Homeworld Remastered Collection

Last updated: January 10, 2026

Overview

Homeworld Remastered Collection is a comprehensive restoration of Relic Entertainment’s groundbreaking space real-time strategy games, released on February 25, 2015 by Gearbox Software¹. The collection includes fully remastered versions of Homeworld (1999) and Homeworld 2 (2003), alongside the original “Classic” versions of both games, preserving one of the most influential RTS franchises in gaming history². Publisher 2K Games described it as “THE LEGENDARY RTS—REBORN,” a project “crafted with the assistance and guidance of the original creators as well as the help of a passionate fan community”³.

The original Homeworld, released September 28, 1999, revolutionized the real-time strategy genre by introducing fully three-dimensional space combat, allowing players to command fleets that could move in all directions—up, down, backward, forward, and to either side—rather than being confined to a traditional two-dimensional plane⁴. As IGN declared at its original release, “Relic not only tackled space, but may have just changed strategy games forever”⁵. The game received universal acclaim, achieving a Metacritic score of 93 and earning numerous Game of the Year awards in 1999⁶.

Gearbox Software acquired the Homeworld intellectual property for $1.35 million at THQ’s bankruptcy auction in April 2013, rescuing the beloved franchise from legal limbo after the games had spent twelve years in THQ’s vaults⁷. The remastering process took approximately two years, during which the development team worked with original artists and key members of the original development team to rebuild both games using the Homeworld 2 engine, adding support for HD, UHD, and 4K resolutions while maintaining the essence of the originals⁸. Brian Martel, Gearbox’s Chief Creative Officer, emphasized that the studio had “great love and respect for Relic’s brilliant, fun and innovative game”⁹.

Game Info

Developer: Gearbox Software, Aspyr (Mac)¹ Original Developer: Relic Entertainment⁴ Designer: Alex Garden, Erin Daly¹⁰ Publisher: Gearbox Software, 2K Games³ Engine: Homeworld 2 Engine¹¹ Platforms: Windows, macOS¹ Release Year: 2015 Series: Homeworld Protagonist: Karan S’jet (Fleet Command) Sierra Lineage: Sierra Published Original

Story Summary

The Homeworld saga begins on the desert planet of Kharak, where the Kushan people have lived for thousands of years, unaware of their true origins. “100 years ago, a satellite detected an object under the sands of the Great Desert. An expedition was sent. An ancient starship, buried in the sand. Deep inside the ruin was a single stone that would change the course of our history forever. On the stone was etched a galactic map and a single word more ancient than the clans themselves: ‘Hiigara’. Our home”¹². This discovery reveals that the Kushan are not native to Kharak but exiles from a distant homeworld¹³.

The Kushan spend sixty years constructing the Mothership, a massive spacecraft-constructing vessel capable of carrying them across the galaxy to reclaim their ancestral home¹⁴. Central to this endeavor is Karan S’jet, who integrates herself into the Mothership’s systems to become Fleet Command, sacrificing her physical independence to guide her people through the stars¹⁵. As the Mothership prepares for its maiden hyperspace jump, the Taiidan Empire discovers Kharak and destroys it utterly in retaliation for the Kushan developing forbidden hyperspace technology. The devastating moment is captured in Karan’s anguished transmission: “No one’s left. Everything’s gone. Kharak is burning…!“¹⁶.

The survivors journey across the galaxy with their Mothership, facing pirates, mercenaries, and the forces of the Taiidan Empire as they fight to reach Hiigara⁴. The narrative draws heavily from science fiction influences, with Alex Garden describing his vision as “a 3D game that looked like you were watching Star Wars but had a storyline like Battlestar Galactica”¹⁰. The story was written by Arinn Dembo, an anthropologist and archaeologist who developed the basic social structure and cultural institutions of the Kushan, along with games journalist Martin Cirulis¹⁷. This emotional journey through 16 missions became one of gaming’s most celebrated narratives, with IGN noting that “Homeworld tells a fantastic, emotional story – something very few real-time strategy games have done”².

