Can Jedi: Fallen Order’s Strong Sales Save Star Wars Games From the Dark Side?
Robert Workman
Two years after becoming the poster child for the loot box controversy with Star Wars: Battlefront II, EA has shifted course with the single-player, narrative adventure Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. And the fans are loving it.
The third-person action game, produced by Respawn Entertainment and helmed by God of War III director Stig Asmussen, is off to a strong sales start, according to a statement from EA. The game has become the fastest-selling digital launch for a Star Wars game ever within its first two weeks of release, as well as the top-selling Star Wars title for PC within its initial launch window.
Exact sales numbers weren’t given, but this provides a nice boost for the video game company in a time that’s ripe with quality Star Wars content, including the hit live-action show The Mandalorian on Disney+, and the upcoming finale to the 9-part original film series, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, out next month. It also proves that, despite some industry predictions, gamers still crave single-player stories with tight gameplay mechanics and a strong narrative.
“Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order demonstrates the amazing potential for original storytelling in Star Wars games,” said Sean Shoptaw, senior vice president of global games at Disney. “The close collaboration between Respawn and Lucasfilm is a perfect example of how we can deliver an experience for fans that is authentic to the stories and worlds they love, while also being an incredibly fun and innovative game.”
Now the question is where EA will go from here with the franchise. It’s still showing strong support for its Battlefront II multiplayer experience, but the critical and commercial success of Jedi: Fallen Order indicates there’s demand on the single player front as well. Perhaps the dark days of Star Wars games are at an end.
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