After multiple delays, Zynga has finally announced a release date for its free-to-play arena shooter Star Wars: Hunters. And unlike the previous release date announcements, let's hope this one sticks.
Star Wars: Hunters was originally announced back in March 2021 with a release date slated for that year. But the game was pushed back to 2022, and then again to 2023. When 2023 came, it was delayed again to 2024.
And now, barring any more setbacks, Star Wars: Hunters will launch on June 4, 2024. This date sounds a little more promising as Zynga has opened up pre-registration for the game.
Those who pre-register for the game will be eligible to earn the following in-game rewards:
- "Raise Your Fist" Emote
- Amber Hunter
- Amber Rifle
- "Bubo's Blue Milk" Avatar
- "Ticket Invite" Avatar
Additionally, those who play the game on Nintendo Switch at launch will unlock the Shift Veteran costume and Shift Blaster wrap.
In celebration of today's announcement, Zynga has also shared a new cinematic trailer.
Join the greatest Hunters from across the Star Wars™ galaxy on the planet of Vespaara where high-stakes competitions are awaiting them in the Arena. Engage in thrilling third person combat to dominate your opponents in a range of adventurous battlegrounds that evoke iconic Star Wars worlds. Mix and match teams, use skill, tactics and customize your Hunters to find a winning strategy and reap the spoils of victory in the all-new free-to-play game.
Star Wars: Hunters is a team-based battle arena shooter. Two teams of four combatants will engage in fast-paced clashes across maps inspired by classic locales, such as Hoth and Endor.
But Star Wars: Hunters puts a bit of a humorous twist on the combat. With arena combat serving as a form of fight entertainment, the combatants, or "Hunters," play their own characters, resulting in "ridiculously fun takes on Star Wars archetypes."
The tone of the game has been compared to that of professional wrestling. Its influence is clearly showcased in the trailer above, which presents this combat as a live show broadcast. In an interview with Starwars.com, Zynga art director Dominic Estaphane talks a bit about the influence pro wrestling had on Star Wars: Hunters.
It’s in the presentation, as well. It's a live show broadcast. We have our version of a jumbotron. If you’re familiar with pro wrestling, where they have the big-screen jumbotrons, each Hunter has their own graphics package that you see on the screen within our roster screen in the game. Each Hunter has their own music theme, which is really, really awesome. We have what we call, internally, “Hunter's spectacle.” That is, how would the Hunters walk out on stage and present themselves? And once they walk out, their music is playing, as well. So we think our best-in-class visuals on mobile really help deliver and showcase that progress and influence.
Star Wars: Hunters will arrive on June 4, 2024, as a free-to-play game. It will be available on iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch.