Since the release of Star Wars Zero Company’s™(SWZC) Gameplay Trailer on June 5, we’ve been delighted by the outpouring of excitement and questions from the community about the game.
The Bit Reactor team is excited to share more details about the game with you. To do so, we hosted a Q&A in the official EA Star Wars Discord server and selected a collection of our answers for this article. We hope these responses give you a closer look at Star Wars Zero Company and leave you even more eager to fight the war beneath the war on August 27.
Star Wars Zero Company Community Q&A
To learn more about the game's development, creative vision, and what you can expect when you take command of Zero Company, we sat down with the Bit Reactor team to directly answer questions from the community we were asked in the EA Star Wars Discord server.
Can you have a whole team of Clones?
-WhiteFeather87
Operators in Zero Company have access to clone armor cosmetics with the ability to customize their armor from the start. Bonus: Clone Trooper helmets even provide a voice modulation to characters.
You will be able to unlock Clone Troopers after a certain point in the story, allowing you to have a full team of Clone Troopers.
-Greg Foertsch, CEO and Creative Director
How many hours will the game be?
-StarWarsHQ
Depending on your difficulty level and experience with the strategy genre, we estimate about 30-40 hours for the average player to complete the main story campaign.
-Caydence Funk, Lead Producer
What was it like creating the character Hawks and how early did you decide to make him the main character?
-Anakin.Crespin
Hawks was a long conversation for our team. Stepping into the Clone Wars, we built a character who not only served as a figurehead for this group of unexpected heroes from all walks of the galaxy, but also as someone who cares. Balancing those characteristics with an identity that people could identify with and attach to was extremely important.
It took us a while to create a character that fits in that way. This also played a big role in how we approached the voice performance for Hawks. Depending on whether they choose the male or female version of Hawks, players might notice that the voice options feel more like an outlaw cowboy or a by-the-book FBI agent. Both voice actors brought different avenues for players to connect to. Coupled with the player’s option to pick the character’s species, first name, appearance, clothing and more, we made those choices customizable in the game universe so Hawks felt like they could be anybody.
-Greg Foertsch, CEO and Creative Director
Is Hawks only required to be deployed for story-related missions or can we not deploy him at all if we wanted?
-Krieger Husky
Hawks is required on all story missions, but for skirmish missions players are welcome to bring any combination of Operators they want!
-James Brawley, Lead Designer
Can we have some news about the collectors edition please!?
-JustMerino
We don’t have anything to announce today but keep an eye out this coming weekend for more news.
-The Bit Reactor Team
If Hawks dies/suffers 3 injuries, is he out as a unit, does the mission restart, or does it mean game over?
-SaseavAtomeha
Hawks is your main playable character, so it's an automatic mission failure if Hawks dies in combat, and you'll need to restart the mission.
-James Brawley, Lead Designer
For clone customization, will there be more unique types of armor/helmets like arf, airborne, commando, etc? And what options will there be for their armor patterns?
-HaPeanut
Our team here at Bit Reactor felt it was important to give players the option to have fun with character customization. We think you’ll be very happy with the selection of paint jobs and patterns we have for helmets, armor, and more for Clone Trooper customization.
-James Brawley, Lead Designer
Will the game have modding support? If so, to what extent would it be allowed?
-Arbitrator
We have a lot of respect for the modding community, but there is no official mod support planned for Star Wars Zero Company.
-Caydence Funk, Lead Producer at Bit Reactor
With the option to customize hawks and him showing up in cutscenes in the trailers, it seems like the cutscenes will be real-time rendered instead of pre-rendered. Are most of the cutscenes in this game going to be real-time rendered?
-HaPeanut
Most of the cutscenes in-game are rendered in real-time, but there are a few minor exceptions where we use pre-rendered cinematics. It was important to our team for players to see the characters they've customized reflected throughout their gameplay experience.
-Caydence Funk, Lead Producer
What is the operator limit at HQ? Does it increase as the game progresses or does it remain static through the game?
-Low Poly Robur
The current operator limit is 20, but players will start with a maximum of 7 operators. This limit can be increased through different upgrades at The Den, story progression, and as new Authored Operators join the squad.
-James Brawley, Lead Designer
Can you tell us a little bit more about the variety in weapons and gear we can outfit our operators with?
-Flakles
Players will have a lot to discover once Star Wars Zero Company is released, but there is a deep well of equipable weapons and utilities for you to experiment with and customize as you progress in the game. We have four weapon classes, alongside 4 to 6 cosmetic models you can select from within each class.
