More Star Wars video games are confirmed to be in development, including a real-time strategy game from Respawn Entertainment and Bit Reactor. There are very few details about the project, but it would be a great opportunity to finally deliver a sequel to Star Wars: Empire at War. Disney is busy expanding its new Star Wars canon, but a follow-up to Empire at War could offer fans an opportunity to explore more of the timeline during the original trilogy, or even provide a new perspective on the Galactic Empire's downfall.
The still untitled RTS was announced as one of Electronic Arts' three new Star Wars games, one of which is the sequel to Jedi: Fallen Order. Respawn Entertainment, developer of Fallen Order, is overseeing all three games, seemingly being given the reins to all of EA's work on the Star Wars license. A first-person shooter rounds out the three alongside the RTS and Fallen Order sequel, but will oddly not be a third game in the Battlefront reboot series. Plenty of games have been set in the Star Wars universe, but there has been a notable lack of strategy games, and the RTS from Respawn and Bit Reactor has a chance to recapture some of Empire at War's legacy by creating a sequel.
Empire at War was released in 2006 as the first game from developer Petroglyph Games. It was set just before the original trilogy, providing some extra context to the Galactic Civil War. Star Wars games are important to the timeline, and a sequel to Empire at War could further build on the conflict that launched the incredibly successful franchise. Empire at War is dated by modern standards, but is a testament to how exciting a Star Wars RTS can be. It offers three game modes: two concurrent campaigns, Galactic Conquest, and RTS staple Skirmish. All three could be expanded on in a sequel, with a new campaign having the potential to fill in some gaps in the Galactic Civil War's timeline.
An Empire At War Sequel Can Show The Battle Of Yavin's Aftermath
The Empire Strikes Back takes place roughly three years after A New Hope, and while the first Battlefront reboot loosely adapts different parts of the original trilogy, video games have yet to tackle the Galactic Civil War at large since Disney purchased Lucasfilm. Star Wars games have even fixed plot holes, and RTS is the perfect genre to explore the war that engulfed the galaxy for more than seven years. Empire at War (which is now removed from the official canon) zoomed out from the interpersonal nature of the movies and let players control the Empire or the Rebellion as they clashed on a galactic scale. The campaign missions delineated the battles that took place prior to Princess Leia's capture, and the game culminates in the Battle of Yavin, the climactic space battle from A New Hope.
Respawn and Bit Reactor making the RTS a direct sequel to Empire at War would be the perfect opportunity to let players experience the conflicts that took place between the Battles of Yavin and Hoth. It is also a convenient time frame for the Star Wars RTS to be about Thrawn, a popular Imperial Grand iral from Star Wars Rebels that is set to make his live action debut in the Ahsoka series. The destruction of the first Death Star was a significant blow to the Galactic Empire, but with the Imperial command structure still largely intact, the Rebels were still at a disadvantage, as evidence by their dire position on Hoth. Two campaigns could once again show the two sides of the war, with the Imperials beginning work on a second Death Star, and the Rebels scrambling to stay alive and undetected.
An Empire At War Sequel Could Make A Time Jump
Being made over 15 years later by different developers could mean an Empire at War sequel is more of a reboot. The title could take on a whole new meaning by exploring the time period shortly after the Galactic Empire's fall, an era already being explored by the Disney+ shows. Alongside Star Wars' rumored The Mandalorian game, a new Empire at War could be set after Return of the Jedi, potentially offering a fascinating depiction of the power struggle that ensues following the loss of the Emperor and Vader. Instead of the usual Empire versus Rebellion setup, different Imperial factions could be playable against each other. If it retains the original Empire at War's Hero feature, special units could be commanded by characters like the aforementioned Grand iral Thrawn or The Mandalorian's Moff Gideon.
This time period could also be more closely tied to the movies if a slightly larger time jump is taken. The rise of the First Order isn't entirely explained by the sequel trilogy, and while some of it is elucidated by comics about Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke, an RTS would be a great way to show the build up to the First Order/Resistance War and the New Republic's defeat hinted at in Disney+ shows. This tumultuous era in the Star Wars timeline sets a great stage for modes like the original Empire at War's Galactic Conquest. The New Republic, remnant sects of the Empire, and extremist groups like the First Order could all have gameplay advantages and mechanics that intersect in a galaxy-wide conflict.
Empire At War's Two Fronts Can Be Combined In A Sequel
Throughout the game modes in the original Empire at War, there were two options for combat scenarios - space and ground battles. Combining the two into battles on a planetary scale would be a massive evolution for Star Wars RTS games, and could hopefully capture the grandeur of massive conflicts. It's impossible to tell whether or not the untitled strategy game will attempt this kind of scale, though. Respawn's experience best suits the Star Wars FPS, and the head of Bit Reactor, Greg Foerstch, has experience on a wide range of strategy games, from Civilization to XCOM. A bigger, bolder take on Empire at War would be great, but a smaller, squad based strategy game might be more feasible, especially with inspirations like The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch. It has been a long time since a non-mobile Star Wars RTS was released, but Empire at War is still ripe for a sequel - or at least a spiritual successor.
