Full disclosure: I’m nobody’s concept of a Star Wars “fan.” I can barely inform a Jawa from a Wookie…okay in the event you confirmed me an image, I’d inform the distinction, however you get what I imply. Star Wars is a franchise I’m clearly aware of, however it’s one I’ve by no means gone by means of the hassle of diving deep into. It’s a sequence I are inclined to preserve at arm’s size, letting the followers take pleasure in what they take pleasure in with out getting too concerned myself.
What I’m a fan of, although, is Star Wars video video games, particularly the current titles put out by Respawn Leisure. The studio’s Star Wars titles are each unbelievable and, whilst a non-fan, it feels to me like Respawn confirmed an actual, real love for the franchise when making these video games. Therefore why it breaks my coronary heart that the crew’s in-development first-person shooter title acquired thrown within the can. There’s part of me that seems like EA simply missed an enormous alternative by letting this recreation go to waste.
Respawn Was Making A Star Wars FPS?
For people who aren’t within the know, sure, EA and Respawn Leisure had been engaged on a first-person shooter within the Star Wars franchise. This was first introduced in January 2022 when Respawn, contemporary off of the success of 2019’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, introduced three upcoming Star Wars initiatives. One was the first-person shooter title, one was a technique recreation in partnership with Bit Reactor, and the opposite was the sequel to Fallen Order, which we might obtain in 2023 as Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Little was publicly revealed of what this first-person shooter title would entail, aside from that it was being dealt with by Peter Hirshmann, a recreation director at Respawn with a long-established historical past of making Star Wars titles, together with Star Wars: The Drive Unleashed and the traditional Star Wars: Battlefront titles. Not lengthy earlier than its eventual cancelation, it was additionally reported that the sport could be centered round a Mandalorian bounty hunter. It was additionally stated to be a fast-paced, linear single-player title happening in a interval when the galaxy was dominated by the Galactic Empire.
All of this sounds unbelievable, however destiny sadly had different plans. In late February, EA introduced a 670-person layoff – roughly 5% of its workforce – throughout a wide range of its owned studios, one among a worrying variety of layoffs affecting the gaming trade as we speak. Together with this got here the information that EA could be shutting down the event of this deliberate Star Wars FPS recreation. Whereas Respawn will proceed to make Star Wars titles – a Jedi: Survivor follow-up and the aforementioned technique recreation are nonetheless within the works – this FPS title didn’t survive, and that’s a rattling disgrace.
This May’ve Been A Slam Dunk
Throughout the board, shedding this Star Wars FPS is actually heartbreaking, as that is the form of recreation that really might’ve been one thing particular. Positive, the Star Wars franchise is definitely not ravenous for brand spanking new video games, and there are definitely good first-person shooter Star Wars titles like Star Wars: Republic Commando and the Star Wars Battlefront video games, lots of that are available on present consoles. With that stated, if there’s one developer that would create a very unbelievable single-player FPS recreation within the Star Wars universe, it’s Respawn Leisure.
In comparison with the multiplayer-centric Battlefront titles which have been dominating currently, we haven’t gotten a single-player Star Wars FPS since Republic Commando’s authentic launch in 2005. In a gaming panorama that’s grow to be so bloated with multiplayer shooters and live-service titles, it’s refreshing when a first-person shooter comes alongside and brings single-player marketing campaign alongside for the experience. A recreation just like the one Respawn was making felt prefer it was pulling all the precise strings to grow to be a very particular title.
Although this author is aware of little about Star Wars, the selection to base this recreation on a Mandalorian protagonist appears like it might’ve been unbelievable. The Mandalorian has grow to be an extremely standard Star Wars sequence since its launch in 2019, and in a franchise that’s been identified for its up-and-down reception in the previous few years, this has been by far one of the vital well-received Star Wars releases in current reminiscence. It’s even receiving a movie adaptation, The Mandalorian & Grogu, in 2026, a time when this recreation was seemingly presupposed to launch and will’ve served as a wonderful tie-in.
Respawn Leisure has additionally clearly proven that it has a really actual love and look after Star Wars as a franchise. The Star Wars: Jedi video games, past being extremely enjoyable to play, really feel extremely respectful of the Star Wars lineage and even characteristic parts that make this non-fan nerd out just a little bit. That is clearly not a developer who merely needed to make a Star Wars recreation simply because the identify is glamorous; the fervour is totally there, and if EA is to proceed making Star Wars video games, that is undoubtedly the developer handy them to.
Within the context of the sport’s style, Respawn additionally has very clear expertise on this regard. The studio itself was fashioned by Jason West and Vince Zampella, two former Infinity Ward heads who had been instrumental within the creation of 2007’s Name of Obligation 4: Fashionable Warfare, thus far the franchise’s peak. Respawn has continued to indicate success within the FPS style with Apex Legends, and the crew additionally crafted an outstanding single-player FPS marketing campaign with 2016’s Titanfall 2. This style is true within the developer’s wheelhouse, and it appeared just like the form of recreation that the crew might simply excel with.
Throughout the board, Respawn’s Star Wars FPS gave the impression of a match made in Heaven. Giving a crew with clear first-person shooter expertise the prospect to develop a recreation in a franchise it has proven a transparent love and respect for simply appeared like a layup. All the things was falling completely into place till the trade got here alongside and compelled its hand. This actually might’ve been one other particular recreation for Respawn, and it’s a crying disgrace it gained’t get to see the sunshine of day now.
