After Microsoft leaked word of a new Star Wars game on its official Xbox site on Friday, publisher Electronic Arts shared details about just what to expect Monday.
The new title, called Star Wars: Squadrons, is a first-person space-based dogfighting game, that will allow players to fight from the cockpits of starfighters representing both the New Republic and Imperial, EA said in a statement on Monday. Motive Studios, which worked on Star Wars: Battlefront II, developed Star Wars: Squadrons. EA said it will launch on October 2 for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. It’ll also come with virtual reality support on the PlayStation 4 and PC, though EA did not say if the game will be available on the upcoming PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X consoles. However, the game will come with crossplay support, so gamers can play with people on other consoles.
EA said in a statement that the game will feature a single-player campaign “set during the final days of the Galactic Empire and the rise of the New Republic after the events of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.”
More specifically, EA said the campaign will pick up after the Battle of Endor and the Rebel Alliance taking down the Death Star II. The campaign will require players to suit up as one pilot in the New Republic’s Vanguard Squadron and another in the Galactic Empire’s Titan Squadron. EA also promised “some cameos from familiar faces in the Star Wars galaxy.”
On the multiplayer front, EA promises a dogfighting mode where players will take each other on in different areas of the galaxy. The game will also feature a fleet battle mode where teams of players will need to work together to take down an opposing “flagship.”
The company also said players will be able to acquire upgraded weapons, starfighter hulls, and other customizations that are “earned solely through gameplay.” That may satisfy Battlefront II players who were outraged over EA’s handling of progression systems and loot boxes and its initial desire to make microtransactions a central component in the gameplay experience.
Star Wars: Squadrons is available now for pre-order and will cost $40 when it hits store shelves later this year. EA said it will share more details on the game, including actual gameplay footage, at its EA Play Live livestream at 4 p.m. PT on Thursday.
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