Beyond the endless tale of good versus evil and the exciting galaxy of stories, Star Wars became a cinematic milestone in its interpretations of epic battles. The highlight of these battles were the starships of Star Wars. The Battle of Yavin 4 is just one of the many gargantuan battles fought amongst the stars of Star Wars. From the classic X-Wing to the infamous TiE Fighter, even the most distant person can identify the most classics spaceships in pop culture history. Today, EA announced the newest Star Wars video game in Star Wars: Squadrons, a flight-focused Star Wars game that puts players into the cockpit of their favorite starfighter. The news was announced during the Summer of Game Festival, and comes following a leak on the Microsoft Store last week.
Star Wars: Squadrons is set during the final days of the Galactic Empire, around the events of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, when the Rebel Alliance successfully destroys the Death Star II. This victory in the Galactic Civil War begins rapid change throughout the Galaxy, with the New Republic established to enforce democracy, but the Galactic Empire fights for its lasts gasps of existence. The Emperor may be dead and Darth Vader may have been defeated, but the Empire, with its vast fleet spread across hundreds of worlds, will not go quietly. From the eyes of both sides, these are stories of heroism and evil that are about to unfold. The Rebel Alliance deploys their elite squadron, The Vanguard, while the Galactic Empire deploys the deadly Titan Squad. The end of the Galactic Civil War is in sight.
Star Wars: Squadrons is an upcoming space combat shooter. Across an extensive single-player campaign and online multiplayer, players take to the stars in their favorite starfighters. In single-player, players experience the rise of the New Republic and the fall of The Empire through the eyes of both the Empire and the New Republic. From the TiE Interceptor to the A-Wing, players fly the classic ships of Star Wars across a campaign filled with new, and familiar, faces. New battles and new stories will be forged in a cosmic battle. Naturally, as this follows the legacy set from Star Wars Battlefront II, the meat of Star Wars: Squadrons will be its multiplayer component, which is described as the following.
“Players will engage in strategic 5v5 multiplayer space battles with the goal of demolishing the opposing flagship in Fleet Battles and will feel the rush of first-person multiplayer combat as they work with their squadron to defeat as many opponents as possible in Dogfights. Pilots will triumph as a team, adjusting the composition of their squadrons to suit their playstyles as they progress, crushing their opponents and completing objectives across known and never-before-seen locations, including the gas giant of Yavin Prime and the shattered moon of Galitan.”
Star Wars: Squadrons will offer rich cosmetic and gameplay customization options with rewards and bonuses that are earned solely through gameplay. As players move up the ranks, they’ll earn components such as weapons, hulls, engines and shields to customize the performance of their starfighters; and gain cosmetic items to customize their cockpit, ship exteriors, and appearance of their pilot. In addition, players will be able to squad up with their friends and play against others, regardless of platform, as cross-play will be supported on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and VR.”
It would seem that EA Motive has learned from the hard lessons of the launch of Star Wars: Battlefront II by sticking to an online multiplayer experience not dependent on monetization, but are also stepping up to a new playing field with the support of cross-play, which is incredibly exciting to hear. Additionally, as the game invites players into the first-person perspective of their favorite starfighter, the addition of full VR support is also incredibly ambitious. The original Star Wars: Battlefront form 2015 featured a standalone mission in PSVR, which was short but was incredible for what it was. Star Wars: Squadrons looks to continue the fan service and enthusiasm set in Star Wars: Battlefront II but now with an emphasis on space combat.
“We created this game for every Star Wars fan who has ever dreamt about soaring across the galaxy in their favorite starfighter,” said Ian Frazier, Creative Director, Motive Studios. “Through the collaboration of the teams at Motive and Lucasfilm, we’ve been able to create a high-fidelity starfighter experience with an authentic storyline that invites Star Wars fans to explore never-before-seen corners of the galaxy in their own ship.”
With a price tag of $40, it’ll be hard to pass up Star Wars: Squadrons. The ideas and long-term support for the game are seemingly endless in their possibilities and the fact that it will be a Star Wars title focused on space combat brings back the fondest memories of Star Wars: X-Wing and Star Wars: TiE Fighter, widely regarded as among the very best Star Wars games. Star Wars: Squadrons launches on October 2nd, 2020, both digitally and physically, for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and VR. Next-gen systems were not announced at this time.
