Star Wars: Zero Company is a turn-based tactical strategy game set during the dying days of the Clone Wars. It’s in development by Bit Reactor, a studio comprised of veterans of the XCOM and Civilization franchises, in collaboration with Respawn Entertainment and Lucasfilm Games. The game was officially revealed during Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Japan and will release, if all goes to plan, some time in 2026. It will be a multi-platform release available on PC, via Steam and Epic Games, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
A New Era for Star Wars Strategy
Zero Company will explore a rarely seen part of the Star Wars timeline, at least in gaming. Set towards the end of the Clone Wars, right as the Republic starts to crack and the galaxy begins sliding into chaos. It’s an era fans know well from animation and comics but one which has been largely ignored by game developers.
This is a new story with a new cast of characters told from ground level. There are no Skywalkers, no prophecies, no Chosen Ones. This is a story about a squad of disparate characters trying to make sense of a collapsing system.
The Characters of Star Wars: Zero Company
The centre of the game is the cast of characters which form Zero Company. These are the operatives you’ll lead through warzones and missions, awkward conversations, and whatever disaster the galaxy throws next. Each has their own reasons for being here. You don’t play as a Jedi legend or galactic icon, you command a tactical strike team of misfits, soldiers, and specialists, each with their own role in the fight ahead.
- You take on the role of Hawks, a former Republic officer turned squad leader. Hawks is fully customisable. You choose their appearance, combat class, and background. As the player character, Hawks directs Zero Company through its missions and narrative decisions. While not much has been revealed about their backstory, Hawks is central to the game’s focus on player choice and squad development.
- Trick is a clone trooper and one of the squad’s founding members. He appears in combat wearing Phase II clone armour and is seen in early gameplay footage engaging Separatist battle droids. Trick represents the Republic military core of the team and serves as a link to the larger Clone Wars conflict still unfolding around them.
- Tel-Rea Vokoss is a Tognath Jedi Padawan and a confirmed member of Zero Company. Her appearance, complete with distinctive facial gear and beads, is consistent with her species’ portrayal in Rogue One. She carries a green lightsabre and is shown using Force abilities in official footage. Her role in the story is tied to completing her late master’s mission, bringing a personal arc to the game’s larger tactical and political storyline.
- Cly Kullervo is a Mandalorian gunslinger from Clan Verminoth. She wears traditional Mandalorian armour and appears in gameplay footage engaging in tactical combat from elevated positions. She is seen using dual blasters and what appears to be a thermal detonator, confirming a flexible, aggressive playstyle built around mobility and area damage. Her inclusion adds a distinctly Mandalorian combat approach to the squad. While little has been revealed about her backstory, her visual design and combat role suggest she is one of the team’s primary offensive units.
- Luco Bronc is an Umbaran sniper with confirmed ties to the Clone Wars. His homeworld was the site of a brutal Republic campaign, and that history still defines him. While not much has been revealed about his combat mechanics, he’s known to operate at long range and brings a different political perspective to the squad. His inclusion signals internal friction and varied motivations within Zero Company.
- M-3VO is a bipedal utility droid who pilots the squad’s ship, the Caisson. He’s confirmed as a core character and appears in promotional footage, showing a taller, industrial-style body with a multi-lens dome head. While not seen in combat, M-3VO manages transportation and likely supports between-mission logistics. His presence reinforces the team’s non-military infrastructure and brings a more utilitarian droid design into the Star Wars mix.
The Gameplay
Zero Company is built around turn-based tactical combat. Missions unfold on grid-based maps using an isometric view, with movement, positioning, cover, and timing all playing critical roles. Each squad member has defined abilities based on their class, and outcomes are clearly displayed before you commit to an action. This makes it a thinking game, not a guessing one. If you’ve played XCOM, the structure will feel familiar: overwatch, elevation, flanking, ability cooldowns, and character progression all matter.
Combat isn’t the only focus. Between missions, your squad returns to The Den, a base of operations located on the Ring of Kafrene, the mining station first seen in Rogue One. The Den is where you upgrade gear, recruit new members, customise your operatives, and plan future deployments using a large holomap. It’s also where narrative events and squad conversations happen, building relationships that unlock new combat synergies. If two characters fight alongside each other frequently, they’ll gain access to linked abilities, reinforcing the idea that the squad’s strength comes from working together.
To get to missions, you’ll use the Caisson, a separate vessel piloted by the droid M-3VO. It’s your transport ship, not your base. While the Den is your home between battles, the Caisson is the vehicle that gets you to the front lines. Its role appears limited to travel and pre-mission preparation, rather than deeper customisation or management.
