The wait is over: Star Wars Zero Company officially launched today for PC (including via Steam), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. And the initial reactions from the international gaming press couldn't be better: The game currently holds a strong 86 points on Metacritic, with similar impressive scores on OpenCritic. This places Zero Company among the highest-rated games of 2026 – and among the top ten highest-rated Star Wars games ever.
The tactical RPG is developed by the relatively new studio Bit Reactor, in collaboration with Respawn Entertainment and Lucasfilm Games. Many key developers at Bit Reactor originally came from Firaxis Games, the studio behind the XCOM series – and according to reviewers, that influence is clearly evident in the game.
What is Star Wars Zero Company About?
Zero Company is set during the Clone Wars, sending you on turn-based tactical missions with a small squad of Clone Troopers, Jedi, and other allies. Anyone familiar with XCOM will feel right at home: utilize cover, time abilities, and account for casualties. Surrounding this is a roughly 30-hour campaign featuring an authentic Star Wars story, which multiple reviewers note is surprisingly dark and mature in its narrative.
What Exactly Are Reviewers Saying?
The range of reactions is remarkably uniformly positive. Here are a few examples from the extensive review roundup:
- One reviewer describes the game as a title that exceeded their expectations “far beyond the galaxy” and reignited their passion for the Star Wars franchise.
- Another calls Zero Company an “incredible debut from Bit Reactor” with a tightly told, approximately 30-hour campaign and some of the best Star Wars storytelling in recent years.
- Still others praise the fact that after years of XCOM mods dressed in Star Wars attire, the community finally has an authentic, polished tactical game within its own universe – including a willingness to take narrative risks.
- Individual top scores even range from 95 to 100 out of 100 points, making Zero Company a serious contender for Game of the Year discussions right now.
How Does Zero Company Fit into Star Wars Gaming History?
Star Wars games have had a mixed standing in recent years – celebrated titles like the Jedi series were followed by disappointing or canceled projects. In contrast, the community has longed for a standalone, turn-based tactical game in the Star Wars universe for years, mostly in the form of mod projects for XCOM itself. That a new, small studio like Bit Reactor is now so confidently filling this void is remarkable and should also be seen by Electronic Arts as an encouragement to grant smaller studios more creative freedom within the Star Wars cosmos. Shortly before release, we already had the opportunity to go hands-on – our first impressions of the tactical hidden gem now read like a premonition of the current top scores.
Source: Pure Xbox, PlayStation Blog
Have you played Zero Company yet? Let us know in the comments if this tactical RPG is hitting as hard for you as it is for the critics!
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