⁷, and one commenter noted a requirement to create a Windows 98 virtual machine using PCem to successfully run the technical demo⁹. The incomplete state of the alpha means that many features are non-functional or unstable.

Easter Eggs and Trivia

• The game represents the last time the complete Babylon 5 cast, including Andreas Katsulas, Rick Biggs, and Jeff Conaway (all of whom have since passed away), were together reprising their roles⁶
• Promotional merchandise was produced including a prototype flip box, poster, 3D lenticular mouse pad, wristwatch, and magnet⁵
• Only five copies of the complete Christopher Franke soundtrack CD were reportedly issued⁸
• Two tracks of Christopher Franke’s game music were included on a separate disc with “The Official Guide to Babylon 5” CD-ROM released in 1998²⁵
• Voice actress Suanne Brown, who played a Narn character, described the unusual experience of being in full Narn makeup with thick contact lenses and not recognizing herself in the mirror¹⁰

Voice Cast

Character	Voice Actor
President John Sheridan	Bruce Boxleitner
Michael Garibaldi	Jerry Doyle
Ambassador Delenn	Mira Furlan
Captain Elizabeth Lochley	Tracy Scoggins
Lorien	Wayne Alexander
Admiral Hudgins	Wayne Alexander
Ta’Lon	Marshall Teague
Centauri Minister of Defense	Thomas MacGreevy
President Luchenko	Beata Pozniak
Narn Character	Suanne Brown

Voice recording featured most of the main Babylon 5 cast in full makeup and costumes for the live-action sequences²¹⁰. The recordings took place on the original television series sets².

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

Into the Fire never reached commercial release, representing a significant financial loss for Sierra. Following the cancellation, four unnamed publishers reportedly showed interest in acquiring the project, and negotiations occurred with Codemasters, but nothing materialized¹. Forum discussions from the era suggest Sierra allegedly redirected funds from the project to a WWF tie-in game⁶.

Collections

The game was never released in any collection. The only publicly available version is the leaked alpha that surfaced in 2014, preserved by abandonware communities¹⁵.

Fan Projects

The cancellation of Into the Fire directly inspired fan-made alternatives. The most notable is “Babylon Project,” a fan-based mod for FreeSpace that was later released as a standalone free game with the FreeSpace SCP (Source Code Project)⁷. Additionally, “Babylon 5: I’ve Found Her” was developed as an independent fan game released in 2003¹¹.

Related Publications

• The Official Guide to Babylon 5 (CD-ROM, 1998): Included two tracks of Christopher Franke’s music composed for Into the Fire²⁵
• Promotional Materials: Prototype flip box, poster, 3D lenticular mouse pad, wristwatch, and magnet were produced but never widely distributed⁵
• Soundtrack CD: A full soundtrack was produced with five tracks (each approximately 11 minutes 20 seconds), but only five copies were reportedly issued⁸

Critical Perspective

Babylon 5: Into the Fire stands as one of the most regretted casualties of the late 1990s consolidation in the gaming industry. The game represented a convergence of factors that should have guaranteed success: a beloved intellectual property with a dedicated fanbase, involvement from the original television cast and creative team, innovative technology, and a space combat genre that was still commercially viable in 1999¹³.

The cancellation came at a particularly unfortunate moment—the game was demonstrably playable and impressive at E3 1999, yet fell victim to Sierra’s broader corporate troubles just months later⁴⁶. As one forum commenter bitterly noted: “It’s an absolute travesty that this was cancelled back then—I never forgave Sierra, who, I’m extremely glad to say went bust about 2 years later”⁶. The loss is compounded by the fact that the voice recordings represent the final time the complete Babylon 5 cast performed together, making them an irreplaceable piece of the franchise’s legacy now lost in corporate archives⁶.

Downloads

Download / Preservation

• My Abandonware – Alpha Version - 202 MB download⁷
• X-Bomber Archive - Alpha versions and soundtrack information⁸

Related Fan Games

• Babylon Project (FreeSpace mod/standalone) - Free alternative⁷

Series Continuity

Into the Fire was intended as Sierra’s sole Babylon 5 gaming venture, though the franchise had seen previous gaming adaptations from other publishers. The game was designed to be accessible to newcomers while providing authentic content for series devotees³. Its timeline placement between the main series and Crusade would have expanded the canonical story of the Babylon 5 universe.

The cancellation left the Babylon 5 franchise without an official space combat game, a gap that fan projects like The Babylon Project mod for FreeSpace have attempted to fill⁷.

References

Footnotes

1. Abandonware France – Babylon 5: Into the Fire – development history, technical specifications, cancellation details, trivia ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³ ↩²⁴ ↩²⁵ ↩²⁶ ↩²⁷ ↩²⁸ ↩²⁹ ↩³⁰ ↩³¹ ↩³²

2. Babylon 5 Fandom Wiki – Into the Fire – voice cast, composers, FMV production details, JMS quotes, storyline ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷

3. IGN – Babylon 5: Into the Fire Preview (May 15, 1999) – hands-on impressions, technical specifications, release date information ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵

4. Unseen64 – Babylon 5: Into the Fire (Cancelled) – cancellation details, E3/GenCon demonstrations, multiplayer information ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

5. Springbringer – Babylon 5: Into the Fire Blog – promotional materials, alpha release information, Christopher Franke music details ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³

6. Frontier Forums – Babylon 5: Into the Fire Discussion – fan recollections, voice recording details, cast information ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

7. My Abandonware – Babylon 5: Into the Fire – download information, user ratings, version details ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

8. X-Bomber – Babylon 5: Into the Fire Archive – soundtrack information, alpha downloads ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

9. The Digital Antiquarian – Space Sims Comments – technical requirements for running demo ↩

10. B5TV Forums – Into the Fire Discussion – Suanne Brown voice acting details, completion status ↩ ↩²

11. Abandonware DOS – Babylon 5 Games Search – reference to fan-made alternative ↩