Homeworld 2, set years after the events of the first game, continues the saga as the Hiigaran people face a new threat from the Vaygr, a nomadic warrior race seeking control of the galaxy¹⁸. The sequel features significantly different ship designs and applications between the Vaygr and Hiigaran factions, expanding the tactical possibilities while maintaining the franchise’s signature epic scale space battles¹⁸.

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Homeworld pioneered a revolutionary 3D interface that allowed players to command fleets in fully three-dimensional space. Unlike traditional RTS games that operated on a horizontal plane, Homeworld let players send ships to explore, harvest resources, and engage enemies in all directions¹⁹. The game featured “an innovative camera system that focuses on objects instead of places offers easy control over the perspective, allowing the player to follow these units that move freely in open space”¹⁹. The cube-shaped mini-map could be zoomed and rotated on all three axes, providing unprecedented spatial awareness¹⁹.

Alex Garden acknowledged the interface challenges, noting “We had the basic control scheme nailed on day one. Ironing out the details of that basic scheme was a simple two-year task…“¹⁷. Interestingly, designer Erin Daly observed that “players who had very little exposure to top-down RTS games had an easier time learning the controls to Homeworld”¹⁷, suggesting the 3D interface was more intuitive for newcomers than veterans of traditional RTS games. Garden recommended using “baroque mice with wheel and middle button” for optimal control¹⁷.

Structure and Progression

The original Homeworld campaign spans 16 missions that tell a continuous story of the Kushan exodus²⁰. A defining feature of the series is the persistent fleet system: ships and resources carry over between missions, creating a genuine sense of attachment to individual units⁴. Game Informer noted players should “expect to get attached to your ships, which makes dangerous encounters even more intense”²¹. This persistence means that losses are permanent and victories have lasting impact throughout the campaign.

Key campaign missions include:

• Return to Kharak – The devastating discovery of the homeworld’s destruction, famously scored to Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings”²²
• Diamond Shoals – Considered “certainly the most annoying mission of the game” due to asteroid hazards²²
• Gardens of Kadesh – A challenging encounter with the enigmatic Kadeshi
• Supernova Station – A race against time near a dying star
• Tenhauser Gate – The climactic approach to Hiigara

Puzzles and Mechanics

Homeworld’s gameplay is built on rock-paper-scissors style combat mechanics, with different ship classes countering others²³. The game features two playable races—the Kushan and Taiidan—with similar unit rosters but distinct visual designs²⁴. Players must balance resource harvesting, fleet construction, and tactical combat across battles that can involve up to 200 ships²⁴.

The Remastered Collection combines all four races (Kushan, Taiidan, Hiigaran, and Vaygr) into a unified multiplayer experience supporting up to 8 players across 23 maps²⁵. The remaster introduced formation improvements, with Gearbox noting that “Formations have been completely rewritten to better support HW1 formations”²⁶, addressing long-standing community concerns about tactical unit control.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

The Homeworld Remastered Collection received overwhelmingly positive reviews upon release, with critics praising the careful restoration of the classic titles. IGN awarded the collection 9.0/10, with Dan Stapleton declaring “Even ignoring Remastered Collection’s beautifully enhanced graphics, which would’ve definitely fooled me into believing these were modern real-time strategy games, the way original developer Relic expertly pulls off a brilliant recreation of the Star Wars-scale space fleet battles is nothing short of amazing”². He concluded that “Gearbox gives Homeworld the respect it deserves in this impressive refitting of Relic’s classic RTS games”².

PC Gamer gave the collection 92/100, with Tom Senior calling it “A worthy upgrade to one of the best strategy games ever, featuring the best space battles in the business” and stating unequivocally that “Homeworld is simply incredible and everyone should play it”²⁷. GameSpot’s Kevin VanOrd scored it 8/10, noting that “Returning to this universe in Homeworld Remastered Collection illustrates the series’ timelessness” while observing that the game “beautifully captures the loneliness of space”²⁸.

Game Informer awarded 8/10, with Daniel Tack praising the collection while noting “I can’t help but wish that Gearbox had brought some new things to the table beyond adding polish to existing content”²¹. Destructoid gave 8/10, with Jason Faulkner describing the Homeworld campaign as “Your exodus across the galaxy is a relentless struggle against the odds and is one of my favorite campaigns in video game history”¹¹. GamingTrend awarded a perfect 100, declaring “Gearbox has set the bar for how to update an old game for a modern audience”²⁹.

