Bit Reactor has begun bringing staff back from unpaid leave after furloughing roughly 80 percent of the STAR WARS Zero Company team before launch, though the number who have returned is not disclosed. The game released August 28, 2026 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S and holds a Metacritic score of 85.
STAR WARS Zero Company is a turn-based strategy game set in the late Clone Wars, developed by Bit Reactor and published by Electronic Arts. It released on August 28, 2026 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, launching into a week that also carried Elden Ring's Switch 2 edition. Court documents reported in September raised the possibility that the project began as a tactical game using the Apex Legends IP before Vince Zampella steered the team toward Star Wars.
The launch coincided with news of the developer's finances. Roughly 80 percent of the development team had been placed on temporary unpaid leave, a decision Bit Reactor said it made alone rather than at the direction of EA or Disney. By October 8, CEO Greg Foertsch said employees were returning, with paid staffing reported at more than half its level before the leave. No return headcount was disclosed, and a lawsuit between Foertsch and co-founder Alison Kelly is still running.
Lucasfilm Games has since cited the game as evidence that Star Wars titles do not have to carry AAA budgets. Vice President Douglas Reilly put both Zero Company and Star Wars: Galactic Racer, each from an independent studio, in that argument, pointing to Metacritic scores in the high 80s. Zero Company's own score is 85, with a user score of 7.8.
Written with AI from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced. See our editorial policy. Every fact links the story it came from.
Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/star-wars.
CC BY 4.0.
Douglas Reilly, Vice President of Lucasfilm Games, said in an October 15 interview that Star Wars games do not always need AAA budgets and that AA titles are sometimes fine. Two recent releases back the argument: STAR WARS Zero Company from Bit Reactor and Star Wars: Galactic Racer from Fuse Games, both debut projects from independent studios, each with Metacritic scores in the high 80s.
Phil Tippett's Tippett Studio closed in August 2026, and its props and memorabilia went to auction. A set of 90 CD-ROMs from that auction has now been digitized and posted to the Internet Archive. The discs hold CG animation test clips, Tippett interviews, behind-the-scenes images from RoboCop and Starship Troopers, and work materials from The Empire Strikes Back.
Bushiroad Creative will release PalVerse / STAR WARS, a palm-sized deformed figure lineup, on Friday, September 18, 2026 at anime goods and hobby shops, mass retailers, and major online shops. The set has seven types: Luke, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and C-3PO, Stormtrooper, Darth Vader, and one secret. Each figure is about 90mm tall and made of PVC. A pack costs 1,100 yen with tax, a box 6,600 yen with tax.
ZD TOYS is producing Yoda and R2-D2 as part of its Infinity Action X Series, with Douyusha scheduled to import and sell both in Japan in November 2026 at 3,278 yen each including tax. Yoda stands about 80mm tall and comes with a hover chair, interchangeable hands, and a lightsaber. R2-D2 stands about 95mm tall and includes a light-up feature.
Shimamura will release a STAR WARS goods and apparel line starting September 12 at stores nationwide and from 3:00 PM the same day on its Shimamura Park online store. The lineup centers on Grogu designs and includes tote bags, backpacks, keyrings with reels, and acrylic cups, plus sweatshirts, caps, and relaxing pants. Item details are posted on Shimamura's official X account.
Hasbro's Black Series Premium electronic thermal detonator, a faithful replica of the grenade-type weapon from the original Star Wars trilogy, is now available for pre-order on Amazon Japan. The prop carries LED and sound effects, including a safety-release sequence and explosion sounds triggered by button or shake. It includes a display stand, runs on three LR41 button batteries, and is priced at 9,849 yen with an October 9, 2026 release.
Game File reports that Star Wars Zero Company, the turn-based strategy game published by Electronic Arts and developed by Bit Reactor, may have started as a tactical game using the Apex Legends IP. The report draws on court documents from an ongoing lawsuit at Bit Reactor between co-founder Greg Foertsch and fellow co-founder and former COO Alison Kelly. According to documents submitted by Foertsch's side, the predecessor team had been working on a turn-based tactical concept since around 2019. In January 2020, they pitched it to Respawn Entertainment executives. That spring, 'VZ', believed to be the late Respawn co-founder Vince Zampella, asked them to propose a concept using a company-designated IP. Foertsch created materials and presented to Respawn personnel. The court documents reference a concept related to Apex Legends, which Game File suggests may have been the original tactical game. IGN has described it as set in the Titanfall world, but details remain unclear. After the original concept was not realized, Zampella encouraged a different subject, leading to Star Wars. EA wanted a corporate contract, and Bit Reactor was founded in 2021. The game released on August 28, 2026, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, with a Metacritic score of 85 and a user score of 7.8.
Benelic Corporation announced Japan's first permanent Star Wars official store, STAR WARS STORE by BENELIC. It opens October 1, 2026 at Ikebukuro PARCO in Tokyo, with a second location at LUCUA South in Osaka in November 2026. The stores launch ahead of the franchise's 50th anniversary in 2027 and will sell merchandise alongside a corner where select items can be customized.
Bit Reactor, the studio behind the turn-based strategy game STAR WARS Zero Company, placed roughly 80 percent of its development team on unpaid furlough weeks before the game launched, according to a report from Game File. EA released the game on August 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. A Bit Reactor representative confirmed the furloughs to Game File, called the decision difficult, and said it was made by the studio alone, not at the direction of publisher EA or Star Wars licensor Disney. The representative said the studio wants to bring furloughed staff back with pay restored, and that the game's success could influence the outcome. Some people familiar with the situation doubt all furloughed staff will return to their jobs. Zachariah Scott, a former senior technical artist laid off in May, told Game File he contacted about ten former employees and each said they had been furloughed three weeks prior. Scott said the studio concealed the fact that the team had been furloughed.
