Ubisoft has been confirmed to be working on a new Star Wars game. The game is reported to be open world, and it's said to be a story-driven experience. Currently. there are no significant details on Ubisoft's Star Wars game, but the title is already proving to be significant. Lucasfilm's gaming division rebranded to Lucasfilm Games, and Ubisoft's new game is said to be part of a new era for Star Wars games. Some fans are excited about what's to come with Ubisoft's in-development title, but it's likely going to be some time before there's noteworthy news, much less a release date.
Star Wars games in recent history have received a mixed bag of reception. Star Wars Battlefront 2 was initially criticized for its loot boxes, though many gamers and critics consider it to be a better game now than it was at launch. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, on the other hand, was well-received for its narrative-driven nature and adoption of Dark Souls-like RPG mechanics. Players were excited about the announcement of Ubisoft's Star Wars game, but the game could be going quiet for some time yet.
The Star Wars and EA Exclusivity Deal
In 2013, EA and Lucasfilm entered a deal that would have seen EA hold the exclusive rights to developer Star Wars games for 10 years. During this period, EA managed to get a few games developed, including two Battlefront games, Fallen Order, and Star Wars: Squadrons. In a surprising move, the newly rebranded Lucasfilm Games announced a new game, which effectively ended EA's exclusivity to develop Star Wars games. While EA may not be the sole producer of Star Wars games anymore, access to the Star Wars license for developing games could be complicated.
EA's exclusivity deal is still set to continue into 2023, even with the announcement of Ubisoft's new game. While it's not expected that this agreement will be renewed, it means that for another 2 years EA will continue to make Star Wars games exclusively (though it will continue afterward, just without the exclusive part). This also means that it's highly unlikely that Ubisoft's game will be able to launch before 2023 comes around. Ubisoft's game is the first major non-EA Star Wars game in years to be announced and it has generated a lot of excitement among fans. Players will likely need to be patient before more is revealed about it, due to the remainder of the EA deal and the type of game it's reported to be.
It's Reportedly Open World
Ubisoft's Star Wars game is said to be an open-world experience. Open-world games tend to feature large environments that are filled with activities for players to take part in, and they can take a while to develop. It's unknown if Ubisoft's Star Wars game will have a fully open world or make use of separate areas, but either way, Ubisoft will have to craft a representation of the Star Wars universe from the ground up. The sci-fi setting is a marked departure from the likes of Far Cry and Assassin's Creed, which might indicate there's a learning curve for the developer to adapt to.
Massive Entertainment, better known as the developer of the Division franchise, is creating the new Star Wars game. This is a good thing, as Massive Entertainment's Division experience could help it with crafting the open world for the title. It's unknown what genre the new Star Wars game will fall under, but Massive Entertainment's experience could feasibly be invaluable to the development process.
It's In The Early Stages of Development
Ubisoft's CEO Yves Guillemot has gone on record to say that isn't even possible to provide a rough estimate of the game's release. The CEO went on to state that the game is in the very early stages of active development, but he couldn't offer any further information at the time. With the confirmation that the game is early in the development cycle, the Ubisoft CEO could likely have been setting an expectation for fans not to anticipate news for a while. Gamers are likely excited for an official update on Ubisoft's Star Wars game, but from Yves Guillemot's comments, fans could be waiting a while for official details.
It's Likely to Be Ambitious
Lucasfilm Games has decided to work with a high-profile company to create a new Star Wars game. The game is confirmed to not only be open world but also story-led. The Star Wars universe has multiple distinct eras that Massive Entertainment could explore, including the new High Republic Era, which has been the focus of several Star Wars projects recently. With so many storytelling options to choose from, and with it being the first non-EA Star Wars game in years, most fans consider it a safe bet that this will be an ambitious project. With an open world to create and a game-leading narrative to craft, Massive Entertainment could be better off taking its time with a project of this magnitude.
Massive Entertainment's Avatar Project
It's worth noting that Massive Entertainment is also working on a game based on James Cameron's Avatar. Similar to the Star Wars games, there is little known about the title. The developer has confirmed it'll continue working on the Avatar game despite taking on the Star Wars game as well. This is a big undertaking for the studio, and with two large projects like this in the works, it further reinforces that it'll be some time before any significant news is revealed about the Ubisoft Star Wars games.
There are many potentials directions for Ubisoft's Star Wars game, but it's looking like fans will need to wait a while to see how it turns out. EA's exclusivity deal is still set to continue until 2023, so at a minimum, it's unlikely that important news will be released before then, much less a release date. The EA deal aside, the Star Wars game is shaping up to be an important project for Lucasfilm. The project is likely to be ambitious and the open-world environment could see it take longer to create. Until Ubisoft can open the lid on its Star Wars game, EA could have more games in the pipeline.
Ubisoft's untitled Star Wars game is currently in development.