With LucasFilm Games emerging onto the scene early last month, it soon became apparent that EA was far from the only studio slated to be working on the Star Wars franchise going forward. For one, Ubisoft announced that it would be working on the IP through a new, open-world adventure coming courtesy of the creators of The Division, Ubisoft Massive.
However, EA has recently reaffirmed that it's not done making Star Wars a focus of its annual plans, revealing during an investor's call that it remains dedicated to working on the science fiction franchise. As transcribed by Seeking Alpha, CEO Andrew Wilson is asked about the game license during the meeting, with the question surrounding whether the loss of Star Wars' exclusivity will slow down the publisher's ambitious plans.
"I don’t think you should imagine that the fact that some other people will build some Star Wars games is going to change our commitment to that IP," Wilson states in his reply, revealing earlier in the call that the publisher managed to make $3 billion off of the series so far. "You shouldn’t read this as necessarily us building less titles," he continues, reiterating that the games have made a big profit for the company and that it continues to have a friendly relationship with Disney. Speaking on the results of the partnership, he refers to several franchises that have emerged through making Star Wars games, including Battlefront, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and Squadrons. As he puts it, the success of the licensed tie-ins means that EA is happy to continue cultivating its "Star Wars relationship."
The comments follow those made during the announcement of Ubisoft's Star Wars adaptation, with EA claiming back then that it had no intention of stopping making Star Wars experiences. Although it's unclear exactly what it's working on, the company will allegedly be announcing a new game based in the sci-fi universe later this year, with many predicting it could be a follow-up to Respawn Entertainment's incredibly successful Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
EA has been fairly active over the last few days, announcing its for the future. The company stated in a recent Q3 financial report that it will now release racing games annually, hoping to take its place as a leader in the racing market thanks to its upcoming acquisition of Codemasters. Meanwhile, it unveiled more about Mass Effect: Legendary Edition yesterday, highlighting its visual upgrades, the rampant changes to Mass Effect 1, and several other interesting tidbits about the impressive remastered collection. The revamped bundle of games will drop this May on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
Source: Seeking Alpha