• EA, Respawn Entertainment, and Bit Reactor are collaborating on a Star Wars strategy game.
• The game is known internally as “Star Wars Bruno”
• Screenshots from 2023 indicate it has gameplay mechanics similar to XCOM, including:
  • Characters taking cover
  • Hit chance percentages shown for attacks
  • An “overwatch” mode similar to XCOM’s mechanics

It makes sense that the game would have XCOM-like features, as Bit Reactor was founded by former XCOM developers from Firaxis. The article mentions that Lucasfilm has confirmed they’ll officially reveal this project on April 19 during the Star Wars Celebration 2025.

Since the screenshots are from 2023, the game’s current state could be different in 2025, but given the studio’s background, the XCOM influence seems likely to remain.

Star Wars Games: A Comprehensive Review

Looking at the vast library of Star Wars games released over the decades, there’s an impressive diversity spanning multiple genres and platforms. Here’s a review of notable Star Wars games across different eras:

Classic Era (1980s-1990s)

Star Wars (1983) – The original arcade vector graphics game that recreated the Death Star trench run. Revolutionary for its time but highly primitive by today’s standards.

Super Star Wars Trilogy (SNES) – These challenging side-scrolling action games captured the essence of the original trilogy with impressive 16-bit graphics and music, though they’re notoriously difficult.

X-Wing/TIE Fighter Series – Still considered among the best space combat simulators ever made. These PC games offered deep mechanics and immersive storytelling from both Rebel and Imperial perspectives.

Dark Forces/Jedi Knight Series – It began as a DOOM-style FPS before evolving to include lightsaber combat and Force powers. Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast remains celebrated for its lightsaber mechanics.

Shadows of the Empire (N64) – A mixed-genre game that filled story gaps between Empire and Return of the Jedi. Ambitious but uneven in execution.

Prequel Era (Early 2000s)

Knights of the Old Republic I & II—BioWare’s RPG masterpiece and Obsidian’s complex sequel are routinely cited among the best Star Wars stories ever told. They feature rich character development and meaningful choices.

Republic Commando was a tactical FPS that focused on clone trooper squad dynamics rather than Jedi. Its gritty approach and intense gameplay hold up well.

Battlefront (Original) – Pandemic’s large-scale battle simulators captured the epic scale of Star Wars warfare with impressive player counts for the time.

Episode I: Racer – A surprisingly excellent pod-racing game with a great sense of speed and track design.

Rogue Squadron Series – Factor 5’s arcade flight games offered accessible but deep starfighter combat with impressive visuals.

Modern Era (2010s-Present)

The Force Unleashed I & II – Action games with powerful Force abilities and physics. The first game had an interesting story; the sequel was criticized for brevity.

Battlefront (EA) – 2015’s reboot featured stunning visuals but lacked content. 2017’s sequel had a rough launch due to microtransaction controversy but evolved into a content-rich experience after updates.

Jedi: Fallen Order – Respawn’s single-player action-adventure combined Souls-like combat with Metroidvania exploration and a compelling canon story. Well-received for focusing on narrative in an era of multiplayer focus.

Jedi: Survivor – Built upon Fallen Order with expanded combat options and a more mature story, though technical issues plagued its launch.

Squadrons – A VR-compatible starfighter combat game that captured the cockpit experience with impressive fidelity, though limited in scope.

LEGO Star Wars Series – Family-friendly adaptations with humorous takes on the saga. The Skywalker Saga (2022) was particularly ambitious in scope.

Galaxy of Heroes – Mobile collection RPG with tactical turn-based combat. Commercially successful but criticized for aggressive monetization.

MMO

Star Wars Galaxies – An ahead-of-its-time sandbox MMO that emphasized player-driven economies and communities. The controversial “New Game Experience” update fundamentally changed the game before its shutdown.

The Old Republic – BioWare’s story-focused MMO features eight class-specific narratives. Initially subscription-based before transitioning to a free-to-play model with restrictions. Still active with regular content updates.

Overall Assessment

Star Wars games have varied dramatically in quality, with some becoming legitimate classics that transcend their license. The best entries tend to either excel at immersing players in authentic Star Wars experiences (X-Wing, Battlefront) or telling compelling stories within the universe (KOTOR, Fallen Order). The weakest tend to be rushed movie tie-ins or attempts to capitalize on trends without understanding what makes Star Wars unique.

Looking ahead, the rumored XCOM-style tactical game from Bit Reactor could fill a genre gap in the Star Wars gaming library that fans have wanted for years.

The crazy guys at Aspyr said they were rebuilding Knights of the Old Republic, BioWare’s great 2003 Star Wars role-playing game, a long time ago (September 2021) in a galaxy far, far away (a PlayStation Showcase). This was a bad idea because the project had been crashing every step of the way and falling down the stairs for the past four years.

It was “delayed indefinitely” back in 2022. Sony started removing all mention of it from its own social media. Lars Wingefors, the CEO of Embracer Group, flatly refused to discuss it at a conference, as if it were Voldemort or something. Then, it showed hints of life nearly exactly a year ago, even though it was undoubtedly postponed for at least another year. Additionally, it was eventually seized from its original Aspyr developers and given to new Saber Interactive developers.

It is a disaster enough to rival Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, so do not worry! For its yearly reminder that the game is still relevant despite appearances, Saber has returned. The KOTOR remake is still under development somewhere in Saber’s headquarters, according to Saber CEO Matthew Karch, who spoke with Game File about it. However, the company wants to let Disney lead the conversation about it.

“Everything that we have talked about is still in development,” Saber CCO Tim Willits recently emphasised on X, adding that the studio will only “release details on new titles when we have something great to tell.” I suppose whatever Saber has been doing for the past four years is officially uncool because it is not today.

Although I am not a game developer, it appears that the KOTOR remake—or anyone even remotely connected to the Embracer Group—has had a rough few years. I am not envious of the developers’ upcoming tasks. The fact that a Star Wars game, of all things, has had to establish a now-yearly custom of assuring everyone it is still alive, however, does amuse me a little.

I’m still curious how the whole thing will pan out. I’ve long been on the record that I would rather have a subtle remaster of OG KOTOR—with gamepad support and 4K resolutions—than a full-on remake, but I’ll take what I can get. For KOTOR, there is no death; there is only the Force.

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