'Star Wars: Hunters' Will Bring Galactic Arena Battles To The Nintendo Switch Later This Year

Earlier this year, Lucasfilm Games announced a new open-world Star Wars video game was in the works, and fans couldn't be more thrilled about the prospect of exploring a galaxy far, far away. But in the meantime, Lucasfilm Games has teamed up with online and mobile game creator Zynga to deliver a new video game called Star Wars: Hunters, coming to the Nintendo Switch later this year.

StarWars.com announced the upcoming Star Wars: Hunters video game with the above teaser trailer. The title is said to be a competitive arena combat game with team-based, multiplayer battles featuring an ensemble of new, original Star Wars characters. Here's a brief synopsis for the game:

Set after the fall of the Galactic Empire, Star Wars: Hunters will connect players in real time to battle in arena settings inspired by iconic Star Wars locales. Play as daring Bounty Hunters, heroes of the Rebellion, and an Imperial stormtrooper, in an action game that immerses players in fast-paced and visually stunning Star Wars conflict.

The teaser trailer above shows off some of the characters you'll be able to play as. There's a Wookiee warrior, a Mandalorian of some kind, an Imperial Stormtrooper with some heavy weaponry, and a red lightsaber-wielding fighter. With this array of characters and the competitive arena setting, we're guessing this is the Star Wars version of games like Fortnite. After all, just like the popular online game, Star Wars: Hunters will be free to download on the Nintendo Switch (where you won't need an online membership to play), and it will be available from the Apple App Store and Google Play. That means there will likely be in-game purchases for costumes, weapons, and other assorted gear.

Douglas Reilly, VP of Lucasfilm Games, offered this up in a statement:

"Star Wars: Hunters draws inspiration from classic Star Wars stories and settings, but with a look and feel that is different from anything we have done before. We're thrilled to introduce this wildly creative cast of characters to our fans on Nintendo Switch, where they can join with their friends in thrilling battles at home or on the go."

When I first saw the teaser trailer for Star Wars: Hunters, I was hoping that this might finally be the successor to the fighting game Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi from the original PlayStation. Though it's not remembered as one of the better Star Wars games, it was a favorite of my youth, and I'd like to see some kind of next-generation update. But despite my disappointment, I'll be giving Star Wars: Hunters a shot whenever it arrives this year.