The gaming community always looks forward to a Nintendo Direct livestream, as it’s usually when a bunch of new and exciting gaming announcements take place. The most recent one isn’t any different, as it revealed upcoming titles that are headed to Nintendo’s hybrid handheld console.
During this latest Nintendo Direct, it was announced that Star Wars Hunters will be released on the console this year. The upcoming game in question is going to be a multiplayer title, and will star familiar and well-loved characters from the long-running franchise.
Although some of the announcements made during the livestream was expected, given that a few details of the Nintendo Direct’s contents were leaked before the show took place, the news surrounding Star Wars Hunters was completely unexpected. What’s even more surprising about this reveal is that Zynga will be at the helm of this game’s development.
A bunch of Star Wars games have been cropping up recently, and that’s to be expected, given the fact that more and more studios have been given access to the IP. In fact, we expect that even more titles revolving around the franchise will be announced in the future, especially since Star Wars remains prominent even today.
When Ubisoft announced its open-world Star Wars titles, it quickly gained traction and was featured in several headlines. Even classic games like Knights of the Old Republic have been gaining attention once again now that the franchise is open to more studios. For quite a long time, fans of the Star Wars franchise—and gamers in general—have always felt like the video game’s license could do so much more than what it has been offering so far.
Some fans blame Electronic Arts for that, but no matter the case, it’s been a breath of fresh air to see that video games in the Star Wars franchise are being handled in new and reinvigorating ways. The fans’ renewed interest only got stronger when, during this month’s Nintendo Direct, it was revealed that Star Wars Hunters is in the works and that it’s slated to launch within 2021.
The announcement came with a trailer, and asides from familiar characters and weaponry, there’s not a lot of information about the upcoming title just yet.
The Galactic Civil war is over, and deep in the Outer Rim of the galaxy, a new cast of unique Star Wars characters come together to battle it out in a galactic arena. Star Wars: Hunters™ comes to Nintendo Switch in 2021. Learn more at https://t.co/XRcpbYUUVO pic.twitter.com/AwNfxZIGJ4
— Lucasfilm Games (@LucasfilmGames) February 17, 2021
Star Wars Hunters is apparently going to be a multiplayer game, but we have yet to find out what kind of game it is exactly, and how it will work as a multiplayer title. On the bright side, fans could expect more information about the game soon, seeing as it’s expected to launch later this year. The video game community didn’t have an inkling about Star Wars Hunters before the recent Nintendo Direct. Perhaps the game is almost done with development, that’s why it’s only being showcased now.
Also, it’s interesting that it’s being developed by Zynga. It makes one wonder how mobile-like Star Wars Hunters is going to play. It’s also possible that it will utilize battle passes and cosmetic items, seeing as it’s more on the multiplayer side of gaming. For now, however, Craig Derrick—one of Lucasfilm Games’ employees—assures fans that Star Wars Hunters will be “a TON of fun,” so that’s another thing to look forward to this year.
