2022 has gotten off to a very good start for a large portion of Star Wars fans, as January has been marked by various long-awaited releases and surprise announcements. The Book of Boba Fett has been going strong since it first started at the end of 2021, The High Republic publishing initiative is nearing the dramatic conclusion of its first phase, and after months of anticipation, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga finally has a solid release date. To seemingly top off a month full of big Star Wars news, EA has announced that it's currently developing a whopping three new games set in the galaxy far, far away.
In the time that EA has had the exclusive rights to make major Star Wars games, the company has built up a rather tenuous relationship with the franchise's fan base. Much of it has been marked by disappointment, but there have been some shining moments with releases like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Now that EA's exclusivity license is coming to an end, there are various Star Wars projects from other developers on the horizon, and EA seems prepared to fight for its place in the Star Wars gaming space with these new titles from developer Respawn Entertainment.
The Sequel To Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order
Before this announcement, the sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order had been one of the most anticipated mysteries that many fans were waiting to hear about. EA's first story-based, single-player adventure in the Star Wars universe was a big hit both critically and commercially, providing fans with a Star Wars gaming experience unlike nearly anything that had come before it. While EA never formally announced that a sequel was in development, internal statements and various other points of speculation pointed toward the game's future existence being all but certain.
Fans are now able to stop holding their breath over whether a sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order happening, and although there still isn't a trailer, EA has given slivers of information that could prove to be enlightening. In terms of the game's overall direction, Respawn game director Stig Asmussen will be calling the shots on the sequel just as he did for the first installment. The most curious bit of information, however, comes from the official announcement calling the game, "the next installment in the Star Wars Jedi story." This could imply that the game won't be called Fallen Order 2 like some have speculated, which is sure to inspire discussions on what the sequel will be called and what it will mean for the overall story.
Respawn's New Star Wars FPS
Along with the initial surprise of a Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order sequel being made official, EA revealed that Respawn will also be developing a new Star Wars FPS. The FPS genre isn't one that Star Wars is particularly known for, but when the franchise has gone down that path, it has proven to be successful. Star Wars: Dark Forces is the one game that many cite as the definitive Star Wars FPS experience, along with the Jedi Knight games that followed it. The last Star Wars game to be a dedicated FPS was the recently remastered Republic Commando, which also remains one of the quintessential Star Wars gaming experiences.
EA's announcement wasn't very forthcoming on information regarding this new FPS, but it was revealed that industry veteran Peter Hirschmann will serve as game director. Hirschmann has been a staple of Star Wars gaming for years, as he served as VP of development for Lucasarts where he played a part in the development of games like The Force Unleashed and the original Battlefront series. For fans that long for the Star Wars gaming experiences of ten to fifteen years ago, Hirschmann's involvement in this new FPS should be an assuring sign that the project is in good hands.
Respawn's New Star Wars Strategy Game
As if the surprise of a new Star Wars FPS wasn't enough, EA also announced that a new Star Wars strategy game is in development from Respawn and developer Bit Reactor. Just as Star Wars isn't usually known for FPS titles, the franchise hasn't had many major strategy releases over the years. The last traditional Star Wars strategy game was 2006's Empire at War RTS, developed by Petroglyph Games. Considering the vast majority of Star Wars games have relied on third-person action-adventures, this new entry has an opportunity to be a nice change of pace for some fans.
Information is also very slim on this new project, but what is known could be a very good sign for the game's future. This Star Wars strategy game won't be exclusively developed by Respawn, as the studio will instead act as producer while the newly formed Bit Reactor will manage development. Led by industry veteran Greg Foertsch, Bit Reactor consists of various developers that worked on the popular XCOM series, and their expertise should prove to be very useful for a new Star Wars title. It will certainly be an unfamiliar direction for the franchise, so there should be some comfort in knowing that experienced minds are behind it.
After the announcements of Knights of the Old Republic Remake and Star Wars: Eclipse at the tail end of 2021, the Star Wars' gaming momentum shows no signs of slowing down after these reveals so early in the year. There's no official timetable on any of the games that were revealed by EA, but considering that the success of Jedi: Fallen Order is likely what has allowed all of these projects to go into production into the first place, it's possible that the sequel could come first. Until more official news is divulged by EA, fans will just have to sit back and build up their anticipation for what could be an exciting new chapter for Star Wars gaming.
Several Star Wars projects are now in development.
