Star Wars: Hunters

Yes, Star Wars: Hunters is canon to the overall Star Wars universe!

The main arena of the game exists on an Outer Rim planet and the action is beamed over the HoloNet like a TV show to entertainment fans around the galaxy. Turns out what the people want in this universe is deathmatches, who knew?

The whole operation is run by one of the Hutts (not that one). Each battle arena is an elaborate set that has been put together to look like famous things from Star Wars, such as the Death Star and the Battle of Endor.

It’s all fake, though, and the biggest Star Wars fans will notice the purposefully unconvincing nature of the arenas.

Inspiration for the whole thing was taken from pro wrestling, with the development team explaining that the characters – all larger-than-life archetypal heroes and villains when the cameras are rolling – are normal citizens of the galaxy the rest of the time.

Rieve, for example, plays the role of a Sith when they’re in the arena, but in reality, she’s a young Force-sensitive person just trying to find her way in the galaxy.

As for when the game is set in the Star Wars films timeline? Between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens – after the fall of the Galactic Empire.

In an exclusive interview with the Star Wars: Hunters developers at an official preview event for the game, we here at RadioTimes.com asked them about the game’s ties to Star Wars canon.

Here’s what the developers had to say.

Rich Kemp, senior art director, told us at the preview event that: "Having a game that exists in canon in the universe is a massive privilege. We just want to keep expanding the universe of Star Wars as best we can, introducing new exciting characters.

"And if they make their way into [TV] shows or if they make their way into books, comics, that's awesome. It just makes our characters feel all the more alive. And yeah, we already think of them as alive. So hopefully other people will too."

He added, "There's already a Rieve short novel out there, about Rieve and how she came to take part in the arena."

Imara Vex, too, has appeared in the official Star Wars comics, and even fought legendary big bad Darth Vader.

Three years in the making, Star Wars: Hunters has seen multiple delays that set it back from a 2021 release date to 2022 and finally 2024. Star Wars fans have had some hands-on experience with the title in the interim - playing in soft launch in select regions so that Zynga subsidiary NaturalMotion could collect data and improve the game.

But today, June 4th, 2024, marks the first time everyone on the planet is able to play, whether on Android, iOS, or Nintendo Switch and it’s a landmark moment for Zynga and for Star Wars.

Hunters was Zynga’s first game in development for Nintendo Switch, broadening the company’s horizons; meanwhile, for Star Wars, Hunters was the brand's second game revealed after EA’s exclusivity deal came to an end.

Hunters is also canon to the wider Star Wars universe and further broadens the series’ transmedia reach, with NaturalMotion having worked with Lucasfilm to ensure the game stays true to the films and other media. The game iteself is set after Episode Six taking place in a location where characters from across the galaxy pay a visit for entertainment and combat.

As for its gameplay, Star Wars: Hunters offers chaotic 4v4 multiplayer battles in iconic series locales, with plenty of characters to choose from and roles like Support, Tank, and Damage classes.

There are multiple game modes with different objectives like taking and maintaining control over certain areas, or capture-the-flag type challenges. Trophy Chase tasks squads with holding the TR0-F33 droid, while Squad Brawl challenges teams to make 20 eliminations.