Star Wars Zero Company will combine XCOM-inspired tactics with RPG elements from Mass Effect
Apr 02, 2026The key creative positions are held by the people behind the XCOM and Midnight Suns reboot: art director Greg Fertch, producer Cadence Funk, lead animator Hector Antunez, technical director Ryan McFall and lead mission designer James Brawley. The story of the game's creation began when Vince Zampella from Respawn Entertainment contacted Fertch and offered him work on a Star Wars title.
According to the art director, he has long wanted to get away from the overly schematic visuals typical of turn-based strategies and bring real entertainment and dramatic storytelling to the genre.
The action takes place during the Clone Wars. Zero Company is the Star Wars equivalent of the A-Team: a squad of renegade mercenaries who are recruited by a Republic spy and a mysterious aristocrat to investigate a dark cult acting in the interests of the Separatists.
The main character, Commander Hawks, is highly customizable: the player chooses sex, gender, voice tone and race, including Twi'lek or Mirialan. Allied droids also received a separate visual customization menu.
The company includes characters with their own beliefs and ambitions, which often contradict each other - in the best traditions of Mass Effect and Baldur's Gate 3.For example, a clone named Trick and Umbaran sniper Luco Bronk carry the burden of mutual grievances after the Republic invasion of Umbara, detailed in the fourth season of the animated series The Clone Wars. Hawks participates in battles along with everyone else, but has a key advantage - the commander cannot die.
For allies, permanent death applies - a fallen fighter leaves the game forever. It is noteworthy that narrative designer Aaron Contreras from Respawn initially opposed this mechanic, but was eventually convinced, and the plot was reworked so that the story continued regardless of the losses incurred.
The combat system is built on the XCOM principle: turn-based clashes with squads of up to four fighters, each of whom has three action points per turn. Some actions require more than one point - for example, it takes two turns for the droideka to get into position, open up and activate the force shield.
In addition to standard attacks, each class has a particularly powerful ability, the activation of which requires advantage points - they accumulate for all characters for destroying enemies. Classes include Assault, Marksman, Scoundrel, Soldier, Heavy, Scout and Medic.
Exploration of locations between battles is arranged differently - the game switches to third-person adventure mode in real time, which brings it closer to role-playing games than to classic tactics.
Missions are divided into multi-phase story missions and more compact side operations with specific goals (destroy enemies, capture a position or free a hostage).Allies can also be sent on non-combat missions to gather intelligence, obtain upgrades, or neutralize enemy upgrades.
These operations are implemented in the format of text adventure games with options - to talk to an informant in a cantina, you can use charm, give a bribe, or simply get involved in a fight.
Journalists described one of the types of enemies charged with the Force, whose “spirit” after death strengthens the surviving comrades. The last fighter who has absorbed all the others actually turns into a mini-boss.
Separately, the developers mentioned the possibility of interaction with Beast Tamers from Onderon, familiar from Knights of the Old Republic II. In between missions, the squad gathers in the “Lair”, where you can chat with teammates, improve equipment or purchase new ones.
The developers of Star Wars: Zero Company expect to release the game before the end of 2026.