It’s been over four years since Quantic Dream’s Star Wars Eclipse was announced with a striking CGI trailer, which told us very little other than it was set in the High Republic era of George Lucas’ galaxy far, far away. But following a handful of updates from the studio’s leads over the years, the solidity of the game is increasingly in question.
Now, Insider Gaming has shared a new report suggesting Star Wars Eclipse might still be a long way away. Sources close to development are reported to have stated: “The game, at this stage, is still looking to be years off from completion.”
The same source explained the team could speed the timeline by “expanding the development staff”, but Quantic Dream’s parent company NetEase is apparently uneasy about investing more without a clearer long-term vision. Quantic Dream launched its first-ever free-to-play multiplayer MOBA-like game earier this year, Spellcasters Chronicles, and sources suggest it could be key to determining what’s happening next at the studio depending on the revenue it can bring in.
“At this stage, the long-term outlook is less driven by creative capabilities and more by financial viability… Should Spellcasters fail commercially, NetEase is expected to reevaluate its commitment to the studio and could opt to discontinue further investment,” one of those sources added. If that’s indeed the case, things are looking concerning, as Spellcasters Chronicles is only available on Steam, where it peaked with 888 concurrent players and currently has a 24-hour peak of just 73 players in game.
Star Wars Eclipse.Watch on YouTube
Star Wars Eclipse’s troubled journey might have pushed Lucasfilm Games to seek creative partnerships elsewhere when it comes to large-scale Star Wars adventures. A good example is Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, led by KOTOR and original Mass Effect trilogy helmer Casey Hudson at Arcanaut Studios. For now, we’re expecting the more restrained Galactic Racer and XCOM-like Zero Company to arrive later this year, so Star Wars’ gaming output seems to be ramping up regardless.