Already facing development troubles, the recently announced adventure title Star Wars Eclipse may not be out for several years.
There have been a number of world premiere announcements at The Game Awards 2021, taking place on December 9, ranging from smaller indie titles to installments of established franchises. Notable among these are Remedy Entertainment’s Alan Wake 2, Telltale Games’ The Expanse, which will be the studio’s first new product since its reimagining in 2019, and Quantic Dream’s Star Wars Eclipse.
While many fans of the Star Wars franchise are excited at the prospect of a new title in the franchise, others are less than thrilled to learn that the development team will also be publishing Quantic Dream. based in Paris. For nearly a decade, the studio has faced accusations of workplace harassment, discrimination and the development of a toxic work environment. Not long after announcing the project at The Game Awards, the hashtag #blackoutstarwarseclipse began to trend on social media, as fans protested Quantic Dream’s involvement in the development of Star Wars Eclipse.
A week ago, industry insider and leaker Tom Henderson, who is known for providing accurate information in the past, revealed that Quantic Dream may be experiencing problems with the project. Let’s say, Star Wars Eclipse has been in development for 18 months, and still doesn’t have a playable version. According to Henderson, the game may not be ready for release “at least” for another four years, and development could even drag on as early as 2027.
Star Wars Eclipse is currently in development.
If the rumors are true, there are most likely two main reasons for Star Wars Eclipse’s difficult development. The first is that the studio has difficulty recruiting staff to work on the project, because Quantic Dream is known for having a bad working environment, especially for women and members of the LGBTQ community. In 2019, Chinese gaming giant NetEase acquired some shares in Quantic Dream, but the allegations against the studio have hampered its ability to attract other major investors.
This leads to the second reason why development of Star Wars Eclipse can be so slow: lack of resources. Quantic Dream has developed five games since its founding in 1997, the majority of which are single-player linear titles. The Star Wars Eclipse, on the other hand, is expected to have a multiplayer component and an open world, which requires a new engine with specific abilities. In addition to developing Star Wars Eclipse, Quantic Dream will need to further develop its own engine or purchase a license for third-party use, and both of those options require funding that the company does not currently have. However, except for a statement from the developer, these rumors are yet to be confirmed.
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