Credit: Bit Reactor
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New Star Wars Zero Company Gameplay Looks Like the XCOM Revival Fans Wanted
August 13, 2026·3 min read
New Star Wars Zero Company gameplay is finally showing why the XCOM comparison has followed it from day one. Bit Reactor's tactics game has the same tense gameplay of taking cover, making percentage-based shots, using overwatch, and trying to keep your squad alive. The difference is that it all now takes place during the Clone Wars.
The familiar setting helps a lot, but it is not the only reason. Recent hands-on impressions suggest the game understands what made modern XCOM so good. It also adds stronger squad relationships and a more cinematic Star Wars style. There are still questions about mission variety, but the game has a strong foundation.
Every squad member gets three Action Points per turn for movement, attacks, abilities, utilities, or overwatch. Cover and hit chances play a big role in fights. Directional overwatch also makes positioning more important. The basics feel familiar, but the teamwork systems make it more than just a Star Wars version of XCOM.
Calling for Backup lets one squad member help another with a free attack. Advantage can also be used for stronger abilities after the squad builds it up during combat. This can give you another Action Point, a rocket strike, better accuracy, or a taunt. Good turns feel more like carefully planned moves than a series of separate attacks.
The early parts of the game focus heavily on blaster fights. Some previews have been less than impressive. Smaller arenas and regular reinforcements can make fights feel more controlled than the unpredictable battles in XCOM 2. A Jedi Padawan and support-focused astromech add more options later. But the campaign needs enough variety to keep these systems feeling fresh.
Trick, Tel-Rea Vokoss, and Cly Kullervo each have different skills and backgrounds. Luco Bronc and Kabb Uppercut bring their own combat styles. The roster already feels more personal than a squad of interchangeable soldiers.
Operators build Bonds by fighting together, completing missions, and backing each other up, eventually unlocking permanent combat bonuses. Conversations and choices at the Den can change these relationships. This gives players another reason to think about which squad members they keep together.
On standard settings, three injuries can permanently kill an operator, including story characters, although the option can be disabled. That is a bold choice for a named Star Wars cast. Losing a favorite character should feel more meaningful when they have relationships and history at the base.
Zero Company can visit places like Bespin, Dantooine, Lothal, and Ryloth. The Den is based on the Ring of Kafrene. Bit Reactor has plenty of familiar Star Wars locations to use. This should help keep the campaign from feeling like the same battlefield over and over.
Early previews have praised the atmosphere but also noted that some combat spaces start to blur together. The varied galaxy should offer more than just different locations for the same fights. Jedi, droids, clones, mercenaries, and specialists should also make each battle feel different.
Star Wars Zero Company launches on August 27 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The new gameplay makes it look like the closest big-budget XCOM successor strategy fans have had in years. Bit Reactor now has to show that the campaign can stay fresh after players get used to the familiar systems.
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Command an elite squad through a gritty and authentic story in Star Wars Zero Company, a single-player turn-based tactics game.
Released
August 27, 2026
Developer
Bit Reactor
Publisher
Electronic Arts