Original Homeworld Reception (1999)

The original Homeworld achieved legendary status upon its 1999 release, becoming the highest-rated computer game of 1999 on Metacritic with a score of 93⁶. All Game Guide awarded 100/100, describing it as “Simply one of those titles that makes you say ‘Wow.’ You’ll have to pick your jaw up off the floor when you experience it for the first time”⁶. Adrenaline Vault also gave 100/100, stating “Beyond the confines of the single player is the best multiplayer strategy game since ‘Total Annihilation’“⁶.

GameSpy scored it 93/100, calling it “A truly groundbreaking RTS with no major flaws. The visuals and music are top-notch and the gameplay is on a grand scale. This is the first game I have played where I was truly inspired by the vastness of space”⁶. PC Gamer gave 93/100, praising the “Engrossing RTS play matched to a vital and visually intense story”⁶. IGN awarded 95/100, stating “We’ve rarely played a game with this much substance”⁶.

Eurogamer scored the original 9/10, describing it as “a refreshing new take on the real time strategy genre, abandoning the usual forest, ice, desert and volcanic worlds of most RTS games and instead setting the action in deep space”³⁰.

Aggregate Scores:

• Metacritic (Remastered): 86/100²⁹
• Metacritic (Original): 93/100⁶
• GOG User Rating: 4.7/5²⁵
• Steam User Rating: 8.8/10³¹
• MobyGames (Original): 8.4/10¹³
• MobyGames (GOTY Edition): 7.4/10³²
• IMDB (Original): 8.6/10¹⁶

Awards

The original Homeworld won over 50 awards including multiple Game of the Year accolades³³. Notable awards include:

• IGN Game of the Year 1999⁵
• PC Gamer Game of the Year 1999³⁴
• 1999 Game Critics Awards Best Strategy (beating Black & White)³⁵
• Best Original Score – Gaming Globes 2000³⁶
• Best Original Storyline – Gaming Globes 2000³⁶
• Most Promising New Game (Best of Show) – Game Critics Awards E3 1998³⁷
• Best Real-Time Strategy Game – Game Critics Awards E3 1998³⁷
• Computer Gaming World’s Best of E3 (Strategy Games)³⁸
• Computer Game of the Year – D.I.C.E. Awards (nominated)¹⁹
• Computer Strategy Game of the Year – D.I.C.E. Awards (nominated)¹⁹

Development

Origins

Relic Entertainment was founded on June 1, 1997, specifically to create Homeworld¹⁰. The company was established above a nightclub in Vancouver by a small team including Alex Garden, Luke Moloney, Rob Cunningham, Aaron Kambeitz, Gary Shaw, and Shane Alfreds³⁹. Garden was just 22 years old when he founded the company, driven by a singular vision: “Wouldn’t it be great if you could have a 3D game that looked like you were watching Star Wars but had a story line like Battlestar Galactica?“¹⁷.

Garden secured Sierra On-Line’s publishing agreement based on “two whiteboard presentations and no demo”¹⁰, an extraordinary achievement that demonstrated the compelling nature of his vision. His design philosophy was refreshingly honest: “there’s no sort of design philosophy behind it. The fact that it’s real-time strategy was almost a fluke. The focus was making sure the space combat ruled”¹⁰. Garden predicted that “everyone is going to zoom right in on the first battle, just to watch”¹⁰, recognizing the cinematic appeal of the game’s visuals.

Production

Development of the original Homeworld took over two years, approximately 28 months in total—three times longer than initially estimated¹⁷. The team grew to about 20 people, working to create the first fully 3D real-time strategy game¹⁷. Garden’s management philosophy was pragmatic: “Figure out what you’re good at, assume you’re lousy at everything else, hire people to do all the things you’re lousy at, and get out of their way”¹⁷.

The game was originally planned to feature non-linear campaign progression with star system navigation, but this was changed to a fixed ladder of scenarios during development¹⁷. Other cut features included ship customization, convoy routes, and different unit types between the Kushan and Taiidan fleets¹⁰. Sierra was reportedly supportive during the extended development, telling Garden “Prenez le temps nécessaire. Vous y êtes presque, ça serait dommage de tout abandonner si près du but” (Take the time you need. You’re almost there, it would be a shame to give up so close to the goal)⁴⁰.

The remastering process by Gearbox took approximately two years, beginning after their April 2013 acquisition⁷. The team faced significant technical challenges, as the original games were built on entirely different engines. Gearbox programmer noted, “I was a bit surprised when, earlier this year, I was told by a manager at Gearbox we were looking at bidding on the Homeworld franchise”⁴¹. The original source code totaled 16.8 GB, with an additional 39 GB from other sources⁴². Brian Burleson, lead producer, stated “The spirit of the team working on this at Gearbox is very focused on not re-inventing Homeworld”⁴².

Development Credits (Original Homeworld):³²

• Executive Producer/Co-Founder: Alex Garden
• Co-Founder: Luke Moloney
• Lead Designer: Erin Daly
• Designers: Adam Bullied, Quinn Duffy
• Art Director: Rob Cunningham
• Lead Artist: Aaron Kambeitz
• Composer: Paul Ruskay
• Sound Designer: Roger Savoie
• Writers: Arinn Dembo, Martin Cirulis

Remaster Credits:¹

• Developer: Gearbox Software
• Mac Developer: Aspyr
• Producer: Brian Burleson
• Chief Creative Officer: Brian Martel
• Community Manager: Chris Faylor

Technical Achievements

Homeworld represented a quantum leap in RTS technology. It was the first major fully 3D RTS game, requiring revolutionary innovations in camera control, pathfinding, and user interface design¹⁷. The game originally shipped on a single 650MB CD-ROM⁸; the Remastered Collection expanded to nearly 20GB⁸, reflecting the massive increase in texture resolution and audio quality.

The original game used OpenGL with DirectX support and was compiled with Microsoft Visual Studio 97⁴¹. It supported DirectSound, DirectPlay 8, and DirectShow libraries⁴¹. The remaster added support for HD, UHD, and 4K resolutions³, with the engine rebuilt to use OpenGL 3.3²⁵.

Brian Martel of Gearbox emphasized their approach: “We weren’t doing a George Lucas on them, we weren’t making them overly shiny or plastic or whatever the case may be for the Special Edition versions of Star Wars. We were actually realising their vision as intended”⁴³.

Technical Specifications

Original Homeworld (1999):⁴⁴

• Minimum OS: Windows 95, NT 4.0
• Minimum CPU: Intel Pentium II 233 MHz
• Minimum RAM: 32 MB
• Minimum Storage: 80 MB (100 MB recommended)
• Minimum Graphics: 4 MB VRAM, DirectX 6.1 compatible
• Recommended CPU: Intel Pentium II 350+ MHz
• Recommended RAM: 64 MB
• Recommended Storage: 400-600 MB
• Recommended Graphics: 12+ MB 3D Accelerated
• Audio: 16-bit DirectX compatible sound card
• Media: CD-ROM (4x minimum)
• Multiplayer: Up to 8 players via Internet (WON.net), LAN (IPX and IP), or Modem²⁰

Homeworld Remastered Collection (2015):³

• Minimum OS: Windows Vista
• Minimum CPU: 2.2GHz Dual Core Processor
• Minimum RAM: 1 GB
• Minimum Storage: 20 GB
• Minimum Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS (512MB) / ATI Radeon HD4800 (512MB)
• Recommended OS: Windows 7
• Recommended CPU: 2.3 GHz Quad Core Processor
• Recommended RAM: 4 GB
• Recommended Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 / ATI Radeon HD 5850 (1 GB VRAM)
• API: OpenGL 3.3²⁵
• Resolution Support: HD, UHD, and 4K³

Cut Content

Several features were removed during development of the original game:

• Ship customization system¹⁰
• Convoy routes¹⁰
• Different unit types for Kushan and Taiidan fleets¹⁰
• Non-linear campaign with star system navigation – changed to fixed mission ladder¹⁷
• Fifth playable race – originally planned to have 5 races, only 4 made final game¹³

The Remastered Collection notably excluded Homeworld: Cataclysm (2000), developed by Barking Dog Studios. IGN reported the expansion was omitted “due to lost source materials”², with the source code allegedly lost or incomplete¹¹. Additionally, the Yes song “Homeworld (The Ladder)” that originally played during the credits was removed from digital releases due to licensing issues¹⁷.

