LeVar Burton to Voice Captain La Forge

Captain Geordi La Forge is ready for action -- and so is LeVar Burton. The actor, who played La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation and in the TNG films, will voice the character for the free-to-play MMORPG, Star Trek Online, it was announced today at Star Trek Las Vegas by Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a leading publisher of free-to-play MMORPGs, and Cryptic Studios. Burton will voice Captain La Forge in two featured episodes for the PC version of the game (and available at a later date on Xbox One and PlayStation®4). The first episode, to be released September 12, will celebrate TNG's 30th anniversary , and the second featured episode will kick off Star Trek Online’s next major update, Season 14, set to launch in October.

Beginning next month, captains can experience a new TNG-themed featured episode titled “Beyond the Nexus.” For the first time ever, they will encounter Starfleet Captain Geordi La Forge, brought to life by Burton. Players will join Geordi and his crew as they investigate a distress call from a Galaxy class ship whose crew is being mind-controlled by a mysterious energy source. The episode marks the release of a fully realized Galaxy class interior available for purchase and includes server-wide giveaways to celebrate TNG's 30th anniversary. Players will be able to claim the highly requested skant uniform from season one, as well as the Type 7 shuttle that was also featured in TNG.

Adventures with Captain La Forge will continue into Season 14, which launches on the PC version of Star Trek Online this October. The game’s next major update carries on the story of the Tzenkethi war with the new featured episode, “Melting Pot.” Geordi and Captain Kuumaarke (voiced by Kipleigh Brown) accompany players as they beam down to a new colony world, featuring the freshly reunited Kentari and Lukari people. After the events of “Mirror and Smoke,” they decided to reconcile their differences and start a new colony to celebrate the reunification of their cultures and technology. Geordi is integral to the development of this new colony world and has been working diligently with the Lukari to realize their dream. Things escalate quickly once the player beams down, and what starts as a simple tour, evolves into a pitched battle for the survival of the colony.

Season 14 features a brand-new Fleet Holding in a full-scale colony on the Kentari and Lukari's new joint homeworld, which for the first time since the Fleet Starbase, features five full tiers of progression and rewards. The update will also include a Tzenkethi Red Alert, two new fleet holding defense queues, a new colony map special event and a powerful new Primary Specialization called the “Miracle Worker.” Additional details will be revealed when Season 14 officially launches in October.

To download and play Star Trek Online today for free, visit www.playstartrekonline.com.