Ubisoft is working on an open-world Star Wars game

Since we have no clue what Ubisoft’s game will be about, enjoy this iconic image of Luke Skywalker staring out over the horizon of possibility. 

Lucasfilm

Ubisoft on Wednesday revealed that it’s diving into a new universe: Star Wars. The Assassin’s Creed publisher is collaborating with Lucasfilm Games on a new open-world game with an original story, according to Wired.

The untitled game is being developed by Ubisoft-owned Massive Entertainment, the Swedish studio behind Tom Clancy’s The Division and its sequel, and it’ll use the same Snowdrop game engine as that series. 

“This is a lore that we love, and we want to do it justice with a game and story that bring both lifelong and new fans on an immersive and outstanding journey that will stay with them for years,” Ubisoft Creative Director Julian Gerighty said in a release.

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The game’s release date, what systems it’ll come out on, the era it’s set in, and the premise remain unclear. However, given Massive’s experience developing urban environments for The Division games, setting this Star Wars game on city planet Coruscant would make sense.

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Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot noted in the release that it’s “the beginning of a long-term collaboration with Disney and Lucasfilm Games,” suggesting that Ubisoft will support this game for a while or that it’ll work on multiple games based on Lucasfilm properties.

This is the second game announced under the Lucasfilm Games brand — the new gaming brand revealed by Lucasfilm on Monday. The first was an Indiana Jones game from Bethesda sister studio Machine Games (developers of the Wolfenstein series), which was revealed Tuesday.

It also follows years of EA being the sole publisher of Star Wars games, following a 2013 exclusivity deal it signed with Disney. That exclusivity was due to expire in 2023 if it isn’t renewed, according to CNET sister site GameSpot, and Wednesday’s announcement suggests it won’t be (it might also give us an idea of when Ubisoft’s game will come out).

Despite the potential lack of an exclusive arrangement, an EA spokesperson confirmed to CNET that it’ll keep working on Star Wars games. The company said in an emailed statement that it’s proud of its many years of working on games for Lucasfilm, a collaboration that “will continue for years to come.”

“Our talented teams have created some of the most successful games in the history of the Star Wars franchise, including Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars: Battlefront, Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes and Star Wars: Squadrons,” EA said. “We love Star Wars and look forward to creating more exciting experiences for players to enjoy.”

One of those games is likely the sequel to 2019’s Jedi: Fallen Order, which EA CEO Andrew Wilson hinted at last year.

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