-James Brawley, Lead Designer
Is the Squad limit capped at 4 operators?
-SaseavAtomeha
The standard squad limit can go up to 4 Operators, but players will have the opportunity to control additional characters in certain missions.
-Caydence Funk, Lead Producer
How are actions limited on the “strategic layer”/the map? I believe it was said that time only advances when you take a combat mission, does that mean you are free to do everything on the map?
-SushiDragon
You will have a certain amount of intel you can spend to conduct Operations at the Galaxy Map between each mission. These can expire, but you will have story-critical missions that become obligatory after a certain point in the game. Each Operation costs various amounts of Intel, so we encourage you to choose wisely depending on your playstyle and gameplay interests.
-James Brawley, Lead Designer
It seems from everything we've been told that Jedi Padawan is tied to Tel-Rea herself, but what happens if Tel-Rea dies? Are we able to create/recruit more Jedi Padawans to Zero Company, or is she simply the only character that fits into that class?
-SammyBoiii
Tel-Rea is the only Jedi Padawan class Operator in Star Wars Zero Company—be careful that nothing unfortunate happens to her!
-James Brawley, Lead Designer
Will there be enemy vehicles (or bigger droids like dwarf spiders) that you will have to fight during missions?
-HaPeanut
We can't share specifics just yet, but there will be missions that involve some heavy machinery.
-James Brawley, Lead Designer
How will “no fog of war” avoid a “snipers snipe everything” player strategy?
-Krieger Husky
Snipers are a viable strategy, and we won't dissuade players from building a whole squad to address certain scenarios. We've seen the evolution of strategy games over our careers, and it was extremely important to us to offer diverse strategies and flexibility in how someone wants to play.
With that in mind, even though Snipers have a long range, it doesn't mean they can always see the targets they want to shoot. A whole team of Snipers might end up having a lower rate of kills, which could be something you want to keep in mind when planning out your team.
-James Brawley, Lead Designer
Will there be any weather effects in the game that affect the squad’s visibility or efficiency?
-StarWarsHQ
The weather effects during combat are purely cosmetic and will not affect the squad's visibility or efficiency.
-James Brawley, Lead Designer
Do outfits impact your character's gameplay?
-Fatal
You have to look good to play good, but outfits do not impact gameplay.
-Greg Foertsch, CEO and Creative Director
Will there be phase 1 arc trooper armor?
-Jakz
The "Arc Trooper" Armor Set is only part of the "Grand Army of the Republic" Cosmetic Pack for the Deluxe Edition, but we'll have a ton of other cosmetic options available out of the gate for players.
-Caydence Funk, Lead Producer
Will we get Beskar armor for our operatives to wear? If so can we customize the armor?
-dragonnuff
You will have a ton of cosmetic options for armor in the game, but only Cly can wear the Mandalorian armor.
--James Brawley, Lead Designer
Will there be new game+ at launch?
-Phobion
We won't have New Game+, but players will unlock certain customization options on subsequent playthroughs.
-Caydence Funk, Lead Producer
What will the playstyle of the three enemy factions be like? Any specific strategies we should consider employing against each?
-Echo2500
Our three announced enemy factions all have distinct aspects that will challenge players to change up their tactical approach. For the Separatist Alliance and their droids, players might want to have Ion weapons to handily dispose of them. Infinite Coil units will have various abilities and players will need to consider who to kill and in what order, and Outlaws can overwhelm you with numbers.
-Greg Foertsch, CEO and Creative Director
How early into the game can we make a full astromech team?
UnCool Iroh
Astromechs are unlocked pretty early in the game, and you can build a full team as soon as you can recruit astromechs. Hawks is required for story missions, but additional slots can be filled with astromechs at all times. We want to see all the Astromech teams!
-James Brawley, Lead Designer
Can we recruit B1 battle droids or Separatist battle droids in general, even if we have to stun them with EMP Grenades, hack them into submission using a Specialist's Haywire Protocol, or outright shred them with Bluescreen Rounds to study them to make our own like in xcom. Since Hawks says Zero Company recruits ex-Separatists, ex-nobles, and ex-cons, I figured the best bots would fit right in, and you could give them a rival with the clone troopers and different paint jobs and customization like the Astromechs
-dragonnuff
You cannot recruit Separatist droids as Operators in Star Wars Zero Company. It was fun reading how much thought you've put into how a Separatist droid could be recruited, though.
