Software:Star Wars Zero Company

From HandWiki
Star Wars Zero Company
Developer(s)Bit Reactor
Respawn Entertainment
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
Director(s)Greg Foertsch
Producer(s)Caydence Funk
Designer(s)James Brawley
Grayson Scantlebury
Programmer(s)Ryan McFall
Writer(s)Aaron Contreras
Composer(s)Gordy Haab
SeriesStar Wars
EngineUnreal Engine 5
Platform(s)
ReleaseAugust 27, 2026
Genre(s)Turn-based tactics
Mode(s)Single-player

Star Wars Zero Company is a 2026 turn-based tactics video game developed by Bit Reactor and published by Electronic Arts. Part of the Star Wars franchise, the game is set during the Clone Wars era, with players assuming control of Tesh Hawks, the leader of Zero Company, a group of misfits and mercenaries tasked with fighting an emerging threat to the galaxy. It was released for the PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on August 27, 2026. The game received positive reviews from critics.

Gameplay

File:Zero Company gameplay screenshot.jpg
In this gameplay screenshot, the player's squad is fighting against droids of the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

Players can customize Hawks' gender, appearance, and voice at the beginning of the game.[1] Combat in the game is turn-based, and played from a top-down perspective. Players issue commands to a squad of characters, which may include custom mercenaries as well as story-based characters. These characters can be sorted into different classes, though story-based characters have access to their own unique skills and abilities.[2][3] Players can also create their own astromech droids, which focus on supporting the party and utilizing explosives.[2] In each turn, each characters only has a limited number of action points that dictate how many actions they can perform and how far they can move, though they can be replenished within a turn using certain abilities.[2] Squad members can sustain lasting injuries or suffer permanent death, though the narrative continues regardless of who is lost.[4] Different missions have different objectives. While each level is designed by the developer, the placement of enemies is procedurally generated.[5]

Between missions, players manage the Den, a base of operations, to conduct research, upgrade their gear, and launch strategic investigations and tactical strikes.[3] Players advance time, known as cycles, as they complete missions. Some objectives are time-limited, meaning that they will expire if they are not completed in time.[2] Players can start non-combat operations to gather intel. In these missions, players must make narrative decisions that may lead to consequences several cycles later. The game features a progression system where players can choose which permanent upgrades to deny their enemies through sabotage.[5] The game features elements commonly found in role-playing video games.[6] Outside of combat, players can explore the world from a third-person perspective.[7] At the Den, the player character can converse with different squad members. They will have differing personalities and world views and players must resolve their conflicts. Low approval and dissatisfaction will trigger specific narrative consequences and story moments.[5] Conversely, characters who frequently participate in combat operations together will develop stronger bonds, providing them with significant tactical synergy bonuses.[3]

Plot

In 19 BBY, the final year of the Clone Wars, former Galactic Republic captain Tesh Hawks leads the independent mercenary outfit Zero Company. Several years prior, Hawks was dismissed from military service after taking blame for a disastrous defeat against the Separatists. Members of Zero Company include Trick, a clone trooper who served with Hawks and joined Zero Company after being medically discharged; Runa Blask, a Togruta partisan who is second-in-command and Zero Company's financial consultant; and Kabb Uppercut, a former boxer who has a cybernetic left arm.

Heavily indebted to the Hutts, Zero Company undertakes mercenary contracts to remain solvent. During a mission on Serolonis, the group encounters the Infinite Coil, a Separatist-aligned cult led by Kundri Fathom and droid general Typhon. Members of the Coil are infected with the Shadow Plague, a mysterious disease that kills some victims while leaving survivors physically enhanced and susceptible to Fathom's influence. After learning of the encounter, Republic Intelligence officer Bennic Halloren and Republic-aligned Luunatan noble Jae Mordant offer to forgive Zero Company's debt if they help stop the Coil.

Zero Company traces the Coil's activities to an initiation ceremony on Courtsilius. There, they encounter Tel-Rea, a Tognath Jedi Padawan who independently pursues the Coil while attempting to complete her deceased Master's final mission. Together, they rid Courtsilius of the Coil, and Tel-Rea joins Zero Company. Alongside Republic forces led by Jedi General Anakin Skywalker, Zero Company infiltrates a prisoner exchange between the Republic and Umbaran Partisans on Bespin. During the exchange, the Coil kills Rhys Cesca, the Umbaran leader and Luco Bronc's lover, for defying the Separatists. Despite Bronc's hatred of the Republic, he joins Zero Company to seek vengeance.

