Last week, we learned that the EA-owned Respawn Entertainment had pulled the plug on an upcoming Star Wars video game featuring an unnamed Mandalorian.
The game, which was going to be a First-Person Shooter, began development in 2022 and generated a fair bit of excitement among fans. We've since learned that this Mandalorian bounty hunter wasn't Din Djarin, but he'd have still made use of a jetpack and even pulled off brutal takedowns similar to those seen in DOOM.
While the gameplay was described as linear, players would have been allowed to select bounties from a central hub where they'd also be able to upgrade weapons and armour.
According to the Origami YouTube channel (via Bespin Bulletin), one of the main reasons EA scrapped this untitled Star Wars game was because it featured no Jedi or lightsabers.
"Basically from what I was told, internal communications formulated by Electronic Arts, the goal would be to say to Star Wars 'yes' but Star Wars without the Jedi... [Makes fart sound effect]," they explained. "They’re not sure it pays off sufficiently compared to what was going to be put in."
Those within EA are supposedly being told, "If there is no Lightsaber, we’re not too sure about that. That's it." In other words, they don't believe these Star Wars games can find success without allowing gamers to play as Jedi characters like Star Wars Jedi's lead protagonist Cal Kestis.
It's a baffling decision and one which will limit the sort of Star Wars games we see from EA moving forward. On the plus side, Ubisoft remains hard at work on Star Wars Outlaws, an action-adventure game that, as far as we're aware, includes no Jedi or Sith!
"As we’ve looked at [EA’s Star Wars studio] Respawn’s portfolio over the last few months, what’s clear is the games our players are most excited about are Jedi and Respawn’s rich library of owned brands," Laura Miele, President of EA Entertainment and Technology, said in a memo to staff when the game was scrapped
"Knowing this, we have decided to pivot away from early development on a Star Wars FPS Action game to focus our efforts on new projects based on our owned brands while providing support for existing games."
"It’s always hard to walk away from a project," she added, "and this decision is not a reflection of the team’s talent, tenacity, or passion they have for the game."
Are you disappointed that this Star Wars FPS won't ever see the light of day?