-James Brawley, Lead Designer
Will Zero Company have access to any specialized call ins? depending on if the theater of operation is in a warzone, can we count upon calling in LAAT support once per mission? or the ability to exfiltrate early from an operation if things are going poorly at the expense of mission failure?
-Max Stone
There will not be any specialized call-ins. Hawks has to make it out, or it's an automatic mission fail. We recommend taking your time with team planning to build a squad that supports your playstyle for mission success.
-James Brawley, Lead Designer
Will our characters have Nicknames? And if so, will they potentially get to get them over time with a nickname pool, like in XCOM 2?
-b----o----b
Nicknames aren't acquired like in XCOM 2, but players can fully customize recruited Operator names and backstories when you customize your character.
-Caydence Funk, Lead Producer
Are certain species/factions better at weapon proficiencies than others?
-runningpua
There are no certain species or factions with better weapon proficiencies because we don't want players to feel they have to pick a specific species to optimize their gameplay.
--James Brawley, Lead Designer
Star Wars Zero Company FAQ
We’ve also put together a general FAQ to answer common questions we’ve seen across the internet that fell outside our Discord Q&A.
How does Star Wars Zero Company differ from other Star Wars games?
Star Wars Zero Company is a turn-based tactics game at its core. It’s set during the Clone Wars™ where you will command Zero Company, a group of unconventional professionals, in strategic assaults, clandestine missions, and other tide-turning skirmishes as the Republic and Separatists wage war.
What makes this game different from other tactical games?
Star Wars Zero Company’s story and cinematic elements set it apart from other tactical games. With a memorable cast, meaningful character relationships, compelling drama, and surprising story moments, we aim to deliver a best-in-class cinematic experience that’s true to Star Wars storytelling. And of course, we’re all-in on giving veterans of the tactics genre a deeply rewarding experience, with tough decisions, high-stakes moves, and challenging, creative combat scenarios.
Our Bonds system also allows Operators to grow closer through their combat experiences, unlocking new support abilities, including cross-training benefits where bonded units can share new skills and stats. This aspect, combined with the freedom you have to customize equipment and playstyle through secondary or advanced specializations, makes for deeply rewarding experience, with tough decisions, high-stakes moves, and challenging, creative combat scenarios.
Are the characters we see in the Gameplay Trailer the only members of Zero Company?
As Hawks, Zero Company is your squad to assemble and can be filled with Authored Operatives—characters like Trick, Jae Mordant, Tel-Rea Vokoss, Luco Bronc, Cly Kullervo, and Kabb Uppercut—as well as Custom Operatives, who are the squadmates you can create and fully customize. Hawks’ species, first name, appearance, clothing, Specialization, and more can also be customized. You can choose the balance of Authored and Custom Operators they want to use for Tactical Mission based on the Star Wars journey they want to tell.
Other members of Zero Company who support the team from The Den, not the frontlines, include Bennic Halloren (Republic Intelligence), Runa Blask (Operations and Finance), Neesh Renark (Armory and Black Market), and Meevo, or M-3VO (Pilot and Medbay).
Can you tell us more about the Advantage Points system and how having a shared resource pool for special abilities across your squad affects gameplay?
One of the core elements of Star Wars Zero Company’s gameplay is tactical versatility. Through the shared Advantage System resource pool, you can choose when to use your squad’s special abilities and in what order between Operators. These Advantage Abilities can help you get out of a sticky situation, or double-down on dealing the maximum offensive capability against their enemies.
What’s the difference between Operations and Missions? What are some examples of mission types? In each cycle you will have a chance to complete Operations and Tactical Missions at the holotable in the Den. Both can expire, but story-critical missions will become obligatory after a period of time. Each cycle ends with a Tactical Mission selection which will deploy you and your selected squad to the mission. Operations take place in the Galaxy Map and can yield instant rewards while adding to the narrative, or unlock additional operations and missions. Some Operations may present a dilemma and require choice (think “choose your own adventure”) and different choices may have an impact on character bonds and side missions. Tactical Missions are the tactical layer of the game, where you will deploy a squad to complete an objective, including a small free-roam phase in story missions where you can move through the environment in third person. You can gain additional world immersion, intel points, and advantage points ahead of the combat encounter itself. Some general Mission types include…
How many different locations will we get to visit in Star Wars Zero Company?
