Fans may have to wait a little bit longer to play Star Wars Eclipse, as the latest rumors suggest its release date has been pushed back to 2027-2028.
Sources at developer Quantic Dream reportedly told gaming website XFire that development of the game has suffered from low staffing numbers and an inability to find new employees. The sources say that although the Eclipse trailer was warmly received, "it has not had the desired effect of attracting developer talent to the studio." Without the staff to work on the title, it's likely the release will have to be postponed until 2027-2028.
Quantic Dream's struggle to attract new employees may be connected to the multiple allegations of sexual harassment and bullying involving the developer over the years. When Eclipse was announced, many Star Wars fans voiced their disappointment that the game was being developed by Quantic Dream and highlighted problematic statements made by its founder, David Cage.
A report from December 2021 suggested the game's release date had slipped to 2026-2027, but continuing staffing problems appear to have delayed it even further. This report also contained more details on the state of the game and explained that it originally started life as an MMORPG that Sony turned down. Although some assets were repurposed for Eclipse and it has already been in development for over 18 months, it's said that as of December, there was no playable build as well as several fundamental problems with the multiplayer mode.
Star Wars Eclipse was announced with a cinematic trailer at the 2021 Game Awards. It's the first game to be set in the High Republic era, which is roughly 200 years before the events of The Skywalker Saga. The events of the High Republic are already being explored in an interconnected series of books and comics, but there is no indication whether Eclipse will include any of the Jedi or villains introduced in the books. According to a press release issued at the time, the game is "a new action-adventure, multiple-character branching narrative game set in the High Republic era of the iconic Star Wars galaxy."
The game is also said to take inspiration from an unlikely source, as some rumors suggest it takes influence from Naughty Dog's The Last of Us due to its mix of "story and gameplay." It's also said to have some "traditional action gameplay," as seen in titles such as Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
Source: Xfire