Everything we know about Ubisoft’s Star Wars game: Open-world, Snowdrop engine, more

Brad Norton
Star Wars Battlefront gameplay

Ubisoft’s ambitious Star Wars game is deep into development and while details are scarce, we’ve got an early rundown on everything there is to know about the upcoming open-world title.

It’s safe to say there are quite a few Star Wars games in the works at this point in time. From EA’s Jedi: Survivor game on the horizon to Quantic Dream’s Eclipse project, a KOTOR remake, and plenty more in between, it’s an exciting time for fans around the world.

Among the list of projects now underway is none other than an open-world title from Ubisoft, the publishing giant behind the likes of Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry. Although it’s early days yet, without even so much as a proper name for the upcoming release, we do still have a fair bit of early intel to go off.

So if you’re eagerly awaiting any scrap of information you can get your hands on, here’s a full rundown on everything we know thus far about Ubisoft’s open-world Star Wars game.

Contents

Star Wars Battlefront gameplay
We’ve seen plenty of ambitious Star Wars games over the years but few with a proper open-world approach.

Does Ubisoft’s Star Wars game have a release date?

Currently, Ubisoft’s Star Wars game does not have a solid release date. However, we may have received a slight teaser through a developer tweet on January 2. Ubisoft creative director Julian Gerighty set the rumor mill ablaze with a simple post teasing the Star Wars title.

“2023 is going to be huge for us,” he said in the tweet to accompany an image of the iconic Star Wars logo. Naturally, many interpreted this as though the open-world game is targeting a 2023 release, but it’s worth taking that idea with a grain of salt.

Gerighty soon followed up on his post to clarify that 2023 will be “huge for our teams building our game,” perhaps trying to walk back his initial teaser. Nonetheless, we know for certain the Star Wars project has been in active development since January, 2021, so fans shouldn’t have to wait all too long to see the game in action.

Which team is developing Ubisoft’s Star Wars game?

Swedish developer Massive Entertainment is leading the charge on Ubisoft’s open-world Star Wars game. Best known for their work on the likes of The Division series and the most recent South Park title (The Fractured but Whole), the team now has two ambitious titles in development simultaneously.

Not only is Massive working on the Star Wars game, but they’re also responsible for the upcoming Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora title too, both of which are set to incorporate vast open worlds, meaning they’re no small undertaking.

The Division gameplay
When it comes to open-world game design, Massive Entertainment largely cut its teeth through The Division series.

Early open-world Star Wars gameplay details

While we haven’t yet seen even so much as a screenshot from the game, we do have some early details as to how Ubisoft’s Star Wars game will play.

First up, we know for certain the title will hone in on a “new set of characters who have their own motivations and stakes.” As for an exact setting or timeframe, that’s anyone’s guess for now. We could see anything from the newly established High Republic era to more familiar territory in the Skywalker era.

The open-world game is also set to utilize Ubisoft’s innovative Snowdrop engine, an engine powering a number of upcoming titles from the publisher including Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and the Splinter Cell remake.

Stellan Skarsgard and Diego Luna in Andor
The Star Wars universe is always expending so there’s no shortage of stories to tell and timelines to explore.

Although not yet confirmed, leaked intel from InsiderGaming claims we’ll control a customizable protagonist and guide them through the story with our own decisions. Moreover, the report claims players will be able to ‘seamlessly’ jump between systems in a vast universe, akin to how No Man’s Sky presents its boundless galaxy.

Obviously, it’s still fairly early days yet so it’s worth taking this information with a grain of salt for now. But rest assured we’ll keep you up to speed with all the latest developments right here as new details emerge.