Version History

Version	Date	Platform	Notes
1.0	September 28, 1999	Windows	Original Homeworld release4
1.01	1999	Windows	First patch38
1.03	September 16, 1999	Windows	Bug fixes45
1.04	October 21, 1999	Windows	Multiplayer improvements45
1.05	March 27, 2000	Windows	Final patch, Windows XP compatibility45
GOTY	2000	Windows	Game of the Year Edition32
HW2 1.0	September 16, 2003	Windows	Homeworld 2 release18
Remastered	February 25, 2015	Windows	Homeworld Remastered Collection1
Mac	August 6, 2015	macOS	Mac release by Aspyr44
2.1	August 2015	Windows	Modder support and bug fixes26
2.303	June 10, 2016	Windows	Major gameplay and UI updates, formation rewrite26
Mac Update	May 10, 2024	macOS	Updated Mac version3

Original Game Patch Notes (v1.05):⁴⁶

• Superscouts problem fixed (Fighters not doing complete attack runs)
• Dancing scouts problem fixed (Fighters dodging when switching tactics settings quickly)
• Support Frigate repair rate decreased

Technical Issues

Original Homeworld Issues:

• AI problems with ships sitting idle while nearby ships are attacked³⁰
• Occasional multiplayer lock-ups when players lag³⁰
• Limited visual range requiring sensors manager for full area view³⁰
• Hardware acceleration required fix for Windows 8 and above⁴⁴
• Game crashes if windowed mode set to full screen resolution or higher⁴⁴
• Official WON.net service shut down November 1, 2008¹³

Remastered Issues:

• Fuel no longer a strategic consideration as in original²⁸
• Formations don’t work exactly as remembered from original²⁸
• Sphere formation no longer allows embedding larger ships²⁸
• Repair ships must be micromanaged²⁸
• A.I. formation system issues with ships not maintaining formation¹¹
• Support Frigates racing ahead of formations¹¹
• Full screen mode cursor constraint issue on some systems²
• Original Classic versions have illegible text above 640x480 resolution²
• Hard crashes reported²¹
• Multiplayer beta had assortment of bugs and difficulty rejoining dropped games²¹
• Adaptive difficulty can cause crashes with large adapted fleets in late game⁴⁷

Bug in Gardens of Kadesh: Hyperspacing prematurely prevents enemy mothership reappearance²²

Easter Eggs and Trivia

• Blade Runner Reference: Autosave names reference Blade Runner’s “Tenhauser Gate”¹³
• “Adagio for Strings”: The famous music in Mission 3: Return to Kharak is Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings,” available in both string and choral versions²²
• Yes Connection: Rock band Yes created the song “Homeworld (The Ladder)” specifically for the game¹³
• 175 People: The final game credits list 175 people who worked on the project¹³
• Company Name Origin: Relic Entertainment’s name was chosen because “it was easy to pronounce”³⁹
• DOK Badge: Added in updates as a reference to Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak²⁶
• Battlestar Galactica Influence: The game so effectively captured the Galactica aesthetic that some critics called it “Battlestar Galactica: The Game in all but name”³⁰. The Eurogamer Gaming Globes noted the storyline “bears resemblance to Battlestar Galactica”³⁶
• Development Location: Relic was founded above a nightclub in Vancouver¹⁷
• Alex Garden’s Age: Garden was only 21 years old when he conceived Homeworld in spring 1997, founding the company at age 22¹⁷
• Peter Molyneux Consultation: Alex Garden consulted with legendary designer Peter Molyneux about game design⁵

Voice Cast

Character	Voice Actor
Karan S’jet / Fleet Command	Heidi Ernest16
Fleet Intelligence	Michael Sunczyk16
Bentusi Traders / Narrator	Campbell Lane16
Pilot #1	David Sobolov16
Pilot #2	Ian James Corlett16
Pilot #3	Jason Wingham16

The original voice cast was retained for the Remastered Collection, with Gearbox using “high fidelity voice recordings” from the original sessions¹⁴. Paul Ruskay noted the audio production included “7,679 files in 1,156 folders” totaling 1.63 GB of data⁴⁸.

