In 'Star Wars: Squadrons', The Empire Is Going "Off The Rails”

Star Wars: Squadrons is the first game in years to be focused solely on space fighting in the Star Wars universe. While space combat has featured in other Star Wars games, we've not had a Rogue Squadron or TIE Fighter game in more than a decade. So there's a lot of pressure on Squadrons to deliver. But, that doesn't just mean satisfying combat in recognisable ships, it means a story that feels like an essential part of the world.

Star Wars: Squadrons takes place just months after the Battle of Endor. The Rebel Alliance has delivered a shattering blow to the Empire, leaving its armies without both Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader. But the war isn't won and the impact of that loss isn't clear to either side.

"Palpatine was kind of the glue that held everything together," writer Jo Berry explains to me. "And now disagreement is seeping in. Some people are in denial. There are new factions forming."

On the Imperial side, you play as a pilot in Titan Squadron. This group falls firmly into the loyalist faction. Led by Admiral Rae Sloane, you'll continue the fight the Emperor started; but there will be other Imperial characters, who Berry says "are starting to go more off the rails". So look forward to infighting and disagreements among the Imperial armies.

It's not easy for the New Republic, though, even though they're coming off the back of a massive success. "It's a transitional period for them," Berry says. "It's going from being a rebellion to this legitimate government." There are people who have been fighting this war who have to come to terms with what that means for their place in the galaxy. "There's a sense of, you know, 'Well, I signed up to be a rebel. What am I now?'," Berry explains.

And, while we know that the Battle of Endor is the tipping point of the war, the New Republic doesn't know it's started the end of the Empire. "For all they know, the Empire could pull something out at the last moment," Berry says. "This is a chance for victory. Everything's in sight: 'Let's not lose this chance, now's the time to really commit and do what we can to win this war.' So from the character's point of view, this is still very much an ongoing conflict."

Also, whether Rebel or Imperial, the characters you play and the people in their squads aren't all in this fight for the same reason. Between their conversations in the cockpit and the debriefs you have after missions, you'll learn why the people you're flying with are fighting.

This is particularly interesting with the Empire. What would motivate someone to join the side we, as the audience, know are so obviously the baddies? "They all have their reasons," Berry says. "Everyone has their reason for being in the Empire, and being in the Empire at this point. Which is really interesting because you get to see, like, the sort of spectrum of what's motivating them."

Also, that idea of "at this point" really stands out. Berry tells me that the Imperial character you're playing is a lifer, they've been part of the Imperial fleet for a long time. But with the balance of power shifting away from Empire to the New Republic, it's not a fun time to be an Imperial - pilots are dying in large numbers.

"It was interesting to lean into that," Berry says. "This is a naval campaign. This is about these pilots who are on the frontlines, it's about their commanders. It's about Project Starhawk and all the cool things that are happening and, you know, it's taking the Galactic War and bringing it into a very specific area of space, and about a specific group of people."