Star Wars is a series that means so much to many people for a variety of reasons. The sound of blaster fire, the ignition of a lightsaber, and epic battles between droids and clone troopers on alien worlds are just some of the sights and sounds that drive so many fans’ love of the franchise. It’s not just the movies that stick out to people, though. Games based on the series have been popular for decades. From the resurgence of Battlefront 2, all the way to the success of Respawn’s Jedi games, there are numerous clear examples of why Star Wars and gaming mix so well. This is where the debut game from Bit Reactor fits in among those mentioned before. Star Wars Zero Company is an upcoming single player adventure game set during the clone wars era, putting us in the boots of a cobbled-together group of misfits from across the galaxy.
What sets Zero Company apart from other Star Wars games is the genre we’ll be playing: turn-based tactics. The idea of combining those ideas into an XCOM-like strategy game has the potential to be an all-time great for me. Especially when the development team is full of people who helped make XCOM the success it is today.
Clone Wars Tactical Strategy? Sign Me Up
Bit Reactor is the perfect development team to bring the Star Wars story into strategy games in my eyes. A studio built upon the experience of 15 XCOM veterans, who popularized the strategy genre for the modern era seems just as good as any choice for this style of game. Any time we see a new strategy game release, XCOM is always the reference used to describe what that game feels like. That XCOM experience is being directly used towards rebuilding that same feeling that fans love, but setting it during the Clone Wars era.
As a die hard fan of both these types of games and the Clone Wars era in Star Wars, it’s easy to have this game placed high atop my most anticipated list. The Clone Wars is one of the most diverse, intense, and interesting parts of the franchise. A conflict filled with memorable characters and battles with a show of eight seasons worth of content to pull from is something that really excites me. It’s one of the few times we see battlefield skirmishes. Jedi in abundance and a multitude of villains weaving in and out of the war is something we don’t see enough of in Star Wars. It is perfect ground for a strategy game where every decision matters if you want your crew to all come back alive.
Everything is Laid Out and Ready to Come Together
Respawn Entertainment and Lucasfilm Games are also collaborating, giving me confidence in a fun narrative to go along with the intense battle scenarios. Respawn has earned my trust with the first two Jedi games, bringing Cal Kestis to life, who I put among the best Star Wars protagonists, not just in the games but including movies and other media as well. Allowing those teams to help guide the story should make for some exciting twists, characters to fall in love with, and a dedication to delivering a product that will have that Star Wars feel throughout. Bit reactor has already stated players will see how their choices impact the galaxy at large, something I’ve always wanted to be able to influence with my decisions in Star Wars games.
Another staple of Star Wars Zero Company is the base of operations, The Den. Having a base is common for these types of games, but it sounds to be more than a simple menu, and if fully fleshed out, would make an excellent addition to the strategy gameplay. Bit Reactor has confirmed it’s how you’ll handle recruiting and skill upgrades. Using The Den, I can decide to spec out my droids for support or damage capabilities or turn my mandalorian into an absolute tank. The chance to build my perfect combat team sounds fun enough to warrant The Den on that alone, but it’s the promise of social interactions and character creation, as well as the place to interact with the largest galaxy map in a Star Wars game yet that intrigues me most. In recent games, like The Alters or past hits like Fallout Shelter, I lost hours upon hours in similar setups. Doing that inside of Star Wars would be a dream come true.
I know I’m just reiterating what made XCOM so successful, but looking at all of these systems, this world and this team have me looking at Star Wars Zero Company possibly as one of 2026’s best potential offerings. Even if Bit Reactor were to recreate the exact level of quality of XCOM, I’d be ecstatic to have two things I love mashed together in that way, but the potential of something even greater could become an all time favorite for me. With the growing success of strategy games over recent years, Star Wars could be the thing to bring the genre to the next level.