Zero Company's investigation leads them to Luunata, which they liberate from the Coil. As a result, Ja leaves Zero Company to continue her work. Republic Intelligence locates Fathom and the remaining Coil leadership and sends the elite Stillwatch Battalion to help capture her. However, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine issues Order 66 and reorganizes the Republic into the Galactic Empire. Trick's inhibitor chip causes him and Stillwatch to turn against Tel-Rea and Zero Company. Zero Company emerges victorious and escapes, but Trick is sent into a coma.

One year later, Zero Company has abandoned its mission to stop the Coil and operates as fugitives from the Empire. Jae contacts Zero Company for help escaping Imperial-ruled Luunata, and she rejoins the team. On Umbara, they help Captain Rex, who offers to remove Trick's inhibitor chip in exchange for helping the Umbarans fight against the Empire. Trick is then sent to Ord Mantell, where he has his chip removed and completes his training to become a clone commando. The Hutts hire Zero Company for a job, where Hawks is betrayed and captured by the Coil. Fathom infects Hawks with the plague, but Hawks resists Fathom's influence. Typhon reveals that the Shadow Plague is sentient and creates a hive mind between the infected before they abandon Hawks. While escaping, Hawks sees Bennic, now an ISB Supervisor, leading Imperial reinforcements. Hawks' encounter with Fathom renews interest in stopping them.

Zero Company tracks Typhon to Cindermoor, where they destroy him. Fathom attempts to escape with the Shadow Plague while Imperial forces led by Bennic arrive, seeking to acquire the plague. Unwilling to allow either the Coil or the Empire to possess the plague, Zero Company pursues her as Coil forces battle the Empire. Zero Company boards Bennic's Star Destroyer, under attack by the Coil and Fathom, and fights through Fathom's remaining forces before confronting her. During the battle, Hawks contacts Bennic and persuades him to help, making Bennic have a change of heart. Fathom uses her connection to the Shadow Plague to attempt to exert influence over Hawks, but Zero Company, with assistance from Bennic, defeats and kills her. Her death severs her influence over those infected by the plague, and the remaining Infinite Coil forces begin to collapse. In the aftermath, Zero Company remains together as the Empire continues expanding its control over the galaxy, and they vow to disrupt it as much as possible.

Development and release

Star Wars Zero Company was developed by Bit Reactor, a studio founded in 2022. The development included many former staffers of Firaxis Games, including Greg Foertsch, founder of the company and creative director of the game.[8] Foertsch previously served as the art director for the modern XCOM games.[5] Foertsch was invited by Vince Zampella, the founder of Respawn Entertainment, to create a Star Wars tactics game.[5] It was revealed in September 2026 that Zero Company was originally pitched as a game based on the Titanfall series and Apex Legends.[9]

The game was created with high production values, with the team introducing third-person sections styled similarly to cinematic action-adventure games. Aaron Contreras, who previously worked on the Star Wars Jedi games, served as the game's writer.[5] The team was divided about adding permadeath, though it was subsequently decided that the inclusion of this feature fit Star Wars' core theme about loss.[10] The game was designed to be accessible, with the team using the story to tutorialize its core gameplay mechanics.[11] The Clone Wars era was chosen as the setting as the team felt that it provided a lot of opportunities for the team to tell an original story. The team read a lot of Star Wars books, as well as visiting Wookieepedia, to determine what planets and locations to include.[12] The animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the film Rogue One, the TV series Andor, as well as the Western film The Dirty Dozen inspired the themes and tone.[13]

In January 2022, EA announced that Respawn was developing three games set in the Star Wars universe, including a sequel to Software:Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Jedi: Survivor), an unnamed first-person shooter which had since been cancelled, and Zero Company.[14] Zero Company was announced in April 2025 during Star Wars Celebration in Japan. Publisher Electronic Arts released the game for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on August 27, 2026.[15]

Shortly after release, there were reports that the developer Bit Reactor had put 80% of the developing staff on unpaid furlough.[16] [17]

Music

"Zero Company" by Gordy Haab, the first single from the Star Wars Zero Company Video Game Soundtrack, was released on July 25, 2026. The full soundtrack was released on Hollywood Records on August 27, 2026.[18]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
MetacriticPC: 85/100[19]
PS5: 84/100[20]
XSXS: 85/100[21]

Star Wars Zero Company received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[23] OpenCritic determined that 95% of critics recommended the game.[22]

