Connect with top gaming leaders in Los Angeles at GamesBeat Summit 2023 this May 22-23. Register here.

Electronic Arts has a new Star Wars game coming called Star Wars: Squadrons. The publisher is going to start teasing the new release from its EA Motive studio soon. But a leak on the Xbox website is spilling the details faster than a group of Bothan spies. This is the rumored Star Wars: Project Maverick that first leaked onto PlayStation Network in March. EA will likely have much more to say about this during its upcoming EA Play event on June 18.

After we published this story, EA confirmed Star Wars: Squadrons. It is planning to debut a trailer on Monday, June 15. You can set a reminder to watch that here.

According to sources familiar with the game’s production, Star Wars: Squadrons is an aerial/space combat game about piloting ships in head-to-head battles. It features a single-player campaign, but the main focus for Squadrons is on the multiplayer. The idea is to get players fighting against each other in team battles featuring iconic Star Wars vessels.

Event

GamesBeat Summit 2023

Join the GamesBeat community for our virtual day and on-demand content! You’ll hear from the brightest minds within the gaming industry to share their updates on the latest developments.


Register Here

EA plans to release the game for PC and consoles this fall.

Motive previously worked on Star Wars: Battlefront II. It was the studio responsible for the single-player campaign. It also assisted BioWare on Anthem. Now, Motive is stepping out as the lead developer on Star Wars: Squadrons.

It’s worth noting that this game is the direct result of EA wanting to release a new Star Wars game relatively quickly. Executives deemed other Star Wars projects too ambitious or requiring too many years of development. So set your expectations accordingly.

Is EA getting the hang of making Star Wars games?

For EA, Star Wars: Squadrons is part of its ongoing efforts to capitalize on the Star Wars property. The publisher has had a number of false starts with Disney’s sci-fi/fantasy IP. Dead Space developer Visceral was going to build an Uncharted-style Star Wars game before EA pulled the plug and shuttered the studio.

But internally, EA has squashed a number of projects that were still in the early phases of development. These include ideas for a Star Wars: Battlefront spinoff and an open-galaxy scoundrel-simulator — both of which EA Vancouver was working on.

It is not unusual for publishers to spin up big projects and then abandon or adapt them into something else. Famously, Blizzard delayed its Titan MMO and then turned it into Overwatch.

More recently, however, EA has seen some success with Star Wars. It released Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, which is a critical and commercial hit. EA also closed out two years of ongoing support for Star Wars: Battlefront II, which rebounded from a rough start to garner an engaged community.

Now, it’s time to see if Squadrons can bolster the argument for EA to continue making Star Wars games in the future.

Updated at 11:04 a.m. on June 12 with confirmation from EA.

GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it. Discover our Briefings.