Job ads at Ubisoft imply the new Star Wars game is relatively similar to The Division and features more blasters than lightsabers.
Who needs E3 or other dedicated preview events when video game companies are still willing to reveal all their secrets via job ads? A peculiarly common practice that has now implied more than intended about Ubisoft’s new Star Wars game.
Virtually nothing was said about the new, unnamed title when it was announced recently, other than it’s open world and by the same team behind The Division 2.
However, job ads on developer Massive’s website imply that the new game is relatively similar to their previous title, with Massive looking for people with experience in role-playing and action adventure games, as well as ‘proven experience working with progression systems and balancing’.
Weâre thrilled to announce we are working with @Ubisoft and @UbiMassive to develop a brand-new, story-driven, open-world Star Wars adventure!
Learn more about the future of @LucasfilmGames in the Star Wars galaxy and beyond: https://t.co/uO1K1pivl2 pic.twitter.com/wRDccZvi3o
— Lucasfilm Games (@LucasfilmGames) January 13, 2021
Progression systems is a relatively vague term, but in the context of The Division 2 it could well mean the Star Wars game will be a similar games as a service style title.
Perhaps most notably though the ad for Senior Game Designer asks for someone with experience with enemy artificial intelligence and non-player characters ‘in a shooter or action adventure’.
With none of the ads mentioning melee combat that does seem to imply that Jedi are not the focus, which will only add to rumours that the game is based on The Mandalorian – or similar subject matter.
Broadly speaking there are three main styles of story in Star Wars: those revolving around Jedi, the military, and the galaxy’s criminal element.
Fallen Order is all about the Jedi, while Battlefront and Squadrons covers the military angle, but so far there’s been very little involving bounty hunters, smugglers or other such scum and villainy.
A lot of people are asking for this but it’s never going to happen. The Star Wars 1313 team is scattered and the code is eight years old. What’s far more likely is that Lucasfilm kicks off a bunch of new Star Wars games, including maybe even one about a bounty hunter https://t.co/GeNA9qXZ9O
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) January 12, 2021
Given the success of The Mandalorian the odds of the next Star Wars game using it as inspiration already seemed high but there have also been hints from respected rumour monger Jason Schreier that the next game involves bounty hunters.
The job posting for Senior Writer also talks about ‘writing narrative elements to anchor a reality-based narrative with an existing IP [i.e. Star Wars]’, which also suggests a relatively serious tone and subject matter.
Compared to some job ads though these descriptions still don’t give too much away (we still can’t believe the Bungie ones that revealed so much about their secret next game after Destiny) but clearly Massive are not working on The Further Adventures Of Jar Jar Binks.
And just to illustrate how commonplace this sort of thing is, Sucker Punch has also posted new job ads this week that once again imply they’re working on Ghost Of Tsushima 2.
That’s pretty much a no-brainer at this point, but one ad specifically asks for people that, ‘have played Ghost Of Tsushima and understand its core combat systems’.
Have Fun ^_^
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