Star Wars: Zero Company

Star Wars: Zero Company is an upcoming tactical RPG developed by Bit Reactor (founded by former XCOM developers from Firaxis Games) and published by Respawn Entertainment (creators of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor). The game launches Holiday 2026 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Set during the Clone Wars, Zero Company follows a squad of specialized clone troopers operating behind enemy lines on Separatist-controlled planets. The game blends turn-based grid combat (similar to XCOM) with Mass Effect-style exploration, where players navigate a hub spaceship, recruit squad members, and make narrative choices that affect story outcomes.

A unique mechanic: permadeath with clone DNA inheritance. When a squad member dies, they are permanently gone, but players can "re-clone" them at a genetic lab, sacrificing skill levels but preserving personality traits and story relationships.

Turn-Based Combat

Combat takes place on grid-based battlefields with destructible cover, elevation bonuses, and environmental hazards (explosive barrels, lava pools, electrical conduits). Players control 4-6 clone troopers per mission, each with customizable loadouts (blaster rifles, sniper rifles, rockets, thermal detonators) and class specializations (Assault, Medic, Heavy, Recon).

Enemy AI uses flanking tactics, overwatch suppression, and coordinated assaults. Boss battles feature named Separatist commanders with unique abilities (e.g., General Grievous uses four lightsabers simultaneously, requiring split-squad tactics).

Hub Ship Exploration

Between missions, players explore the Resolute-class Star Destroyer serving as the squad\'s mobile base. The hub includes: barracks (character customization), armory (weapon upgrades), medbay (healing and clone respawning), briefing room (mission selection), and cantina (dialogue with NPCs and squad members).

Permadeath & Clone DNA

When a clone trooper dies in combat, they are permanently removed from the roster. However, players can visit the cloning lab on Kamino to "re-grow" the trooper from their DNA sample. The new clone retains personality quirks and story relationships but loses all combat experience and skill unlocks, forcing players to retrain them from scratch.

The story is set in 21 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin), midway through the Clone Wars. Players command "Zero Company," an elite clone unit assigned to high-risk covert ops on Separatist worlds. The campaign spans 30+ missions across 8 planets, including Geonosis, Ryloth, Umbara, and Utapau.

Key characters include Commander Havoc (player\'s customizable squad leader), Jedi General Mace Windu (mission briefings), and Separatist Admiral Trench (primary antagonist). The story explores themes of clone individuality, the ethics of clone armies, and the Republic\'s moral compromises during wartime.

Bit Reactor was founded in 2020 by Greg Foertsch and David McDonough, both former creative directors at Firaxis Games (XCOM: Enemy Unknown, XCOM 2). The studio is headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, and employs ~75 developers, many of whom worked on the XCOM franchise.

Respawn Entertainment partnered with Bit Reactor to co-develop Zero Company, providing narrative design support, motion capture, and access to Lucasfilm\'s Star Wars story group for canon compliance.

PC Gamer\'s March 2026 hands-on preview praised Zero Company\'s "brilliant fusion of XCOM tactics and Mass Effect storytelling," awarding it 90/100 in preview scores. Critics highlighted the permadeath-clone system as "genuinely innovative" and the destructible cover as "the best in any tactics game since Gears Tactics."

Concerns include potential repetitive mission structures and the challenge of balancing narrative weight with disposable clone troopers.

Star Wars: Zero Company launches Holiday 2026 (November-December) for PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. There is no Switch or last-gen console version.

The game is priced at $59.99 (standard edition) with a $79.99 Deluxe Edition including a Clone Trooper customization pack, digital artbook, and three-day early access.