While we’ll likely be waiting a while for any news about Respawn’s rumored Jedi: Fallen Order sequel, EA is keen to ensure that fans of that Galaxy Far, Far Away aren’t left wanting for new adventures in the interim. Enter Star Wars: Squadrons, an upcoming space combat game in development at the publisher’s Motive Studio (it previously worked on Star Wars Battlefront II) that’s on course to arrive in the twilight period of current-gen consoles.
In case the name or spectacle-laden gameplay trailer hadn’t already given it away, Squadrons is strictly focused on replicating the adrenaline-fuelled space battles depicted in the films, with you, dear reader, playing the role of star pilot. Rather than plonk you in the cockpit of an X-Wing or TIE Fighter and send you on your merry way into chaotic battle, however, Motive’s first major standalone release is surprisingly much more structured.
Thanks to new details recently released by the developer, in fact, strategy and resource management will be key skills to have in ensuring that you and your team walk away victorious from any skirmish.
One core gameplay component, it says, is power management. In order to squeeze every last drop of power out of your chosen starfighter, engine power can be manually diverted to different systems (shields, weapons and thrusters) to suit the situation. If your current objective is to eliminate the enemy team’s flagship, for example, diverting power usually reserved for speed to your blasters will provide a much-needed damage boost.
As for the ships and their associated roles, see below for a handy breakdown of each:
- Fighter-class – A jack of all trades class that includes the X-wing and TIE Fighter.
- Interceptor-class – Masters of dogfighting as well as hit-and-run tactics, the A-wing and TIE Interceptor is considered the glass cannons of Squadrons.
- Bomber-class – Slow and tanky, the TIE Bomber and Y-wings, while able to hold their own in a dogfight, are best-suited to assaulting cruisers and well-armored defences.
- Support-class – What the U-wing and TIE Reapers lack in offensive capabilities it more than makes up for with powerful support abilities intended to help teammates in the heat of battle. Able to perform mobile resupplies, deploy environmental hazards and ensnare opponents in tractor beams makes either ship an integral part of any squad.
Star Wars: Squadrons is out October 2nd for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC and is available for pre-order now. See here for a breakdown of all the in-game cosmetic bonuses you can get for doing so.