Star Trek: Deep Space 9 Officially Returns October 2026

Published Sep 5, 2026, 12:30 AM EDT

Nicholas Becher is a gaming journalist with an MFA in Creative Writing from FAU. With extensive experience playing video games, he covers all forms of gaming content at Screen Rant, from breaking news to the latest fan theories. Most-played games range from Clair Obscur to Civ to Elden Ring to Halo 2 and beyond. 

It has been more than 33 years since Star Trek: Deep Space Nine first took the franchise in a bold new direction, and it's still one of the most beloved eras among lifelong fans to this day. Unlike earlier series for Star Trek, which officially turns 60 years old this year, Deep Space Nine largely abandoned the familiar structure of a starship exploring a new world each week, instead building its story around a permanent space station positioned at the center of political and religious tensions surrounding Bajor.

That setting allowed DS9 to tell increasingly ambitious stories, culminating in the sprawling Dominion War that dominated much of its later seasons. The show also pushed Star Trek into new territory through characters like Benjamin Sisko, Kira Nerys, Odo, and Garak, frequently questioning the Federation's ideals and introducing more complex themes for audiences to think about.

Combined with its iconic ensemble cast, complex villains, and willingness to explore war, faith, occupation, and sacrifice, Deep Space Nine became one of the franchise's most distinctive and enduring chapters. And now, the franchise is officially returning to the Deep Space Nine era with a new release this coming October (via Looney Labs).

Paramount Television

Deep Space Nine is officially making a return with a re-release of its iconic Fluxx game on October 20, 2026, with Looney Labs producing a small, limited reprint of the previously out-of-print card game as part of Star Trek's ongoing 60th anniversary celebrations. Originally released in 2019, the DS9 edition brings Benjamin Sisko, Quark, Jadzia Dax, Worf, and other familiar characters to the company's ever-changing card game, with players encountering everything from Gold-Pressed Latinum and the Bajoran Wormhole to dangerous Creepers based on the Founders and Jem'Hadar.

DS9 isn't returning alone, either, as Looney Labs is bringing all four of its original Star Trek Fluxx games out of the "Vault" in October, including editions based on The Original Series, The Next Generation, and Voyager. The anniversary celebration will also introduce an entirely new fifth game, Star Trek: Lower Decks Fluxx, featuring Boimler, Mariner, Rutherford, Tendi, and other characters from the animated series.

The game supports one to six players, with matches typically lasting between 10 and 30 minutes. The larger Fluxx game itself dates back to 1996 and is built around the idea that rules continually change while you're playing. Everyone begins with the simple instruction to draw one card and play one card, but New Rule cards can alter hand limits, the number of cards played, and other conditions, while Goal cards can even change what players need to do to win.

If you're looking for a great new party game to take you back to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine era, be sure to mark your calendar for this new Fluxx run this coming Fall.