Artwork for Privateer 2: The Darkening

Pre-Release Images: Planets

These come from multiple earlier builds of the game and were used for both internal testing and in some advertising. This set is images of the game's various planet menus--and also some renderings from the landing scenes with the "HUD" removed! You can see some of the planets change just in the course of these image -- little things like the number of trees in the picture can change between versions!

Pre-Release Images: FMV

These come from multiple earlier builds of the game and were used for both internal testing and in some advertising. This set is images of the game's full motion video shoot. Although it didn't change much between the recording and the release, these do offer some unseen angles and much clearer pictures of sets than have been available in the past.

Pre-Release Images: Combat

These come from multiple earlier builds of the game and were used for both internal testing and in some advertising. This set is images of the gameplay itself, and it's certainly the most fascinating. Check out some of the changes from version to version -- there were no less than three different types of VDUs for ships! And the ship graphics and names change completely from shot to shot, too...

Pre-Release Images: The Booth

These come from multiple earlier builds of the game and were used for both internal testing and in some advertising. This set is images of the gameplay itself, and it's certainly the most fascinating. Check out some of the changes from version to version -- there were no less than three different types of VDUs for ships! And the ship graphics and names change completely from shot to shot, too...

US Box Key Art

Have you ever wanted your own Wing Commander poster? Just take this super high resolution piece of key art to a local print shop and you'll have a beautiful new decoration for your walls!

UK Box Art

The American release of Privateer 2 has radically different cover art than its European counterart. Here's the proof -- a giant space eye versus a space battle... and then a cool hospital dossier versus an ordinary description. Which do you like best?

US Box Art

The American release of Privateer 2 has radically different cover art than its European counterart. Here's the proof -- a giant space eye versus a space battle... and then a cool hospital dossier versus an ordinary description. Which do you like best?

Chinese Box Art

GunASKA believes that WC4, Privateer 2 and Prophecy were the first WC titles formally released in mainland China. Read more.

Miscellaneous Box Cover Concept Art

Between 'Privateer 2' and 'Privateer 2: The Darkening', it was known as simply 'The Darkening' -- and here's a whole swath of potential box covers developed by Origin for the game! Note the prominent "Interactive Movie" logo in several... and the lack of Clive Owen!

Monochrome Box Cover Concept Art

The never-used box cover for 'Privateer: The Darkening'! The file, dated May 13, 1996, proves once and for all that Electronic Arts once seriously planned to release it without the '2'.

Logo Concepts

A set of logo candidates for "The Darkening", "Privateer: The Darkening", and "Privateer 2: The Darkening."

Autographed Concept Art

Four pieces of conceptual artwork, with team autographs. The PDF is 450 dpi.

Promotional 3D Models

The ships used to promote Privateer 2 are a unique group -- their 3D models often differ significantly from those seen in the game itself! Check out this selection of beautiful Darkening 'out of engine' ships.

High Resolution Commodity Artwork

Dinky little Straith got you down? Why not pick up an upgrade for it... in high resolution! Look at some of the amazing detail that could never have made it into a game in 1996, like the lettering on some of the missiles!

Key Art For Two Page Spread Ad

The key art for a two page ad. Source unknown.

Black and White Ship Renders

Every ship in the Tri-System, rendered in black and white.

High Resolution Landing Animations

We discovered 1.2 gigabytes of individually rendered frames of Privateer 2 landing artwork. It's gorgeous stuff--an insane amount of detail went into the landing sequences... but we couldn't display thousands of images at once. Instead, we've used the images to reconstruct the videos using modern graphic capabilities!

UK Manual and Official Guide Art

This magnificent 3D rendered city was created for the British version of Privateer 2 -- it was the front and back cover of the Crius Hospital guide! Bonus: high resolution 'splash' images used for Origin's Official Guide to Privateer 2. You can make them out a lot more clearly here...

Various Concept Art

Here we have an impressive array of The Darkening concept art, showing the design for sets, establishing shots and even ships! Interestingly, the artwork isn't 'dark' at all -- it's light and painted with bright colors. The first three were once available as "easter eggs" at Origin's interactive Privateer 2 website in 1996... the others have never been released to the public before!

Various Desktop Wallpapers

A set of 640x480 and 800x600 desktop wallpapers, depicting various locations in the Tri-System.

$10 Rebate for Wing Commander 4

A rebate included in the US edition of Privateer 2.

Michael Paul Cottam Art Pieces

Three-dimensional environment artist Michael Paul Cottam stopped by the CIC to share some of his wonderful history in the games industry. Mr. Cottam started his career in the mid '90s with EA Manchester working on Darklight Conflict and Erin Roberts' Privateer 2: The Darkening. The team eventually became Warthog Games, where he added Starlancer and Star Trek Invasion to his resume, among others, before moving to the US, Canada, Australia and Singapore to create art for other titles.

3D Source Models and Images

Some 300 'source' images from the game... hundreds of sound files... and 300 3DS-format 3D models! You can get a close look at every ship, gun and station in the Tri-System by downloading the archive