Recently a previously reliable video game leaker known as Shpeshal Ed claimed that a game based on Disney+'s The Mandalorian was in development. Having correctly predicted information about the May 2021 PS Plus games, many Star Wars fans are hopeful that the leaker will be proved right once again.

Baby Yoda - also known as "The Child" or Grogu - is the break-out star of The Mandalorian. Many fans may even have a tough time imagining the show without him. However, there are some reasons Baby Yoda is unlikely to appear in a game based on The Mandalorian. Here's why, and what it could mean for any adaptation of the hit streaming show.

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A Mandalorian Game

The Mandalorian key art

In many ways The Mandalorian has the perfect formula for a video game adaptation. Although it has an overarching plot, it is also relatively episodic, mirroring the way that players progress through long quest chains while visiting different areas in a game's world and becoming embroiled in local conflicts.

A game based on The Mandalorian could be an RPG like The Witcher, or an open-world epic like Red Dead Redemption 2. The stoic but humorous character of the Mandalorian himself even resembles video game protagonists like Geralt and Arthur Morgan, and his Mandalorian helmet makes him a great character for players to project themselves onto. Baby Yoda, on the other hand, may not be such a good fit for the format.

There are a couple of issues when it comes to including Baby Yoda in a game based on The Mandalorian. One smaller initial issue would be figuring out how to make sure the character wasn't getting in the way of combat, and didn't feel like he was transforming the entire experience into one big escort quest. Many games have achieved this in recent years with non-intrusive companion characters, however, so including Grogu as a follower isn't out of the question.

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The Timeline Problem

star wars mandalorian the child cookie

The main problem is that Baby Yoda would anchor any Mandalorian game to the timeline of the show. Baby Yoda is the crux of The Mandalorian's overarching plotline. In order for a game based on The Mandalorian to include Baby Yoda, the game would have to be set during the same time as the show, at least while it's still releasing new seasons. It is possible that the game could take place in between seasons or in another gap in the narrative, but that would leave fans knowing that the relevance of the game's main story would eventually be wiped away in favor of the show's next season.

Setting a game based on The Mandalorian in the same time period in the Star Wars timeline as the show could be extremely constricting for the storytellers. To realize its full potential the game needs a self-contained story with the possibility that characters will die for players to feel the stakes and truly immerse themselves in the game.

Including Grogu would put limits on when the game could be set, and the type of story it could tell. Overall, it would likely embed the story of the Mandalorian game within the broader arc of the show such that the show's plot would end up overwriting the game's story entirely.

The formula of The Mandalorian is easily applied to a video game adaptation, but specific characters like Baby Yoda are not. If The Mandalorian game is in development, it would likely do well to leave the story of the show far behind and weave a narrative that is totally self-contained.

A game based on The Mandalorian is rumored to be in development.

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