Just before its official release, the PlayStation Blog editorial team thoroughly previewed Star Wars Zero Company, providing one of the first concrete impressions of the turn-based tactical game from Bit Reactor and Respawn Entertainment.
What is Star Wars Zero Company about?
The game transports us approximately 20 years before the Battle of Yavin, right into the final days of the Clone Wars. We step into the shoes of Hawks, a former Republic officer who, after the war, leads a motley crew of mercenaries and outsiders. Zero Company is hired for a lucrative but murky assignment and finds itself embroiled in the machinations of the “Infinite Coil,” a mysterious cult allied with the Separatists.
How does the tactical gameplay fare in this first preview?
According to the hands-on report, Zero Company features classic, turn-based combat with a cover system, distinct classes, and a clear focus on clever positioning rather than pure sustained fire. XCOM fans should immediately feel at home here, and that's no coincidence: Bit Reactor was founded by former Firaxis developers who were instrumental in the modern XCOM series. This experience is already evident in the game's combat systems, according to initial impressions, for instance, in the balance between risk and reward during individual turns.
Why is Star Wars Zero Company a special project for the series?
Pure strategy and tactics titles are a true rarity in the Star Wars universe. After classics like Star Wars: Empire at War or the rather mixed Star Wars: Force Commander, the genre barely evolved for many years, while the franchise otherwise almost exclusively focused on shooters, action-adventures, and live-service titles. Zero Company is therefore one of the most ambitious attempts in a long time to give more weight back to the brand's tactical offshoot. Even beyond the big shooters, a lot is happening in Star Wars right now: BioWare recently tried to bring back the classic feeling of olden days with new difficulty levels, as our report on the new difficulty levels in Star Wars: The Old Republic shows.
When and on which platforms will the game be released?
Star Wars Zero Company will be released on August 27, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The hands-on report from the PlayStation editorial team was published just one day before release and is likely to further fuel anticipation among strategy-minded Star Wars fans.
Source: PlayStation Blog
What do you think of Star Wars Zero Company – could its tactical concept be the hidden gem of the year? Let us know in the comments!
Comments (0)
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.