Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has proven to be something of a saving grace for EA.
The publisher, having acquired sole rights (Warner Bros.’ LEGO spinoffs excluded) to make video games based on the franchise from Disney back in 2013, has delivered just three titles set in a Galaxy Far, Far Away in the seven years since. Star Wars Battlefront and its sequel, while certainly not objectively bad by any stretch of the imagination, failed to generate the level of buzz from longtime fans as had perhaps been hoped, with the inclusion of a much-requested dedicated story mode in the latter completely overshadowed by questionable monetization practices.
Following the much-publicized cancellation of ‘Project Ragtag’ and closure of Visceral Games, Respawn finally delivered the strictly single-player, story-driven experience featuring Jedi and space magic that fans have long been clamoring for, and it appears that more is almost certainly on the way.
As per comments provided by EA CEO Andrew Wilson during a recent earnings call, Fallen Order is intended to be the “first title in an entirely new franchise,” signalling that Padawan Cal Kestis’ planet-hopping adventures are just the beginning of a wider narrative. We’ve been hearing for some time now, of course, that Respawn is already working on a follow-up behind closed doors, though it remains to be seen whether the project will be a direct continuation of Cal’s journey or instead feature an entirely new cast of characters. We’ll ultimately have to wait and see what developments surface down the line, though with EA’s Star Wars license due to expire in 2023, fans hopefully won’t have to wait long for concrete details.
In the here and now, Respawn rolled some new content for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order earlier this week to coincide with May the 4th. For a rundown of all the new stuff available as part of the free update, see here.