Star Wars: Hunters
A squad-based arena shooter set after the fall of the Empire.
Star Wars: Hunters was a free-to-play arena combat game where players competed in squad-based player-versus-player matches. Developed by Zynga, it launched on Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android on June 4, 2024. Set after the fall of the Galactic Empire, the game introduced a fresh lineup of characters, including bounty hunters, rebellion heroes, and imperial stormtroopers. It was shut down on October 1, 2025, after failing to achieve commercial success.
The gameplay revolved around squad-based arena battles, taking place between the events of Episode VI and Episode VII. Players fought in arenas inspired by iconic Star Wars locations, controlling a diverse roster that included a Wookiee warrior, a Dark Side Force user, a bounty hunter, and an Imperial Stormtrooper.
Development began after Zynga and Disney struck a deal on August 18, 2018, for a Star Wars mobile game, to be built by Zynga and its subsidiary NaturalMotion. The game was first announced during a Nintendo Direct presentation on February 17, 2021, with a teaser trailer and a planned release by the end of 2021. First gameplay footage appeared in September 2021 at an Apple Event showcasing the iPad Mini, followed shortly by a cinematic trailer featuring characters like the Sith warrior Rieve and the Mandalorian Aran Tal.
A soft launch on Android occurred in late 2021 in India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, and Indonesia. On July 18, 2022, Zynga delayed the official release to 2023. That date passed, and on November 8, 2023, Zynga’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, announced during an earnings call that the game had been pushed to 2024. A tech demo at the 2024 Game Developers Conference confirmed the game ran on an unspecified iteration of the Unreal Engine. Weeks later, Zynga announced a final launch date of June 4, after multiple delays.
In November 2024, a Windows early access release was announced for January 27, 2025. However, in March 2025, Zynga canceled the full Windows release and announced the game would end service for all platforms on October 1, with a final content patch on April 15.
Critics gave Star Wars: Hunters mixed or average reviews, according to Metacritic. OpenCritic reported that 40% of critics recommended the game.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Zynga; NaturalMotion
- Publisher
- Zynga
- Composer
- Gordy Haab
- Series
- Star Wars
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch
- iOS
- Android
- Engine
- Unreal Engine
- Released
- June 4, 2024
- Genre
- Action
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Star Wars: Hunters was a squad-based arena shooter set between the events of Episode VI and Episode VII. Players fought in settings inspired by Star Wars locations, controlling a diverse set of characters including a Wookiee warrior, a Dark Side Force user, a bounty hunter, and an Imperial Stormtrooper. The game was formally announced during the Nintendo Direct presentation on February 17, 2021, with a teaser trailer and initial plans to release by the end of 2021. First gameplay footage was shown in September 2021 during an Apple Event while showcasing the iPad Mini, and a cinematic trailer shortly after depicted characters including the Sith warrior Rieve and Mandalorian Aran Tal. In late 2021, the game was soft-launched on Android devices in India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, and Indonesia. Despite this, on July 18, 2022, Zynga announced the official release would be delayed until 2023. The game did not release that year, and on November 8, 2023, Zynga's parent company Take-Two Interactive announced during its quarterly earnings call that the game had been delayed to 2024. A tech demo was shown at Game Developers Conference 2024's State of Unreal, confirming the game would run on an unspecified iteration of the Unreal Engine. Weeks later, Zynga announced the game would finally launch on June 4, after multiple delays. In November 2024, it was announced that the game would be released in early access for Microsoft Windows on January 27, 2025. In March 2025, Zynga announced the full release for Windows was cancelled and that the game would end its services for all platforms on October 1 with a final content patch on April 15.
Reader's Guide
Star Wars: Hunters was notable as a free-to-play competitive arena shooter developed by Zynga, a studio known primarily for mobile and social games, and set in the Star Wars universe after the fall of the Galactic Empire. Its development was marked by multiple delays from an initial 2021 target to a final release on June 4, 2024. The game featured a new cast of characters rather than established film icons, including a Wookiee warrior, a Dark Side Force user, a bounty hunter, and an Imperial Stormtrooper. A soft launch in select Android markets in late 2021 preceded the full release. The game's Windows version was announced for early access in January 2025, but that full release was cancelled in March 2025, and the game was shut down on October 1, 2025, due to lacking commercial viability. Reception was mixed or average according to Metacritic, with OpenCritic determining that 40% of critics recommended the game. Its legacy is that of a short-lived Star Wars multiplayer title that struggled to find an audience despite its free-to-play model and connection to a major franchise.
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