Bit Reactor has confirmed the game aims to be cinematic and accessible. It’s not built as a punishing roguelike or permadeath gauntlet. The systems are clear and tactical but designed to be readable and playable even if this is your first turn-based tactics game. For seasoned players, there’s still plenty of depth in how you build your squad, plan encounters, and manage limited resources.
Story and Setting
Star Wars: Zero Company takes place towards the final days of the Clone Wars, a point when the Republic is still fighting but clearly losing its grip.. The Jedi are scattered and stretched thin. The Senate is compromised. The Separatists are still active, and hanging over it all is the looming shadow of Order 66. It’s a period defined by instability. Entire systems are switching sides. Rules of engagement are breaking down. Mercenary work is on the rise. Even clone units are being re-tasked without clear oversight.
Zero Company exists inside this uncertainty. They aren’t part of a traditional military force. They’re a tactical unit answering to no fixed command, operating in the vacuum left by the Republic’s decline. Trust is rare. Loyalties shift from mission to mission. Whether the story plays out before, during, or after Order 66, one thing is clear: this is a squad operating on the edge of a war that’s lost its shape. The lines are blurred. The outcomes aren’t guaranteed.
The Den and the Ring of Kafrene
Zero Company’s home base is called The Den, a hidden outpost tucked inside the Ring of Kafrene, a mining colony and trading station first seen in Rogue One. It’s not a Republic facility. It’s not under Jedi or Separatist control. It’s neutral ground in a galaxy that’s rapidly running out of places like that. The Den is where the squad returns between missions. It’s where gear is upgraded, plans are drawn, and new recruits are brought in. It also serves as the story’s central hub, offering access to a large holomap where the next operation is chosen.
Kafrene itself sits at the edge of legitimacy. It’s the kind of place where military deserters, information brokers, and war profiteers rub shoulders in narrow corridors. That makes it the perfect location for a group like Zero Company. Close enough to conflict zones to matter, far enough from authority to stay operational. The game’s structure reflects this. You don’t move from planet to planet without purpose. You move outward from the Den, taking on missions that push deeper into a galaxy that’s growing more unstable by the day.
While the Den is the team’s home, their transport ship, the Caisson, is how they get to the fight. Piloted by M-3VO, the Caisson isn’t a base in itself. It’s the tool that gets you from one tactical operation to the next. The real work happens inside the Den, where strategy and story both take shape.
Enemy Forces and the Emerging Threat
Early gameplay and trailer footage for Star Wars: Zero Company confirms the return of familiar Separatist forces. The squad is shown engaging B1 battle droids, the standard infantry of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, alongside B2 super battle droids, the heavier, more durable frontline units.
At the start of the game trailer, the Caisson can be seen flying towards a planet which is under blockade by the Trade Federation and then engaging in battle, confirming that at least some missions take place against active Separatist-aligned forces. This suggests the Clone Wars are still ongoing at the time of the game’s early events.
The developers have confirmed the presence of a new, unnamed emerging threat. One described as capable of consuming the galaxy if left unchecked. It isn’t clear yet what this force is, what it wants, or whether it ties directly into known Star Wars canon. It’s framed as a looming danger, rather than a faction we immediately engage with. This suggests a slow build, one that unfolds alongside more conventional missions.
That ambiguity feeds into the game’s broader theme: this isn’t a clean war. Hawks is a former Republic officer, not currently serving. What are the circumstances which lead to his departure from the Republic? Zero Company is operating independently out of a neutral base on the Ring of Kafrene. The squad itself includes members from outside the Republic who may not align with its ideals and principles. An Umbaran with unresolved bitterness, a Jedi Padawan missing her master, a Mandalorian gunslinger. They’re not flying anyone’s flag. That setup suggests one thing: they’re not loyal to any faction. They’re fighting for something else. Maybe survival. Maybe justice. Maybe each other.
Could this independent stance put Zero Company in conflict with the Republic? That is still unknown but the structure is in place for it. The moment the Republic becomes a liability, or a threat, there’s nothing stopping Zero Company from turning around and treating them like just another contract.
Mission Structure and Progression
Missions in Star Wars: Zero Company are selected from a holomap located in The Den, the team’s base of operations on the Ring of Kafrene. This map acts as the central tool for navigating the campaign, with players choosing where to deploy next. Between missions, the squad returns to The Den to regroup, plan future operations, and manage the squad.
