Releasing in October 2020, new gameplay trailer at Gamescom 2020 focuses on the single-player campaign, and fans were treated to all sorts of recognizable characters from Disney's new canon, including one popular character who hasn't appeared onscreen before: Rae Sloane.
In the trailer, she's referred to as iral Sloane, and she appears to be leading the remnants of the Empire in an all-out war against the New Republic. For Star Wars fans who've only stuck with the movies, and even the TV shows, Rae Sloane may seem like a completely new character, but she isn't. In fact, she's a major character who helps unite most of the books in Disney's new canon.
First appearing in John Jackson Miller's A New Dawn, a novel that serves as a prequel to Star Wars: Rebels, Rae Sloane goes from an Imperial cadet to a Grand iral over the course of a dozen books and comics. She's instrumental in several key Star Wars moments, like the Battle of Endor and the Battle of Jakku. In the Aftermath trilogy by Chuck Wendig, Sloane is the key to the Empire's survival after its fall and helps found the First Order in the Unknown Regions. Once even considered for Supreme Leader, that title ultimately goes to Snoke, a more recognizable villain who's appeared in the movies. Because of all this, the extended gameplay preview of Star Wars: Squadrons at Gamescom may be the first time some fans have heard her name.
Why iral Sloane Is In Star Wars: Squadrons
At the events of Star Wars: Squadrons.
It's strange that a character so important to Disney's new canon has yet to appear onscreen. Despite being mentioned briefly in Battlefront II, this will be Sloane's first appearance in a video game, and it looks like she'll be playing a major role. Fans will get to see more of Rae Sloane when Star Wars: Squadrons releases later this year on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
