Star Wars Zero Company launches August 27 with permanent character death

The turn-based tactics game Star Wars Zero Company, set during the Clone Wars, launches August 27 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S and X. At a recent press event, developers from Bit Reactor and Lucasfilm Games revealed details that directly impact how players will experience the story.

One of the project's key features is the permanent death of major characters. According to Narrative Director Aaron Contreras, even the central hero Ray Volkov, who has a unique Jedi story, can die from a stray blaster bolt early in the game. In that case, the narrative continues without her, which the developers say makes each playthrough unique.

The creators emphasize that character death is not the only way to diversify gameplay. The studio's main goal was to maintain mechanical depth without sacrificing elegance. Game Director Greg Foertsch believes players will be able to appreciate high-quality presentation, story, and gameplay simultaneously, and these elements should not come at each other's expense.

Executive Producer at Lucasfilm Games Orion Kellogg noted that players will be able to assemble a squad of dissimilar characters and use unconventional tactical approaches. For example, combat can involve the Force or repurposed astromechs as weapons, creating an experience possible only in the Star Wars universe.

Contreras also recommended not limiting oneself to a fixed squad composition. The game combines authored heroes with developed backstories and customizable operators that the player creates. According to the developer, mixing these types of fighters on the battlefield is key to success, and he encourages experimenting with different combinations.