Sales

In August 2026, Zero Company was the 11th-most-downloaded PlayStation 5 game in the United States, Canada, and Europe.[24] In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number 2 on the physical sales chart for the week ending August 29.[25] On Steam, Zero Company was the best-selling game between 25 August and 1 September.[26]

Market research and data analysis firm Alinea Analytics reported that the game had sold more than one million copies during its first month. The firm estimated that the game had generated approximately $50 million in revenue, with sales distributed across Steam (69.9%), PlayStation (19.9%), and Xbox, including Xbox PC (10.2%).[27][28]

Awards

Year Award Category Result Ref.
2026 Golden Joystick Awards Best Supporting Performer (Vic Michaelis) Pending [29]
PC Game of the Year Pending

References

  1. ↑ Myers, Maddy (April 19, 2025). "Star Wars Zero Company, a turn-based game at the end of the Clone Wars, gets full reveal". Polygon. https://www.polygon.com/star-wars/560074/star-wars-zero-company-xcom-game-reveal/. Retrieved March 27, 2026. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Litchfield, Ted (March 27, 2026). "Everything you need to know about Star Wars Zero Company". PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/star-wars-zero-company-guide/. Retrieved March 27, 2026. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Bouthyus, Darryn (April 19, 2015). "Star Wars: Zero Company's Main Character Is Fully Customizable". GameSpot. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-wars-zero-company-main-character-is-fully-customizable/1100-6530936/. Retrieved March 27, 2026. 
  4. ↑ Kuhnke, Oisin (March 26, 2026). "Star Wars Zero Company forces you into permadeath so you can see "what's on the other side of the experience"". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/star-wars-zero-company-forces-you-into-permadeath-so-you-can-see-whats-on-the-other-side-of-the-experience. Retrieved March 27, 2026. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Litchfield, Ted (March 27, 2026). "Star Wars Zero Company is more than just 'Star Wars XCOM'—it feels like Mass Effect but with turn-based tactics and permadeath". PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/star-wars-zero-company-is-more-than-just-star-wars-xcom-it-feels-like-mass-effect-but-with-turn-based-tactics-and-permadeath/. Retrieved March 27, 2026. 
  6. ↑ Hopley, Alex (March 27, 2026). "Star Wars Zero Company comes with enough story to make it as much of an RPG as it is a strategy game". Gamereactor. https://www.gamereactor.eu/star-wars-zero-company-comes-with-enough-story-to-make-it-as-much-of-an-rpg-as-it-is-a-strategy-game-1698303/. Retrieved March 28, 2026. 
  7. ↑ Bailey, Dustin (March 27, 2026). "Star Wars Zero Company lets you explore like it's a third-person action game outside of combat, and it sounds like the same kind of X-factor that helped Baldur's Gate 3 break out beyond the CRPG nerds". GamesRadar. https://www.gamesradar.com/games/strategy/star-wars-zero-company-lets-you-explore-like-its-a-third-person-action-game-outside-of-combat-and-it-sounds-like-the-same-kind-of-x-factor-that-helped-baldurs-gate-3-break-out-beyond-the-crpg-nerds/. Retrieved March 27, 2026. 
  8. ↑ Partis, Danielle (January 19, 2022). "Former Firaxis art director Greg Foertsch unveils new studio, Bit Reactor". Gameindustry.biz. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/former-firaxis-director-greg-foertsch-unveils-new-studio-bit-reactor. Retrieved March 27, 2026. 
  9. ↑ Onder, Cade (September 2, 2026). "Star Wars Zero Company Was Originally Pitched as a Titanfall Universe Game". IGN. https://www.ign.com/articles/star-wars-zero-company-was-originally-pitched-as-a-titanfall-universe-game. Retrieved September 3, 2026. 
  10. ↑ Carpenter, Lincoln (March 27, 2026). "Star Wars Zero Company devs said 'there were some fights' about its story-centric squadmates suffering permadeath, but accepting that 'Star Wars is about loss' made the game stronger". PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy/star-wars-zero-company-devs-said-there-were-some-fights-about-its-story-centric-squadmates-suffering-permadeath-but-accepting-that-star-wars-is-about-loss-made-the-game-stronger/. Retrieved March 27, 2026. 
