New 'Star Wars' Open-World Video Game Coming From Ubisoft
Earlier this week, Lucasfilm Games was announced as the overall new identity for all gaming titles from Lucasfilm, and they followed it up with the big announcement of a new Indiana Jones video game. But Lucasfilm Games will also help expand the roster of Star Wars titles with the announcement of a new story-driven, open-world game from Massive Entertainment, the Sweden-based game studio that falls under Ubisoft, creators of video game franchises such as Assassin's Creed, Watch Dogs, Far Cry, Ghost Recon, and The Division.
In an announcement from StarWars.com, Lucasfilm Games VP Douglas Reilly said:
"We're really excited about an opportunity to work with the team at Massive, led by David Polfeldt and the creative director, Julian Gerighty. We've spent almost a year now, working to get to know them and what they want to bring to the table. I'm a huge fan of them, personally. I think we're really excited about where that project is going, because they have a unique vision for the story and the game they want to deliver."
Star Wars fans have been clamoring for some kind of open-world video game set in a galaxy far, far away for a long time now. There was once a major title in the works called Star Wars 1313 that would have taken place in the criminal underworld, but it never saw the light of day. It's not likely that this new game will follow in those same footsteps, but hopefully it will immerse players in the world of Star Wars in a satisfying way. Ubisoft and Massive will be doing their best to make it happen by way of their proprietary game engine Snowdrop. Reilly added:
"We know that fans of Star Wars value the feeling of immersion — of being transported into the Star Wars galaxy and moving through richly-detailed environments. It's fun to imagine what the team at Massive can do within Star Wars by bringing their innovative spirit and their commitment to quality."
This news will come as a relief to the many Star Wars fans and gamers who have bee disappointed with the video game output that came from Lucasfilm's exclusive deal with Electronic Arts. Star Wars Battlefront wasn't quite up to snuff when it first debuted, but the franchise improved as updates made their way to Battlefront II, making it one of the better Star Wars games in recent memory. There was definitely a big step up with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, but the game still had some issues that displeased fans. And it's clear Star Wars Squadrons was mostly a miss since it got a steep discount around the holidays, even more than you'd expect for the season. But Electronic Arts isn't done making Star Wars video games just yet.
Along with news of the open-world Star Wars video game in the works, Lucasfilm Games also confirmed that Electronic Arts will continue to make Star Wars titles. While it's clear that Electronic Arts will no longer be the only studio making Star Wars video games, they'll finish out their deal with Lucasfilm. There weren't any specific titles announced, but Reilly said:
"We're really proud of the games we have created with EA. We will continue working with them and our relationship has never been stronger. While we may not have a lot of details to share at the moment, we've got a number of projects underway with the talented teams at EA."
But video game journalist Jason Schreier sees the writing on the wall for EA's future with Star Wars once their deal is done:
With today's news that Ubisoft Massive is making a Star Wars game, it's official that the EA exclusivity arrangement won't be renewed past 2023. Good news for Star Wars fans and probably even for EA, whose current leaders inherited a licensing deal they never wanted
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) January 13, 2021
Since Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was such a big hit, there will almost undoubtedly be a sequel that comes together before EA's deal ends in 2023. While a third installment of Battlefront might seem like an easy prospect, all the updates for Battlefront II have basically made that unnecessary, or at least uninteresting. There's always a chance that Squadrons gets a sequel too. But I can't imagine EA is working on anything new that isn't tied to those franchises in some capacity.
Lucasfilm Games is certainly making big waves to kick off this new era, and it's probably just the beginning of the big announcements they've got in store to celebrate their 50th anniversary this year. Stay tuned for more soon.