Electronic Arts (EA) and Lucasfilm Games today confirmed that the two companies are indeed partnering for future Star Wars video games despite the recent expiration of EA’s exclusivity contract which gave the company exclusive rights to publishing titles based on the popular Sci-Fi fantasy franchise.
Three video games are mentioned in the announcement with the first being the sequel to Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order, a title that’s pretty much been confirmed for a while now and shouldn’t be news to most fans of the original.
The other two games, which are described as being a strategy game and a first-person shooter (FPS), are a bit of a surprise, however.
The Star Wars FPS is being developed by Respawn with Peter Hirschmann locked in as the game’s director. The Star Wars strategy title will be developed by the Greg Foertsch-led Bit Reactor and produced by Respawn.
No release window has been given for any of the above titles which likely means that fans shouldn’t expect to see them anytime this year.
“We are excited to continue working with the superbly talented teams at Respawn,” Lucasfilm Games’ VP, Douglas Reilly stated as part of the announcement. “They have demonstrated excellence in telling epic Star Wars stories along with best-in-class gameplay across different genres and we are looking forward to bringing more amazing experiences to the galaxy far, far away.”
“Working with Lucasfilm Games on a new FPS in the Star Wars galaxy is a dream come true for me, as this is a story I have always wanted to tell,” Respawn’s Peter Hirschmann said of the announcement. Hirschmann is no stranger to Star Wars games, having worked as executive producer on the classic Star Wars Battlefront video games and as LucasArts’ VP of development.
Not mentioned in today’s announcement was the online multiplayer roleplaying game, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and the mobile game, Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, both of which are also published by EA and continue to receive quality of life and content updates. The former even celebrated its 10th anniversary recently and shows no sign of slowing down.
Including these two games, that’s five Star Wars titles that EA is currently invested in. It’s not unrealistic to expect that even more unannounced games are likely in the pipeline though unfortunately there’s still no official news on any kind of follow-up to the popular Star Wars Battlefront II either as a direct sequel in the form of Star Wars Battlefront III or a smaller spin-off such as a shooter or heroes fighter.
Other Star Wars video games currently in development by other studios include LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, which is due out in a few months, Star Wars: Eclipse which seems several years out, and the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) remake which is also quite a ways away. Ubisoft is also working on a Star Wars video game though little is known about it.
The Star Wars franchise is also expected to continue collaborations with video game titles such as Fortnite, Minecraft, The Sims, and Disney Magic Kingdoms.
It’s a good time to be a fan of Star Wars video games.
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