This week's release slate, covering August 24 to 30 in both Japan and North America, is headlined by STAR WARS Zero Company, ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition, and Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2. STAR WARS Zero Company, a turn-based strategy game set during the Clone Wars, launches on August 28 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition arrives on the same day for Nintendo Switch 2. Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2, a four-player co-op survival shooter, releases on August 26 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S at 6,480 yen. The week also includes METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION Vol.2 on August 27 across multiple platforms, featuring Metal Gear Solid 4 and Peace Walker, plus Captain Tsubasa 2 WORLD FIGHTERS on August 27 at 8,470 yen with a new goalkeeper-perspective mechanic. Other notable releases include Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, a spinoff focused on Sophia, and Brigandine Abyss, a fantasy war simulation with six playable nations. The lists from 4Gamer.net, Game Spark, and Inside each highlight these titles as the week's main draws, with dozens of smaller indie releases filling out the schedule.
Game Spark's early August roundup features a hands-on preview of STAR WARS Zero Company, an SRPG called the Star Wars version of XCOM, and Hyperdimension Neptunia∞, the first numbered entry in 11 years. The list also covers an RPG with hidden fetishism and indie titles from Tokyo Game Dungeon 13.
Anime News Network's This Week in Anime column examines director Kenji Kamiyama's filmography in light of his new Gundam series, XARX-ZERO, revealed at San Diego Comic-Con. The column traces his path from late-80s background artist on Akira and Kiki's Delivery Service to director of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and projects tied to Star Wars, Ultraman, and Blade Runner.
Electronic Arts will release Star Wars Zero Company on August 27, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The turn-based strategy game is set at the end of the Clone Wars, between Episode II and Episode III. Players command Hawks, a former Republic army officer, leading a mercenary unit called Zero Company that includes former Separatists, former Republic soldiers, nobles, and former convicts. The unit hunts a paramilitary cult called the Infinite Coil, led by Kundrii Fathom, who infects followers with a disease called the Shadow Plague. Development is led by Greg Foertsch at Bit Reactor, a studio with former Firaxis staff who worked on XCOM. Battle systems include cover, elevation, overwatch, and a permadeath option that is enabled by default and cannot be changed after starting the game. Anakin Skywalker appears as a playable character in an early mission, and the preview describes him as overwhelmingly powerful, able to use the Force to knock enemies off ledges. The base of operations is the Den, a decommissioned cargo ship docked at the Ring of Kafrene from Rogue One. Music is composed by Gordy Haab, who won a Grammy for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Medicom Toy opened its 30th anniversary exhibition at Space O in Omotesando Hills, Tokyo, on July 25, 2026, running through July 30. The event, which is free to attend, features a larger-than-usual lineup of new products across the company's major lines, including MAFEX, BE@RBRICK, UDF, and sofubi figures. The MAFEX series saw its first public display of a Neo action figure from "The Matrix," alongside new entries based on Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, and Star Wars characters. The sofubi lineup added figures from the SUPER MANGA POWERS line, including Superman (Batman: Hush version) and Spider-Man (Classic Costume version), as well as new X-Men, Batman, and Kamen Rider figures. The UDF series announced a reissue of the sold-out Grogu figure from "The Mandalorian." Commemorative items for sale include a BE@RBRICK of Toshio Aoshima from "Bayside Shakedown," sofubi figures of Moyoco Anno and Hideaki Anno from "Kantoku Fuyukitodoki," a sofubi of Yosuke Kubozuka as King from "I.W.G.P.," and a "Chatty Ijirii-kun" figure by Ijirii Okada. Some items are display-only or may already be sold out.
The weekly Readers Corner column from Beneath the Tangles highlights six manga volumes, including full reviews of Gals Can't Be Kind to Otaku! Vol. 2 and Reincarnated in a Mafia Dating Sim Vol. 4.
Medicom Toy announced a MAFEX action figure of Ahsoka Tano from Star Wars, clad in her white cloak costume. The figure stands 14.5 cm tall, includes three swappable head parts and lightsaber blades with motion blur effect, and is set for release in March 2027 at 14,080 yen.
FuturLab announced a Star Wars collaboration DLC for PowerWash Simulator 2, releasing July 16 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. The pack costs 1,100 yen and includes six cleaning missions set in the original trilogy era, featuring locations like the Millennium Falcon and Mos Eisley Cantina. Players control a new labor droid, P0-W2.
Electronic Arts announced during Summer Game Fest 2026 that the turn-based strategy game Star Wars Zero Company will release on August 27, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and the EA app. Developed by Bit Reactor in collaboration with Respawn Entertainment and Lucasfilm Games, the single-player title is set during the decline of the Clone Wars. Players control Hawks, a former Republic army officer, who leads Zero Company, a squad of mercenaries and specialists from across the galaxy, to stop a threat that could collapse the galaxy. The gameplay trailer released alongside the announcement shows combat featuring Jedi, astromech droids, and other archetypes, with abilities such as using the Force to pull enemies from cover. At the end of the trailer, a character identified as Anakin Skywalker appears. Customization options include changing squad members' voice, appearance, and class. Sending squad members on missions together deepens their bonds. The game also features planets from the Star Wars universe, including Vandor from Solo: A Star Wars Story and Mapuzo from the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi.