‘Star Wars Eclipse’: Developer Quantic Dream Claims Progress on Game is Advancing Well
Quantic Dream has indicated that development on Star Wars Eclipse is moving forward as planned. The developer also indicated that previous issues of a toxic workplace environment, something that has haunted the studio, are now in the past.
Initially said to have begun development in 2020, Star Wars Eclipse has been set to be a major gaming experience fleshing out the era of the High Republic. Little has been revealed about the title beyond the cinematic trailer, but it was indicated that the game will have an actionized version of the narrative-heavy, multiple-character gameplay formula established in previous Quantic Dream titles like Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and Detroit: Become Human, albeit with new components emphasizing blaster and lightsaber battles, exploration through large open-world environments, and space travel and combat.
Such a move hinted that this was a much more ambitious project than any that Quantic Dream had previously undertaken, so unsurprisingly, rumors indicated that there were significant development issues with the title, such as the fact that the game has caused strain on the company’s in-house engine, which isn’t suited for a title of this scale or multiplayer, and that the company has been understaffed for the amount of work that they need to get done on the game. Some estimates indicate that Star Wars Eclipse won’t release until 2027 or 2028.
A new video posted on the website for the French news channel BFM TV features a new behind-the-scenes look that indicates that progress on Star Wars Eclipse is still ongoing. The video does not feature any new gameplay footage, but it does showcase the performance capture equipment that allows the studio to digitally recreate a real actor’s likeness, along with a demonstration of the sound mixing used to create the noises that will be heard in-game. Quantic Dream Co-CEO Guillaume de Fondaumière addressed concerns of a toxic work environment, allegations that plagued the company in 2018 and have tarnished its reputation, to the point where fans were discussing a boycott of the game due to Quantic Dream’s involvement. In his words, the company moving forward is a better place for its workers:
“It is far behind us. We work with our teams every day. It’s going very, very well. We are focused on game development – that’s the only thing that interests us. We decided to lead the studio in another direction, to really have perfect editorial control over our studio.”
As it stands, we are only going off of the words of the developer, who may be seeking to reassure investors; the absence of any real update on the title for a very long time has been noticed quite clearly. It is also notable that no release date has been set for Star Wars Eclipse, and that it is believed that the announcement trailer revealed at The Game Awards in 2021 was largely done to entice an investor into acquiring the company, since the project was extremely ambitious and would need the kind of funding that now-parent company NetEase could provide. There has been no update on its development cycle since that announcement, eighteen months ago.
Check out the gallery of screenshots from the teaser trailer below:
Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.
