Star Wars: TIE Fighter is a space combat game developed by Totally Games, designed by Lawrence Holland and Edward Kilham, and published by LucasArts for MS-DOS on 20 July 1994. Software pirates had already leaked it in early July. This time the player flies for the Galactic Empire; the pilot is unnamed in the game, but the bundled novella and the strategy guide call him Maarek Stele.
The iMUSE soundtrack shifts its motifs with the player's actions and mission events, and uses Imperial March motifs as heroic themes. The Defender of the Empire expansion followed in 1994, and the 1995 Collector's CD-ROM added SVGA graphics, voiceovers and both expansions. A Mac port came in 1997, and in 1998 a Windows edition moved the game to the X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter engine.
GOG.com re-released the game on 28 October 2014 with both the DOS and Windows editions updated for modern PCs. The TIE Defender and TIE Avenger, ships introduced by the game, later became part of Star Wars canon after Disney acquired Lucasfilm.1
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Star Wars: TIE FighterFloppy release; the game had already been leaked by pirates in early July. | MS-DOS | Jul 20, 1994 | LucasArts | 1 |
| NA | TIE Fighter: Defender of the EmpireExpansion with three more battles. | MS-DOS | 1994 | LucasArts | 1 |
| NA | TIE Fighter Collector's CD-ROMSVGA graphics, enhanced cutscenes, voiceovers, Defender of the Empire and Enemies of the Empire included. | MS-DOS | 1995 | LucasArts | 1 |
| NA | Star Wars: TIE FighterClassic Mac OS port of the Collector's CD-ROM. | Mac | 1997 | LucasArts | 1 |
| NA | Star Wars: TIE Fighter (X-Wing Collector Series)Windows 9x version on the X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter engine; later part of the X-Wing Trilogy. | Windows | 1998 | LucasArts | 1 |
| WW | Star Wars: TIE Fighter Special EditionGOG.com digital release containing both the DOS and Windows editions. | Windows | Oct 28, 2014 | — | 1 |
| WW | Star Wars: TIE Fighter Special EditionSteam release (Windows and Mac). | Windows | Apr 28, 2015 | — | 2 |
Also known as: TIE Fighter WW1TIE Fighter Collector's CD-ROM WW1Star Wars: TIE Fighter Special Edition WW3
Box art by region
NA Star Wars: TIE Fighter
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: Wikipedia.
Version differences
-
GraphicsCollector's CD-ROM (1995)
The 1995 Collector's CD-ROM adds an optional 640x480 SVGA mode in place of 320x200, enhanced cutscenes and many voiceovers.1
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ContentCollector's CD-ROM (1995)
The CD-ROM edition includes the Defender of the Empire and Enemies of the Empire expansions.1
-
GraphicsWindows (1998)
The 1998 Windows edition uses the X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter engine with 3D acceleration and texture mapping, drops DOS support and requires a joystick.1
Translations
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German Official
—WindowsReleased
The GOG.com Special Edition offers German text and voice alongside English.3
Where to play legally today
-
GOG Purchase
-
Steam Purchase
STAR WARS: TIE Fighter Special Edition
Windows and Mac; English
Checked: 2026-10-132store.steampowered.com
How to run it today
The GOG.com edition is DRM-free, runs the DOS version through DOSBox and is verified on Windows 10 and 11; it also supports macOS and Linux. The Steam edition runs on Windows and Mac.
Best version
The Special Edition on GOG.com includes both the 1994 DOS version, which plays with mouse and keyboard, and the 1998 Windows version with 3D acceleration, which requires a joystick.3
Reception
Computer Gaming World gave it 5/5 and added it to its Hall of Fame. Computer Games Strategy Plus named it the best game of 1994, PC Gamer ranked it first in its 1997 Top 50, and GameSpot called the CD-ROM edition the best space combat game ever made. In 2010 IGN named it the best Star Wars game ever made.1
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
Spotted a mistake? Write to atlas@old-games.net.