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ENTERTAINMENT

Respawn is Working on a New ‘Star Wars’ Game Called ‘Jedi: Fallen Order’

By Stefanie Fogel

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Respawn Entertainment is working on a new Star Wars game called “Jedi: Fallen Order,” publisher Electronic Arts teased during its E3 press conference on Saturday.

Respawn CEO Vince Zampella briefly talked about the action-adventure title while sitting in the audience. It takes place during the “dark times” of “” lore, when the Jedi are being hunted, he said. According to the official website , the game is set shortly after the events of “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith” and focuses on a Padawan who survives Emperor Palpatine’s attempted Jedi purge.

Zampella and co-founder Jason West worked on the “Call of Duty” franchise at Infinity Ward before leaving to form Respawn in 2010. The studio is known for its multiplayer first-person shooters “Titanfall” and “Titanfall 2.”

EA had previously tapped “Dead Space” studio Visceral to create a new “Star Wars” game codenamed Ragtag. The unnamed project was a story-based, linear adventure game written by former Naughty Dog creative director Amy Hennig. But, after the concept apparently tested poorly with players, EA said it needed to “pivot” the design. It announced in October it was shutting down Visceral  and making significant changes to Ragtag.

“We will maintain the stunning visuals, authenticity in the ‘Star Wars’ universe, and focus on bringing a ‘Star Wars’ story to life,” EA said. “Importantly, we are shifting the game to be a broader experience that allows for more variety and player agency, leaning into the capabilities of our Frostbite engine and reimagining central elements of the game to give players a ‘Star Wars’ adventure of greater depth and breadth to explore.”

Right now, we don’t know if “Jedi: Fallen Order” is the same game Visceral was working on or an entirely new project. It is expected to launch during the holiday season next year.

Also, make sure to follow all of Variety’s 2018 coverage, with breaking news, original interviews and hands-on impressions, right here .

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