Star Wars Zero Company: Clone Wars XCOM-Style Tactics Game Arrives August 27, 2026

The Star Wars Tactics Game Fans Have Been Waiting For

The Clone Wars finally has its XCOM. Revealed at Star Wars Celebration Japan in April 2025 and shown in full gameplay at Summer Game Fest on June 5, 2026, Star Wars Zero Company is shaping up to be one of the most exciting strategy releases of the year — a turn-based squad tactics game set in one of Star Wars’ most politically complex eras.

Developed by Bit Reactor (a studio founded by Firaxis veterans behind the XCOM series) alongside Respawn Entertainment, and published by EA and Lucasfilm Games, the game launches August 27, 2026 on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.

Zero Company: An Unconventional Squad in the Clone Wars
Turn-Based Tactics: Positioning, Bonds, and Customization
The Den: Your Galactic Headquarters
Bit Reactor and Respawn: A Dream Pairing for Tactics Fans
What to Expect on August 27

Zero Company: An Unconventional Squad in the Clone Wars

You play as Hawks, a former Republic officer tasked with assembling an irregular squad of hired professionals to carry out operations that neither the Republic nor the Separatists can officially acknowledge. Zero Company works in the grey zones of the Clone Wars — missions where conventional heroism doesn’t apply.

Your core squad is diverse and compelling from the start: Trick, a disillusioned clone trooper voiced by Dee Bradley Baker (the voice behind every clone in Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series), Cly Kullervo, a Mandalorian of the ancient Clan Verminoth, Tognath Jedi Padawan Tel-Rea Vokoss, and Umbaran soldier Luco Bronc. Each character brings unique abilities and a personal narrative arc to the campaign.

Beyond the authored cast, you build and customize your own Operators — mercenaries recruited across the galaxy — choosing from eight iconic Star Wars species: Devaronian, Human, Neimoidian, Ovissian, Togruta, Twi’lek, Weequay, and Zabrak. Appearance, specializations, and talent trees are fully customizable.

Turn-Based Tactics: Positioning, Bonds, and Customization

Combat in Zero Company is turn-based and played from a top-down perspective, with a strong focus on squad positioning and ability chains. Every mission demands careful planning: cover management, action sequencing, and the synergy between your characters. If you’ve played XCOM 2, the foundation will feel familiar — but the Star Wars setting and new systems add distinct depth.

The standout mechanic is the bond system. As your characters fight side by side, they develop relationships — trust, rivalry, or camaraderie — that unlock unique support abilities. The cross-training system also improves Operator stats and skills based on who they fight alongside, making your squad’s history feel meaningful.

The gameplay trailer at Summer Game Fest teased an appearance by Anakin Skywalker, suggesting Zero Company will intersect with key Clone Wars characters while keeping its original protagonists front and center.

For a sense of the tactical depth the genre can reach, our XCOM 2 complete strategy guide covers the mechanics that Bit Reactor is building on and reinventing for a galaxy far, far away.

The Den: Your Galactic Headquarters

Between missions, you manage The Den, your mobile base of operations. A dynamic galaxy map displays available contracts and objectives, and from the Den you recruit new Operators, upgrade facilities, and acquire equipment.

This familiar loop — field mission then base management — echoes the best elements of XCOM’s Avenger, but in a setting where your squad’s constant movement feels narratively justified. The galaxy map and mission variety suggest strong replayability, with squad composition varying dramatically across campaigns.

Bit Reactor and Respawn: A Dream Pairing for Tactics Fans

Bit Reactor was founded in 2021 by former Firaxis developers — the team behind XCOM and Civilization. Their turn-based pedigree is immediately evident in Zero Company’s design. Paired with Respawn Entertainment, known for the narrative level design of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the collaboration promises a game that is both tactically deep and narratively compelling.

EA and Lucasfilm Games officially announced the project on June 3, 2026, with the gameplay trailer broadcast live at Summer Game Fest two days later to millions of viewers worldwide.

What to Expect on August 27

With a confirmed release date and public gameplay footage, Star Wars Zero Company has moved well beyond concept. The bond system, Operator customization, and Clone Wars setting give it a distinct identity — not just another licensed XCOM clone, but a tactics game that uses the Star Wars universe to add genuine emotional weight to squad relationships.

Open questions remain: campaign length, difficulty scaling, and whether a New Game+ or skirmish mode will be available. Expect more details in the months ahead as the August 27 launch approaches.

If you’re a fan of tactical games with strong narrative hooks, this is one to add to your wishlist now.

Star Wars Zero Company launches August 27, 2026 on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Developed by Bit Reactor and Respawn Entertainment, published by EA and Lucasfilm Games.