After a brief tease, Star Wars Zero Company was officially unveiled and fans of the IP got a closer look at its XCOM-inspired action. It has been years since we last got a Star Wars strategy game, but Zero Company looks like a fine return to the cerebral side of intergalactic warfare. In production at Bit Reactor–a studio that includes former Firaxis developers–Zero Company won’t be out for a while, but there is plenty of information on the game currently, regarding its release window, characters, and more. Here’s everything that we know about Zero Company so far.
When will Star Wars Zero Company be released?
Star Wars Zero Company will be released in 2026, but an exact date hasn’t been nailed down yet.
Star Wars Zero Company preorders
Physical editions of Star Wars Zero Company aren’t available yet, but if you’re planning to play the game on PC, both Steam and the Epic Games Store have pages up where you can wishlist it.
Star Wars Zero Company platforms
Star Wars Zero Company will launch for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Star Wars Zero Company gameplay
Set during the twilight of the Clone Wars, Zero Company sees you take command of Hawks, a former Republic officer working to stop a dangerous threat to the galaxy. While we don’t know what that hostile force is yet, we do know that Hawks assembles their own task team to tackle this problem head on. A turn-based tactics game, Bit Reactor isn’t ready yet to show off deep details on the game, but the brief amount of footage we’ve seen so far does hint at tactical warfare, synergy between teammates, and plenty of droids to turn into scrap.
Zero Company is putting emphasis on storytelling and squad dynamics as well, and in a recent interview with GameSpot, Bit Reactor creative director Greg Foertsch explained that the game will aim to cater toward both casual and hardcore fans of the tactics genre. At the same time, Bit Reactor wants Zero Company to look and feel like a Star Wars game.
“We want to make sure that we wrap the game with a good story that makes sense to people and tutorializes things as needed, as opposed to kind of hitting people over the head,” Foertsch said. “If you want to experience the game for the story, it’s there. “If you want to play and you want to have permadeath, guess what? You can do that too. “I think making a game where people can appreciate, understand, and get into it and not feel overwhelmed by it, but it still has the depth and challenge, you can do both. That’s what we’ve set out to do.”
Veterans of the genre looking to get a real challenge can also activate permadeath, a mode that allows for characters to be permanently taken off the map if they fall in battle. Lucasfilm franchise content and strategy creative executive Kelsey Sharpe added that Zero Company being a Star Wars game also helps, as it allows Bit Reactor to do things in the genre that other games can’t do. “You can use the Force, you can call out an astromech droid for an assist, and then also so much of Star Wars storytelling is based on the relationships that characters build with each other,” Sharpe explained.
When you’re not taking part in covert operations, you’ll be able to head back to the Den, Zero Company’s headquarters where you can plan for the next mission, learn more about your teammates, and use your spy network to uncover crucial new intel. Bit Reactor also wants the game to capture the gritty wartime feel of Star Wars during the prequel era, and it has cited media like Rogue One, Andor, and the Dirty Dozen as key sources of inspiration for the game.
“Even if you have a more grounded tone and you’re getting into the shades of gray of the Clone Wars era, there’s always hope,” Sharpe said of the team dynamics and general mood of Zero Company. “There’s always the bonds between your allies, there’s always the mythmaking. And that’s what Star Wars is. That’s how we keep things feeling consistent across all the stories we tell.”
Star Wars Zero Company characters
Zero Company features a roster of original characters, with Hawks being the primary character that players will take control of. Hawks is fully customizable–although to what extent, we’re not certain yet–so if you want the former captain in the Grand Army of the Republic to not be human, that’s an option. Here’s a quick breakdown on the rest of Hawks’ team:
Trick
An emotionally scarred Clonetrooper with a fondness for games of chance, Trick–formerly known as CT-3301–has been with Hawks since the start of the Clone Wars.
Tel-Rea Vokoss
The Jedi Padawan of a fallen master, Tel-Rea Vokoss is determined to complete her mentor’s final mission and honor their legacy.
Cly Kullervo
A Mandalorian who is one of the last surviving members of the ancient Clan Verminoth, Kullervo joins Zero Company so that she can further her quest for revenge.
Luco Bronc
When you need to do some damage from a long range, Luco Bronc is the Umbaran sniper you call in to get the job done. Sharp-tongued and nursing a grudge against the Republic after it defeated and occupied his Separatist-aligned planet, Bronc joins Zero Company so that he can work toward taking out a bigger threat.
While the Zero Company members above are “Authored Characters” who have a substantial amount of backstory to explore, you will be able to recruit other members to your team. Each squadmate brings their own pros and cons to the battlefield, and while it’s not recommended, you can field an entire squad of armed astromechs if you want. These characters are also customizable, but your Authored Characters will be the heavyweights of your team, especially when you grow the bonds between them and take advantage of their powerful synergy skills.
