Wccftech recently had the chance to attend a Star Wars Zero Company presentation (plus a meaty Q&A with BitReactor , which you can find here ), followed by access to a preview build of the upcoming single-player turn-based tactics game. The developers reckon it's shaping up to be more than XCOM with lightsabers, though honestly, after playing it, the similarities are very strong . Still, the game combines squad-based combat with a more character-driven campaign, a strategic galaxy map, and a deep management layer that could make every decision feel consequential.

Set during the twilight of the Clone Wars , Zero Company follows Hawks , a former Republic officer who now leads an elite group of operatives for hire. Hawks (who's entirely customizable in both species and gender) is every bit the experienced, fatigued, pragmatic commander willing to work with Republic loyalists, Separatist sympathizers, criminals, mercenaries, and virtually anyone else capable of getting the job done.

That uneasy mix of personalities is central to the game's identity : Star Wars Zero Company is not simply about assembling the most statistically powerful squad. The choices players make away from the battlefield can influence relationships, unlock new abilities, and determine which stories they experience during a campaign.

A Clone Wars Story With Its Own Threat

Hawks and the Zero Company are broke at the beginning of the game, being heavily indebted to a Hutt overlord. Their unexpected saviors draw them into a complex conflict involving the Infinite Coil , a Separatist-aligned paramilitary cult led by Kundri Fathom . The organization isn't merely focused on furthering the Separatist agenda - they also seek to spread a mysterious disease known as the Shadow Plague , intentionally infecting recruits and transforming survivors into resilient, crazed, and unpredictable soldiers.

Fathom's followers are not just another group of enemies to eliminate. The developers explained that t he Coil evolves throughout the campaign , with the player's choices influencing the upgrades and enemy types encountered later. Indeed, during my time with the game, I was often presented with a choice: I could thwart one of two unit upgrades, while the other would go forward as planned. That type of choice generally happens during the so-called Operations , which are not combat missions in the traditional sense. Instead, the player interacts with the Holotable to influence the galaxy in various ways, with consequences. Sometimes you "send" members of your squad to do a job, but they could get injured in the process, and some of them will be better than others depending on their skill sets.

The Coil's leadership includes Visser , a fearsome field commander who follows a personal code of honor, and Typhon , a super tactical droid obsessed with the Shadow Plague and Fathom herself. Based on what I've seen in the preview, the story i s deliberately aiming for a grittier side of the Clone Wars . In the presentation, the developers described a galaxy where the war has dragged on, economies are collapsing, and political divisions are becoming more extreme. The Coil exploits that instability by offering disenfranchised populations a sense of belonging while reducing every conflict to a simple struggle between “us” and “them.”

Zero Company's roster includes a few authored characters with their own backgrounds and quest lines, as well as custom operators that players can recruit and personalize. The named characters include Trick , a former clone trooper and one of Hawks' earliest allies; Tel-Rea Vokoss , a Jedi Padawan; Kabb “Kabb” Uppercut , a former prizefighter with a cybernetic arm; Luco Bronc , an Umbaran sniper; Jae Mordant , an exiled noble; and Cly Kullervo , a Mandalorian gunslinger seeking revenge.

Players can also recruit custom operators from several archetypes, including Rogues , Mavericks , Gunnies , Medics , Scouts , Sharpshooters , Soldiers , and more. Their appearance, species, clothing, equipment, specialization, and abilities can be adjusted to suit a preferred playstyle. The system allows for unusual combinations: a player might field a Medic equipped with a pistol and the Sabotage talent, or build a character around a repeating blaster and a talent that generates additional credits during missions. Operators can eventually unlock a secondary specialization, enabling hybrid builds that combine different tactical roles.

Combat follows familiar turn-based tactics rules , with operators using three Action Points per turn to move, attack, and activate abilities. Cover affects accuracy, flanking can expose enemies, and Overwatch allows players to establish reaction zones that punish opponents for moving through exposed areas. There is no D&D-like opportunity attack, so you can freely move in to increase your chance to hit (yes, just like in XCOM, expect to miss even with 90% every now and then ) and then get back away from dangerous units.

