Ubisoft and Lucasfilm Games Announce New Story-Driven Star Wars Game

Ubisoft and Lucasfilm Games have announced a collaboration on a new Star Wars game. Development on the project will be led by Massive Entertainment whose expertise and talent will be used to create a story-driven, open-world experience within the Star Wars galaxy that will also utilize the studio’s cutting-edge technology and advancements, including the Snowdrop engine.

“The vast Star Wars lore is an incredible source of inspiration for our teams,” said Yves Guillemot, co-founder and CEO of Ubisoft. “This is the beginning of a long-term collaboration with Disney and Lucasfilm Games, and we are pleased to be working hand-in-hand to build upon the incredible legacy of Lucasfilm to create a game that we know Star Wars fans will love.”

Ubisoft News spoke with David Polfeldt, managing director at Massive Entertainment, and Julian Gerighty, creative director, about the project, what it means to be working with Lucasfilm Games on a new Star Wars game, and of course, the game itself.

This is a pretty exciting announcement! How does it feel to be part of such an adventure?

David Polfeldt: It makes me so proud of our teams to be here today and confirm that we are working on a new Star Wars game! We are extremely excited to be in a position to add new adventures to one of the richest and most fascinating sagas of our age.

Curiosity has always been an important part of who we are and what we do here at Massive. We are driven by dreaming big and taking daring challenges that match our ambition, and during the past two decades this attitude has taken us to places no one thought we could reach.

With that said, some ideas tickle the imagination more than others. Ever since I was a child, I’ve had this dream of becoming a part of the creative adventures that blew my young mind. Here we are, after 20 years of hard work, hiring the most amazing talent and believing in our ability to take our industry further. Having the opportunity to build upon this incredible legacy of Star Wars feels extremely exciting and rewarding for all of us.

David Polfeldt, Managing Director

Julian Gerighty: You have probably heard this before, but if you had told 10-year-old me that one day I would be working on a video game experience set in the same science fiction galaxy of their favorite movie, 10-year-old-me would never have believed you.

A New Hope was the first movie I saw at the cinema, the first VHS that I wore out, the first action figures that I craved. The characters, the planets, the ships, and the timeless stories became so familiar and loved that I have no doubt that they have become part of who I am.

So, being able to work with some of the best people in the industry to craft an original and unforgettable Star Wars experience? Sign. Me. Up.

So, what can you tell us about the game so far?

JG: Right now, we are in the beginning of our new journey, so we are still working out many of the details. But, what we can tell you is that this will be a story-driven open-world game.

For me, personally, this will be a departure from the world of The Division, and both I and the team at Massive are very excited to start crafting this new experience. We truly look forward to create something totally different from what we have done in the past, while upping the bar for the industry.

We can’t wait to share with fans news and glimpses of the game in action, and all the official news will be available on official sites and Ubisoft News.

How do you intend to make it unique? What kind of experience will it bring to the Star Wars galaxy?

JG: This is a galaxy that we at Massive love, and we want to invite players on a journey they never experienced before in this beloved lore.
First, we want to make it a unique game in the saga with a captivating story and set of characters that players can relate to and connect with. We want to take what is familiar and resonant about Star Wars and tell the stories of new characters who have their own motivations and stakes. We have a passion for Star Wars and shared vision with Lucasfilm Games on the kind of original story we want to bring to fans, which makes this a very exciting part of the project.

Second, and that’s one of the reasons we were entrusted with this game, is to make the most of the technology to bring innovation to the gameplay and world building. Our talented developers and our tech expertise, especially with our in-house game engine Snowdrop, enable us to push the envelope in various aspects of game development.

Julian Gerighty, Creative Director

With such a large-scale project in preparation, how is the studio going to handle the other games Massive is working on?

DP: We have been preparing the studio for a long time to handle all our projects with equal attention and love. Since all our teams work on the Snowdrop engine, all projects benefit from each other's progress and successes. And obviously, with such an amazing collection of triple-A projects under one roof, we are continuously recruiting, and we’re currently looking for experienced developers from all over the world to join us on our future adventures. You can check out our open positions on our career site here!

Speaking of recruitments, anything you’d like to share with talents interested in joining?

DP: Massive is the home to an international and diverse workforce, and we strive to have a friendly, open-minded culture where we dare to challenge ourselves – and each other – to continuously become better at everything we do. We believe in tight-knit teams, and we rely on our craftsmanship and courage to fulfill our big dreams. As a studio, we are particularly focused on the craft of making games, and the fact that we have our own engine, Snowdrop, allows us to push boundaries and explore ideas independently and quickly.

With our current portfolio of brands, we offer a unique chance for talented individuals to become a part of some of the most exciting and legendary game projects one could dream of.

Who do you see as the audience for this game?

JG: We want to bring both lifelong and new fans on an immersive and outstanding journey that will stick with them for years. We want to leverage Massive’s talent for creating incredible worlds and refined gameplay to deliver an unforgettable game, especially for players looking to experience an amazing story-driven journey.

Can you tell us a bit more about your collaboration with Lucasfilm Games?

JG: I must say that one of the most exciting things about this project so far is our close collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. We share a dedication to the highest quality in all aspects of game production and they share precious insights that help ensure the level of authenticity fans can expect.

We are 100% aligned on the same goal – delivering an incredible, groundbreaking Star Wars experience.

You mentioned the Snowdrop engine. How’s that going to influence the development of the game?

DP: Snowdrop allows us to explore cutting-edge of technology, and hence stay at the forefront of innovation. Our amazing rendering will visually bring Star Wars to life in a way that no game has ever done before.

As a game-agnostic engine, Snowdrop has always been developed as a future-forward piece of tech, with the focus to empower our developers. The beauty of our engine is the control and flexibility given to our creators to innovate the best games possible for the players. Snowdrop is extremely agile and has the power to bring a variety of games to our players. With the launch of next generation consoles, Snowdrop’s engineers are pushing the engine even further so that we can really make the most of the opportunities the new hardware provides.

With two major franchises (Star Wars, Avatar) being developed by Massive Entertainment, what makes Ubisoft uniquely suited for developing games based on major IPs?

DP: We are always looking to collaborate with fellow creators to bring players memorable experiences and immerse them in incredible worlds, as shown by the amazing collaborations we have with Lightstorm, Lucasfilm, and Disney. Together, we are focused on projects that push the boundaries of open-worlds and player immersion to the limit, and that direction suits the rich universes of Avatar and Star Wars extremely well.

Having successfully brought so many original IPs to life, with one of the most diverse portfolios in the industry, I think Ubisoft has built both the experience and a unique creative capacity. That definitely makes it the ideal place, and partner, to develop any types of projects.

For more news and future updates on Ubisoft’s new Star Wars title, be sure to check back in to Ubisoft News.