The Galaxy Map includes over 150 planets where strategic Operations can potentially take place throughout your campaign. Many of these are the site of choose-your-adventure style war table choices. We then have over a dozen unique planets where Tactical Missions can take place, each with richly detailed environments developed in collaboration with the Lucasfilm Games team.
What are some examples of standout abilities and strategies that are a ton of fun to use? Any developer favorites?
Here’s a few of our favorite examples:
Force pulling or pushing an enemy into a squad member’s overwatch zone.
Bull-rushing an enemy into the void for an instant kill (think turbo lift shafts, water, cliffs, etc.)
Creating multiple overwatch zones in reinforcement areas.
Creating an extended turn with a Gunslinger who gains action points on a kill.
Calling for backup and gaining multiple bonded units to fire on a single target in one action move.
Clearing enemy cover with a rocket launcher or explosive.
Turning an astromech into a weapon—packed with firebombs, thermal detonators, and droid poppers.
Drawing enemies near explosive cover and using the sabotage ability to send them flying.
Scanning map with a droid to reveal a cloaked target.
Having the high ground!
How are you introducing enemies and objectives that push you to break out of the traditionally safe Overwatch crawl strategy commonly found in tactics games, and how have you designed encounters to encourage different play patterns in Zero Company?
Opening up many different strategies through diverse tactical combat scenarios is incredibly important to us. The sheer flexibility that you have when customizing your squad and shaping a playstyle will help unearth creative strategies that even we haven’t thought of. And, speaking generally, the “Overwatch crawl” strategy is going to be effective where it counts and makes sense, but our encounters have several different objective types to pave the way for alternatives. Overwatch is great for defending a point in a supply run mission, but it’s going to be less ideal for sabotage missions (e.g. planting explosives on objectives before evacuating), rescue missions (hostage situations) and extraction missions that require escape.
Can you romance squadmates or deeply explore the world?
No, there aren’t any romance systems or branching paths in Star Wars Zero Company. While we are excited about pushing the genre forward with a more cinematic approach, this is still a turn-based tactics game at its heart where adept skill and strategy are needed to overcome tense combat challenges. That said, there are story moments that can alter based on who you have in your squad, but the overall story is a linear one from beginning to end.
As far as exploration goes, yes, you’ll have the ability to explore a section of some planets prior to engaging in turn-based combat on them. This is a minor facet of the game that we feel adds a unique, immersive quality to Star Wars Zero Company. These small segments are a chance for you, as Hawks, to conduct the espionage that Zero Company excels at, and are main-story-only segments that can affect the subsequent combat by granting Intel and Advantage Points..
Are there different endings to the game based on my choices?
Star Wars Zero Company is a game about choosing different squads, battles, difficulty levels, etc. to see how the narrative will play out. While your choice affects character Bonds and some story elements, because who you have in your squad will be different, the story’s conclusion will be largely the same for everyone.
Will there be any DLC or Post-launch content?
Right now, we're focused on making the best game we can at launch and don't have anything to announce today.
Will there be any additional microtransactions?
No, we don’t have any plans for monetization or microtransactions at this time.
Who is composing the game’s music?
The incredibly talented Gordy Haab is bringing his Star Wars touch to Star Wars Zero Company.
Can you share any other information about other prominent actors/voice actors from Star Wars animated or live action reviving their roles in Star Wars Zero Company?
Dee Bradley Baker will provide his iconic voice to Trick and the Clone Troopers. We look forward to announcing our full cast in the lead up to San Diego Comic-Con.
How does permadeath work in Star Wars Zero Company?
Permadeath is enabled by default but can be toggled off if desired. We encourage you to adjust the settings to create the best experience for yourself. For those interested in trying permadeath in their campaigns, we feel it provides a unique experience of experiencing loss, a core theme of Star Wars, and pushing through that loss to what’s on the other side of the emotional experience.
Will Star Wars Zero Company release on the Steam Deck?
We are still developing and optimizing the game for Steam. If we have any news to share on this front, we'll be sure to let you know.
Pre-Purchase Today, Command Zero Company™ on August 27
Zero Company’s enemies are numerous and elusive, waiting for their moment to strike. Are you prepared to fight the war beneath the war? Amass a stockpile of cosmetic gear by pre-purchasing Star Wars Zero Company now.
Pre-purchases of both the Standard and Deluxe editions include the Crystalline Astromech Cosmetic Pack, featuring the R3 droid, translucent crystalline astromech heads for the R4 and R5 variants, and the BR-1 droid debuting in Star Wars Zero Company.
View game page
