a remarkably buggy launch on PC, Star Wars Squadrons has earned considerable acclaim since. Players have responded very well to the fantasy of taking the controls of one of the Star Wars franchise's legendary starfighters and engaging in thrilling interplanetary dogfights.
Given how appealing such a fantasy is, it was surprising when developer Motive Studios announced that there were no plans to add more starfighters post-launch. When the game came out, it did so with four starfighters each for the Empire and the New Republic, and it did include plenty of familiar models, like the iconic x- and y-wings fans have come to love, and the sinister, recognizable TIE fighters which swarmed the Rebel heroes in the films. But Star Wars is a massive franchise, full of recognizable and dangerous fighters that fans would certainly have a lot of fun jumping into, and Motive's apparent unwillingness to include any of them was baffling.
But it was even more of a surprise when Motive changed its mind last month. The company announced a surprise update which would introduce two brand new spaceships to the game, and that update is finally live, as announced by EA. Update 4.0 sees the Rebel Alliance's beloved B-Wing starship integrated into the New Republic fleet. Fittingly, the large starfighter is filling the role of a heavy gunner, with high durability and damage output at the cost of low maneuverability. The Empire, meanwhile, is getting access to the TIE Defender, a menacing craft which didn't actually appear in the films. It's an adaptable starfighter with high survivability and an emphasis on anti-starfighter combat. In addition to these new vessels, Motive is implementing numerous bug fixes, and a custom game mode, as well as a brand new battlefield.
This update is a promising sign for the future of Star Wars Squadrons, and not only because it gives fans some cool new ships to play with. Now that Motive has officially gone back on its decision not to add more starfighters, the sky's the limit. There are so many more spaceships the team could add to the shooter, and a steady stream of distinct vehicles and content would go a long way toward improving the longevity of this already successful game. EA and Motive clearly have an eye toward the future, as the game is already getting next-gen on PS5 and Xbox Series X.
EA's track record with Star Wars isn't great. Everyone re Star Wars Battlefront II and its mess of microtransactions. But Star Wars Squadrons has had a great track record so far, notwithstanding its glitchy PC launch. The addition of B-Wings and TIE Defenders is a great way to keep that momentum going. Hopefully it's just the start of what Star Wars Squadrons has lined up for the future.
Source: EA, EA Star Wars