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

The original Homeworld sold over 500,000 copies in its first six months¹⁰, reaching number 1 on UK charts in October 1999³⁸. While commercially successful, it did not challenge StarCraft’s sales dominance¹⁷. The game became one of Sierra’s flagship titles, listed among the company’s popular software alongside King’s Quest, Grand Prix Legends, and NASCAR Racing⁴⁹.

Following THQ’s bankruptcy in January 2013, Gearbox acquired the Homeworld IP at auction for $1.35million{[}^{r}ef-11].AfangrouphadattemptedtoraisefundsviaIndieGogotoacquirethefranchisebutonlycollected$13,000⁹. Nordic Games CEO Lars Wingefors stated at the time: “In the long term, we either want to cooperate with the original creators or best possible developers in order to work on sequels or additional content for these titles”⁵⁰.

Homeworld 3’s Fig crowdfunding campaign set a symbolic $1goalandraisedover$1.13 million, reaching “100,000,000% complete”⁵¹. The sequel was described as “20 years in the making”³³.

Collections

The Homeworld Remastered Collection includes:²⁵

• Homeworld Remastered Edition
• Homeworld 2 Remastered Edition
• Homeworld Classic (original 1999 version)
• Homeworld 2 Classic (original 2003 version)
• Homeworld Remastered Steam Multiplayer

The collection is available on:

• Steam
• GOG.com
• Epic Games Store

A Game of the Year Edition of the original Homeworld was released in 2000, including the official strategy guide and soundtrack CD³².

Fan Projects

The modding community has been essential to Homeworld’s longevity. The Homeworld Remastered Players Patch represents a major community effort, resolving “many bugs, exploits, and balance issues” while including “hundreds of additional improvements”⁵². The patch was “authored by players who helped Gearbox balance Homeworld Remastered” and works with official patches 2.1/2.303⁵². Key fixes include the “666 Formation Bug” and “Cross Race Docking Bug”⁵².

The Complex mod achieved ModDB Hall of Fame status with over 5,000,000 downloads and up to 5,000 daily contacts⁵³. Gearbox worked closely with the mod community during development, with former Homeworld developers and mod makers helping reconstruct development tools⁴². The company announced Steam Workshop support for mods¹¹.

In September 2003, Relic publicly released the original Homeworld source code, enabling continued community development⁴¹.

Related Publications

• Official Strategy Guide: Included with Game of the Year Edition³²
• Homeworld Soundtrack CD: Included with GOTY Edition³²
• Homeworld Remastered Vinyl Soundtrack: 37 remastered tracks on vinyl, released by Black Screen Records⁵⁴
• Homeworld 2 Remastered Vinyl Soundtrack: 58 remastered tracks on 3xLP Black Vinyl with silver laminated widespined outer sleeve⁵⁵
• Original Game Manual: Available through ModDB, providing comprehensive lore and gameplay information⁵⁶
• Relic Community Homeworld Soundtrack 2.0: Unofficial soundtrack compiled by fans from in-game files⁵⁷
• Homeworld: Revelations Tabletop RPG: Published by Modiphius Entertainment⁵⁸
• Homeworld Fleet Command Board Game: Features 201 miniatures and 10-part campaign, developed by Modiphius Entertainment⁵⁸

Critical Perspective

Homeworld’s place in gaming history is secure as the progenitor of true 3D real-time strategy. PC Gamer’s Fraser Brown reflected: “A fully 3D RTS set in space that looked that good didn’t seem believable—surely it would end up being all eye candy and nothing else. But no, it was the real deal. From its hypnotic cosmic battles to its stirring orchestral score, it was, and still is, exceptional”⁵⁹. The game proved that narrative could be central to the RTS experience, not merely decorative.

