Star Wars Zero Company — the long-awaited XCOM-style tactics game from Bit Reactor and Respawn Entertainment — is almost here. After previews from PC Gamer, IGN, Game Informer, and Wccftech all agreed the Clone Wars setting finally has the strategy game it deserves, the game launches August 27, 2026 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
If you are deciding whether to pre-order, which edition to grab, and whether the mechanics click for a tactics newcomer, this guide covers everything confirmed before launch.
Release Date and Platforms
| Edition | Platforms | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (Physical + Digital) | PS5, Xbox Series X|S | $59.99 |
| Standard (Digital) | PC (Steam, Epic, EA App) | $49.99 |
| Digital Deluxe | PS5, Xbox Series X|S | $69.99 |
| Digital Deluxe | PC (Steam, Epic, EA App) | $59.99 |
Bit Reactor is the studio founded by former Firaxis developers, including veterans of the modern XCOM reboot. The eight-year wait since XCOM 2 for a worthy successor in this exact genre is finally over — and yes, this is a single-player, single-player-only release, no multiplayer or live-service.
The launch lands just ahead of a notoriously crowded September 2026 release slate. Pre-ordering now locks in the bonuses, and you can cancel up until release if previews convinced you to wait.
What's in the Pre-Order Bonus
Every pre-order, Standard or Deluxe, unlocks the Crystalline Astromech Cosmetic Pack. The pack includes:
- A full R3 droid body (a new astromech design)
- Translucent crystalline heads for the R4 and R5 astromech variants
- The BR-1 droid, making its first ever appearance in a Star Wars game
It is cosmetic only — no mechanical gameplay advantage — but the BR-1 is a fun collector's item for Star Wars diehards.
What's Exclusive to the Digital Deluxe Edition
The $10 upgrade from Standard to Digital Deluxe (PC) or $10 upgrade on console adds two cosmetic bundles plus weapon skins:
| Deluxe Pack | Contents |
|---|---|
| Grand Army of the Republic | Republic Officer uniform, 100th Clone Company armor set, ARC Trooper armor set |
| Shadow Collective | Pyke Syndicate exo-helmet, 5 faction-themed tattoo cosmetics (Hutt Cartel, Death Watch, Black Sun, Crimson Dawn), 5 painted Clone Wars-era weapon themes |
If cosmetics drive your enjoyment of a tactics game, the Deluxe math works out: $10 for a dozen cosmetic sets. If you ignore skins entirely, stick with Standard — there is zero mechanical content gated behind Deluxe.
The Story: Twilight of the Clone Wars, From the Shadows
You play as Hawks, a disgraced Republic officer whose appearance, gender, and species you customize at the start. The year is 20 BBY — one year before the events of Revenge of the Sith — and the official Clone Wars narrative is reaching its violent end. Zero Company is something else entirely: a mercenary outfit drawn from across the galaxy, working with Republic Intelligence on operations that will never make the history books.
The story's primary antagonist is the Infinite Coil, a Separatist-linked paramilitary cult spreading a mysterious disease called the Shadow Plague. Infected survivors transform into unpredictable, dangerous soldiers — the tactical layer of every mission.
The Squad: Five Named Characters, Plus Recruits
Zero Company is not a nameless roster. You command five fully written story characters, each with unique abilities:
- Trick — Clone trooper with heavy weapons access. Unlocks a rocket launcher ultimate after building 10 Advantage.
- Tel-Rea Vokoss — Jedi Padawan. Can use the Force to push enemies into environmental hazards.
- Kabb — One-armed brawler. Closes distance fast and knocks enemies into allies' lines of fire.
- Luco Bronc — Umbaran sniper. Long-range elimination and overwatch specialist.
- Jae Mordant — Exiled aristocrat. Versatile support role.
- Cly Kullervo — Mandalorian gunslinger. Dual-blaster DPS with crowd control.
Between missions, you also recruit from a procedurally generated pool of mercenaries across a range of classes. Story characters can die to injuries (toggleable), but losing one ends their personal questline permanently — making every deployment a real risk.
How Combat Actually Feels
If you have played XCOM 2 or Marvel's Midnight Suns, you already know the shape. Each operative gets 3 Action Points per turn, spent on movement, attacks, abilities, or overwatch. Cover, flanking, and percentage-based hit rolls are all present.
What is new in Zero Company:
- Backup system — Operatives can call an ally for a free shot if they have line of sight. Chained correctly, this creates multi-hit combos in a single turn.
- Advantage meter — A shared resource your squad builds by damaging enemies. Spend it on game-changing ultimates (Trick's rocket, extra AP, accuracy buffs, taunts).
- Bonds — Healing, using abilities on, or fighting alongside a squadmate grows their Bond, unlocking permanent Cross Training perks.
- No fog of war — Enemies are visible from the start of combat, making positioning predictable. Tradeoff: less ambush tension, more tactical planning.
PC Gamer called Zero Company "the closest big-budget XCOM successor strategy fans have had in years." Pure Xbox and RPG Site highlighted how authored characters plus optional permadeath make squadmate losses feel meaningful in a way that XCOM's anonymous soldiers could not.
The "ironman" experience is where Zero Company shines, but if this is your first tactics game in years, start with permadeath off. Story characters dying early will lock you out of quest content, and you cannot easily replay to recover it.
Who Should Buy on Day One
Buy if you are:
- An XCOM 2 or Midnight Suns fan who has been waiting for a true successor
- A Star Wars fan interested in the shadow war beneath the Clone Wars (the "Rogue One" angle)
- A tactics newcomer who wants a more forgiving, story-driven entry point than XCOM
Wait for a sale if you are:
- Strictly a Star Wars fan uninterested in turn-based combat
- Already on the fence — this is a single-player, no-multiplayer release that will hold its value through sales
- Looking for a quick 10-hour experience. Zero Company is 25+ hours for the main campaign, longer with optional objectives
The Bottom Line
Star Wars Zero Company is the most ambitious Star Wars strategy game in years, from a studio that has earned the right to be called the spiritual XCOM successor. At $49.99 on PC and $59.99 on console for the Standard edition, the value is straightforward — a meaty single-player campaign from a team with proven genre credentials. The Deluxe upgrade is cosmetic-only; skip it unless you care about Clone Wars armor sets.
Pre-orders are live now across Steam, Epic, EA App, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and GameStop. The August 27 release is locked: development is finished and the game is already deep into preview coverage.