Each mission follows a turn-based tactical format on grid-based maps, where positioning, cover, and class abilities are key. Enemies confirmed so far include B1 battle droids and B2 super battle droids, and footage shows objectives involving direct assaults and coordinated squad movement through layered terrain. The moment-to-moment gameplay is tactical and methodical, with a top-down view and action preview system to support decision-making.
Outside of combat, progression is handled through character customisation, gear upgrades, and squad expansion. You can recruit new members, each with their own combat role and narrative background. Squadmates who fight together unlock synergy abilities, deepening their effectiveness in battle. The Den is also where you manage equipment and adjust your team’s composition based on the mission ahead.
Bit Reactor has stated that the game will feature ‘meaningful outcomes’ based on player choice, but how those decisions affect missions or the wider story hasn’t been detailed. There’s no confirmation yet of branching paths, optional objectives, or replayable missions. What is clear is that the game is designed to move forward through a series of carefully chosen deployments, not a sprawling open-world structure.
The Caisson, the team’s transport ship, is used to move from the Den to the mission site. While piloted by the squad’s droid M-3VO, it functions as a transit vessel, not a secondary hub. All planning, upgrading, and strategic decision-making happens within the Den itself.
The mission structure looks focused and deliberate: select an operation, plan your team, deploy, then return to base to regroup and prepare for what’s next. It’s about picking the right fight, and making sure your squad is ready for it.
Visual Style and Presentation
Star Wars: Zero Company leans into the gritty side of the Clone Wars era. Visually, it trades the polished, cinematic gloss of most Star Wars games for something more grounded. Closer to the war-torn cities and industrial corridors of The Clone Wars TV series than the clean staging of the films. The environments shown so far are dense, functional, and used. Everything looks like it’s been lived in, fought over, or abandoned in a hurry.
The game is played from an isometric, top-down perspective, with clearly marked movement grids and visual indicators for attacks and ability effects. The UI shown so far is clean and minimal, designed for clarity during combat. This fits with Bit Reactor’s stated aim to make the game cinematic and accessible, offering tactical depth without clutter.
Character designs reflect the squad’s diversity. Clone troopers and Jedi are recognisable, but each squadmate has their own silhouette, gear, and texture. Armour looks worn. Weapons look practical. Even the droid M-3VO has a rough, industrial look – more utility than flair. Lighting and atmosphere vary depending on the mission setting, from cold hangar decks to bombed-out urban battlefields.
Animations, particularly during combat, are sharp. Characters move with weight, duck behind cover, and react to hits with grounded motion. Abilities trigger with a small cinematic flourish, but it never overwhelms the tactical view. There’s no screen-shaking spectacle, just deliberate, stylised motion that supports the strategy-first design.
The tone of the game follows suit. There’s no bright heroism, no sweeping John Williams fanfare. It’s Star Wars, but closer to Andor than Rebels. It’s war without polish, viewed from the perspective of the people trying to survive it, not define it.
What We Still Don’t Know
We’ve covered what we do know, now lets get into the meat of what gets every Star Wars fan hot under the collar. Speculation, fan theories, head canon. Despite a full trailer, gameplay footage, and several developer interviews, Star Wars: Zero Company still holds back more than it reveals. We know who we’re playing, where we’re based, and how the squad operates, but several core questions remain unanswered.
We don’t know exactly where the story falls in the timeline. It’s set during the final days of the Clone Wars, but the status of Order 66 is unclear. That single event could change everything, especially with a Jedi in the squad.
The nature of the emerging threat is still unknown. Battle droids and Trade Federation forces appear early on, but the real enemy has yet to show its face. Whether it’s political, military, or something new entirely hasn’t been confirmed.
It’s also unclear if Zero Company will cross paths with known Star Wars characters. The focus is on original storytelling, but the time period and setting leave the door open.
We haven’t seen much about mission variety. All confirmed footage shows direct combat missions. No word yet on stealth, recon, or narrative-driven objectives. And while squad synergy and customisation are confirmed, we don’t know how deep those systems go.
Finally, the game is targeting a 2026 release, but there’s no firm launch date yet, and no public demo or beta has been announced.
Your Intel Source for Star Wars: Zero Company
Star Wars: Zero Company focuses on a small squad navigating the end of the Clone Wars with limited support and no clear chain of command. Tactical combat, original characters, and a grounded setting give it a different tone to recent Star Wars releases. The story plays out between missions, inside the squad, and through choices that haven’t all been detailed yet.
We’ll keep covering confirmed updates as they’re released. Follow us on Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter under @swzerocompany to stay up to date. Check back frequently for more news and updates on Star Wars: Zero Company.