The franchise’s influence extends beyond gaming into other media, with the original Homeworld cited as an influence on the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series¹⁶. Maurice Pogue of Geeks Under Grace declared “Homeworld is the GOAT RTS franchise because it is the only RTS that has ever been able to execute true 3D z-axis movement with mastery”⁶⁰. Screen Rant noted it “helped to shape the future of the RTS genre” and was the “highest-rated game of 1999 on the review site”³⁴.

The Remastered Collection demonstrated how to properly preserve gaming history. Engadget’s review concluded: “Homeworld and Homeworld 2 are a pair of beautiful, clever, groundbreaking games that deserve to be played”⁶¹. Rob Cunningham, CEO of Blackbird Interactive and original Homeworld art director, reflected: “When we first created the original Homeworld, I never imagined that it would resonate so deeply with so many people”³³.

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

• GOG.com
• Steam

Manuals & Extras

• Original Game Manual (ModDB)
• Players Patch (ModDB)

Soundtracks

• Official Soundtrack (Steam)
• Vinyl Release (Black Screen Records)

Series Continuity

Homeworld Remastered Collection encompasses two games from the core Homeworld series. The original Homeworld (1999) established the universe and told the story of the Kushan exile and journey to Hiigara. Homeworld 2 (2003) continued the story with the Hiigaran people facing the Vaygr threat. The collection notably excludes Homeworld: Cataclysm (2000), a standalone expansion developed by Barking Dog Studios that takes place 15 years after the first game and introduces “The Beast,” a techno-organic virus⁶².

The series continued with Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak (2016), a prequel developed by Blackbird Interactive that explores events on Kharak before the exodus⁶³. The main character Rachel S’jet is an ancestor of Karan S’jet⁶³. Homeworld 3 released May 13, 2024, decades after the events of Homeworld 2³³.

A mobile entry, Homeworld Mobile, launched October 11, 2022, set over a century after the original game’s storyline⁶⁴, though its servers were shut down on July 29, 2024⁶⁵.

• Previous: 1999 - Homeworld (Original release, included in collection)
• Next: 2016 - Homeworld - Deserts of Kharak

References

Footnotes

1. 2K Games – Homeworld Remastered Collection – release date, platforms, developers, ESRB rating, technical specs ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

2. IGN – Homeworld Remastered Collection Review – 9.0/10 score, Dan Stapleton review, Cataclysm exclusion, technical issues ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

3. 2K Games – Homeworld Official Site – publisher info, resolution support, marketing quotes ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

4. Internet Archive – Homeworld ISO – original release date, plot summary, gameplay features ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

5. IGN – Original Homeworld Review (1999) – Game of the Year status, Alex Garden quotes, difficulty assessment ↩ ↩² ↩³

6. Metacritic – Homeworld Critic Reviews – 93 Metascore, individual publication scores, review excerpts ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

7. Engadget – Gearbox Homeworld Remastered Interview – acquisition details, file size comparison, development timeline ↩ ↩²

8. Engadget – THQ Auction Article – auction price, development notes ↩ ↩² ↩³

9. Ars Technica – Gearbox Acquires Homeworld – Brian Martel quote, IndieGogo campaign ↩ ↩²

10. Wikipedia – Homeworld – development history, Alex Garden quotes, cut content, sales data ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹

11. Destructoid – Homeworld Remastered Collection Review – 8/10 score, engine details, acquisition price, technical issues ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

12. Homeworld Universe Official Site – opening monologue, development team involvement ↩

13. MobyGames – Homeworld – trivia, Easter eggs, development credits, ratings ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

14. Homeworld Fandom Wiki – Homeworld – Mothership construction, Karan S’jet lore, release dates ↩ ↩²

15. Homeworld Fandom Wiki – Relic Entertainment – company history, development challenges ↩

16. IMDB – Homeworld (1999) – voice cast, user rating, release date, Karan quote ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

17. The Digital Antiquarian – Homeworld – Alex Garden quotes, development timeline, cut content, interface development ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵

18. Internet Archive – Homeworld 2 – HW2 release date, Vaygr/Hiigaran details ↩ ↩² ↩³

19. D.I.C.E. Awards – Homeworld – interface description, award nominations ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

20. GameSpot – Original Homeworld Review – 9/10 score, mission count, multiplayer details ↩ ↩²

21. Game Informer – Homeworld Remastered Review – 8/10 score, persistent fleet, technical issues ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