  11. ↑ Bouthyus, Darryn (April 19, 2025). "Star Wars: Zero Company Caters To Hardcore Fans, Despite Being An Approachable Tactics Game". GameSpot. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-wars-zero-company-caters-to-hardcore-fans-despite-being-an-approachable-tactics-game/1100-6530935/. Retrieved March 27, 2026. 
  12. ↑ Bailey, Dustin (March 27, 2026). "Even the Star Wars Zero Company devs have spent a lot of time "going on Wookieepedia" to get the deep cut lore right". GamesRadar. https://www.gamesradar.com/games/strategy/even-the-star-wars-zero-company-devs-have-spent-a-lot-of-time-going-on-wookieepedia-to-get-the-deep-cut-lore-right/. Retrieved March 27, 2026. 
  13. ↑ Bouthyus, Darryn (April 19, 2025). "How Star Wars: Zero Company Aims To Replicate The Gritty Wartime Feel Of Rogue One And The Clone Wars". GameSpot. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-star-wars-zero-company-aims-to-replicate-the-gritty-wartime-feel-of-rogue-one-and-the-clone-wars/1100-6530934/. Retrieved March 27, 2026. 
  14. ↑ Humphries, Matthew (January 25, 2022). "EA Is Developing 3 Star Wars Games". PCMag. https://www.pcmag.com/news/ea-is-developing-3-star-wars-games. Retrieved March 27, 2026. 
  15. ↑ Shea, Brian (April 19, 2025). "Star Wars Zero Company Details, First Screenshots Emerge From Star Wars Celebration Japan". Game Informer. https://gameinformer.com/2025/04/19/star-wars-zero-company-details-first-screenshots-emerge-from-star-wars-celebration-japan. Retrieved March 27, 2026. 
  16. ↑ Plunkett, Luke (August 31, 2026). "Most Of Star Wars Zero Company's Developers Were Furloughed Weeks Ago". Aftermath. https://aftermath.site/star-wars-zero-company-furlough-layoffs-bit-reactor/. 
  17. ↑ Dubois, Nadia (September 1, 2026). "Star Wars Zero Company Studio Furloughs 80% of Staff". Tech Insider. https://tech-insider.org/star-wars-zero-company-bit-reactor-furlough-2026/. 
  18. ↑ Wright, Joshua (25 July 2026). "STAR WARS ZERO COMPANY Video Game Soundtrack Releases First Single". Broadway World. https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/STAR-WARS-ZERO-COMPANY-Video-Game-Soundtrack-Releases-First-Single-20260725. 
  19. ↑ "Star Wars Zero Company — PC Critic Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/star-wars-zero-company/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  20. ↑ "Star Wars Zero Company — PlayStation 5 Critic Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/star-wars-zero-company/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-5. 
  21. ↑ "Star Wars Zero Company — Xbox Series X Critic Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/star-wars-zero-company/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-series-x. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Star Wars Zero Company Reviews". https://opencritic.com/game/20795/star-wars-zero-company. 
  23. ↑ "Star Wars Zero Company Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/star-wars-zero-company/. 
  24. ↑ "PlayStation Store: August 2026's top downloads". 2026-09-04. https://blog.playstation.com/2026/09/04/playstation-store-august-2026s-top-downloads/. 
  25. ↑ Life, Nintendo (2026-09-02). "UK Charts: Elden Ring Starts Strong, But It's Metal Gear That Takes The Crown" (in en-US). https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/09/uk-charts-elden-ring-starts-strong-but-its-metal-gear-that-takes-the-crown. 
  26. ↑ Fischer, Tyler (2026-09-05). "New Star Wars Game Officially a #1 Best-Seller" (in en-US). https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/star-wars-new-game-best-seller/. 
  27. ↑ Saed, Sherif (2026-09-23). "Star Wars Zero Company finds success in passing 1m sales, so can the furloughed development team be reinstated and paid now?" (in en). Eurogamer.net. https://www.eurogamer.net/star-wars-zero-company-xcom-sales-furloughed-staff. 
  28. ↑ Gach, Ethan (2026-09-22). "Star Wars Zero Company Estimated To Have Reached 1 Million Sales Amid Staff Furloughs" (in en-US). https://kotaku.com/star-wars-zero-company-estimated-to-have-reached-1-million-sales-amid-staff-furloughs-2000736532. 
  29. ↑ Jones, Ali (2026-09-25). "007: First Light, Big Walk, and Resident Evil: Requiem lead the Golden Joystick Awards nominations". https://www.gamesradar.com/games/007-first-light-big-walk-and-resident-evil-requiem-lead-the-golden-joystick-awards-nominations/. 

Template:Star Wars prequel trilogy



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Star_Wars_Zero_Company&oldid=4627490"