Unlike XCOM, though, there is no fog of war : every enemy is immediately unveiled, which gives you the ability to start positioning your team of four correctly from the first move. Star Wars Zero Company also adds several systems designed to make squad composition matter . Perhaps the most useful is the Backup mechanics, which allows a unit to ask another unit to fire on the same target; this happens in the former unit's turn, so it's effectively extra damage per turn if you pull it off. The major caveat is that it only triggers if the other unit can see your target, and even then, it may miss depending on cover, et cetera.

Another of Star Wars Zero Company's new features is the Bond , which builds relationships through shared actions and unlocks Cross Training bonuses as the bond between two members reaches higher levels. However, I found that this quickly became background noise rather than something meaningful : it's all too easy to level up bonds, and it ultimately feels like just an extra upgrade venue that eventually touches all your units in a nearly equanimous way, as long as you cycle through the roster on a regular basis. The game also features a shared Advantage resource that charges as the squad damages enemies, allowing operators to activate powerful Ultimate abilities. This can be a game-changer when used correctly.

Injuries make those systems more important, of course. A downed operator suffers an injury, and a third injury results in death. Fallen characters can be viewed at the dedicated Memorial, while the death of an authored operator permanently ends that character's quest arc. Hawks can also die, though that instead triggers a mission failure and requires a restart.

Permadeath can be disabled, but the developers said they consider it an important part of the game's storytelling, and I can't help but agree. Importantly, you can keep it on even on lower levels of difficulty . I started the preview on Hard, but it quickly became too much for me, so I dropped back down to Normal while still keeping Permadeath active.

Between missions, Hawks and the team return to the Den , a former bulk freighter located on the Ring of Kafrene. The Den serves as Zero Company's base of operations and includes several facilities dedicated to different aspects of squad management.

The Personnel facility is used to improve operators and spend Focus Points, while Recruitment expands the roster. The Armory handles weapons, modifications, utilities, and Black Market purchases. The Medbay treats injured operators, the Customization facility changes their appearance, and the Pit provides opportunities to interact with important characters and unlock unique hero missions.

The Holotable acts as the strategic center of the Den . It displays available Operations and Tactical Missions, tracks progress across the campaign's twelve zones, and shows rewards tied to regional influence. As I explained earlier, Operations do not involve direct combat. Instead, they can provide intel, credits, equipment, and story developments, while also allowing operators to form or strengthen bonds.

However, players cannot complete everything in a single campaign . Operations disappear after a limited period, and delaying one mission in favor of another can change what becomes available later. The developers also explained that some Operations contain hidden scenarios, including situations in which it may not be immediately clear whether a seemingly routine assignment is a trap or an opportunity.

This is also where you can chat with your teammates. I made a point of talking with each and every one at each "cycle", and there's a significant difference between authored operators and custom operators . The former may well have a few interesting lines to share, and they also offer side missions from time to time, while the others are limited to more generic lines.

That was to be expected. Overall, though, I'd say even the dialogues with the authored operators are a step below the excellent interactions between heroes that were featured in Marvel's Midnight Suns , which might well be the genre's golden standard for that kind of content.

On the other hand, the overall narrative of Star Wars Zero Company can stand on its own as a great example of how the tactics genre can shine beyond pure gameplay scenarios. Granted, the preview build was just a sample of the plot, but it was more than enticing.

Zero Company's biggest strength may be the way its systems reinforce one another . The squad you build affects combat, combat affects relationships, relationships unlock new abilities, and strategic decisions determine which missions and storylines remain available.

That structure gives the Clone Wars setting room to breathe beyond familiar battles between Jedi, clones, and droids. Bit Reactor is attempting to create a campaign in which the galaxy feels like a changing place , and even a minor operation can have consequences that surface much later. Of course, that's something I couldn't possibly glean in the limited preview build.

I definitely look forward to continuing Hawks' journey when the full game becomes available. As a reminder, the release date is slated for August 27 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X.

About the author : With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.

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