Exclusive: William T. Riker Boards the Star Trek: Resurgence Game

It’s officially May, and with that, we see the launch of the interactive narrative video game Star Trek: Resurgence from developer Dramatic Labs later this month. The new third-person, choice-driven adventure game tells an original story set in the year 2380, in the era shortly after the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation feature films.

In Star Trek: Resurgence, stationed aboard the U.S.S. Resolute, players will assume the role of two principal characters — First Officer Jara Rydek and engineering crewperson Carter Diaz — as they unravel a sinister mystery involving two alien civilizations on the brink of war. Throughout the game, players will immerse themselves in the Star Trek universe, interacting with new and returning characters through a variety of dialogue and action gameplay to determine the course of the story. We’re excited to exclusively reveal that William T. Riker will make an appearance in the game, with Star Trek legend Jonathan Frakes reprising the role.

StarTrek.com had the opportunity to connect with Resurgence writers Dan Martin and Andrew Grant on how Riker fits within the narrative.

“We took inspiration for our premise from an early The Next Generation episode ‘The Last Outpost’ that first introduced the Tkon Empire,” explains Grant. “Riker featured prominently in the episode. He has direct experience with Portal Six Three, guardian of the Tkon Empire, so including him in our narrative felt like an organic fit. And of course, we’re big fans of Jonathan Frakes!”

“We weren’t going to include Riker if we couldn’t have Jonathan Frakes return to the role,” adds Martin. “It was an absolute joy to work with him as he brought his classic Riker charm and command to our game.”

“From a story perspective, Riker also has a nice connection with Jara Rydek, the First Officer on the U.S.S. Resolute and one of our playable characters,” Martin continues. “After all, who knows more about being a First Officer than William T. Riker?”

In addition to Riker, Star Trek: Resurgence will also feature an appearance from the previously revealed Ambassador Spock, voiced by Piotr Michael. The Dramatic Labs team took great care in balancing beloved existing characters while giving their new characters like Jara Rydek and Carter Diaz the room to grow and establish their own place in Star Trek lore.

Speaking on the approach on finding that balance, Grant shares, “It’s always a thrill to be able to weave in iconic characters no matter what the franchise, but that was especially true with a character like Spock.”

“For the fans, it’s always fun to interact with and make an impression on a character you know so well, and as writers, Spock brings so much gravitas and sheer presence to every scene he’s in,” Grant notes. “That interaction and intersection with familiar characters is always nice, but at the same time, you want to introduce original characters whose fates are to be determined (more often than not, by the player!). Striking that balance is always essential.”

Star Trek: Resurgence launches on May 23, 2023, for worldwide release for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 gaming consoles, and exclusively on the Epic Games Store for PC.