22. GameFAQs – Homeworld Walkthrough – mission details, Adagio for Strings info, bugs ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

23. SonicHits – Homeworld Soundtrack – gameplay mechanics description ↩

24. Game-Over.net – Homeworld Review – 92% score, ship counts, playable races ↩ ↩²

25. GOG.com – Homeworld Remastered Collection – technical specs, multiplayer details, content list ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

26. Gearbox Zendesk – Update Information – patch notes, formation rewrite, update history ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

27. PC Gamer – Homeworld Remastered Review – 92/100 score, Tom Senior quotes ↩

28. GameSpot – Homeworld Remastered Collection Review – 8/10 score, Kevin VanOrd review, gameplay changes ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

29. Metacritic – Homeworld Remastered Collection – 86 Metascore, individual scores ↩ ↩²

30. Eurogamer – Homeworld Review – 9/10 score, AI issues, Battlestar comparison ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

31. GamePressure – Homeworld Series – Steam rating, remaster features ↩

32. MobyGames – Homeworld GOTY Edition – development credits, included content ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

33. Gearbox Publishing – Homeworld 3 Story Trailer – Rob Cunningham quote, award count, release info ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

34. Screen Rant – Homeworld Article – Game of the Year mentions, genre influence ↩ ↩²

35. Game Critics Awards 1999 – Best Strategy award ↩

36. Eurogamer – Gaming Globes 2000 – Best Original Score, Best Original Storyline awards ↩ ↩² ↩³

37. Giant Bomb – E3 1998 – E3 awards ↩ ↩²

38. Grokipedia – Homeworld – sales data, awards, version history ↩ ↩² ↩³

39. Wikipedia – Relic Entertainment – company founding, founders list ↩ ↩²

40. GameSpot France – Homeworld Preview – Sierra support quote, Alex Garden age ↩

41. Gearbox Software Blog – Homeworld Code History – source code details, compiler info ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

42. Gearbox Software Blog – Inside the Box: Homeworld – source code size, community involvement ↩ ↩² ↩³

43. Polygon – Homeworld Interview – Brian Martell quote on remastering approach ↩

44. PCGamingWiki – Homeworld – system requirements, compatibility issues, API support ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

45. GameFAQs – Homeworld Technical FAQ – patch version history, requirements ↩ ↩² ↩³

46. PCGamingWiki Community – Homeworld Patch – v1.05 patch notes ↩

47. Steam Community Forums – adaptive difficulty crash bug report ↩

48. Kotaku – Homeworld Soundtrack Remaster – Paul Ruskay quotes, audio asset details ↩

49. Company-Histories.com – Sierra On-Line History – Sierra software titles list ↩

50. Engadget – THQ Auction – Lars Wingefors quote ↩

51. PC Gamer – Homeworld 3 Crowdfunding – crowdfunding totals ↩

52. ModDB – Players Patch – patch description, bug fixes ↩ ↩² ↩³

53. Homeworld 2 Complex Mod – mod statistics, Hall of Fame ↩

54. Black Screen Records – Homeworld Remastered Vinyl – Paul Ruskay details, remastering process ↩

55. Black Screen Records – Homeworld 2 Remastered Vinyl – track count, format details ↩

56. ModDB – Homeworld Manual – manual availability ↩

57. Homeworld Fandom – Community Soundtrack – unofficial soundtrack details ↩

58. Polygon – Homeworld Board Game – board game details, miniature count ↩ ↩²

59. PC Gamer – Homeworld Dream RTS – Fraser Brown retrospective ↩

60. Geeks Under Grace – Homeworld Remastered Review – Maurice Pogue quote, pricing ↩

61. Engadget – Homeworld Remastered Review – review conclusion quote ↩

62. IMDB – Homeworld: Cataclysm – Cataclysm details, voice cast ↩

63. Polygon – Deserts of Kharak Review – prequel details, Rachel S’jet ↩ ↩²

64. Gearbox Publishing – Homeworld Mobile Launch – mobile release date, setting ↩

65. MobyGames – Homeworld Mobile – server shutdown date ↩