It’s the twilight of the Clone Wars™…
The once-unified Galactic Republic has fractured, plunging the galaxy into all-out war with the Separatist Alliance. This unrelenting conflict has claimed countless lives, upended entire worlds, and thrown the galaxy into disarray. For many, peace is out of reach.
But did you know there is a war beneath the war? A shadow conflict that helps determine the fate of the galaxy.
Step into the role of Hawks, a former Galactic Republic officer turned leader of Zero Company, an unconventional outfit of skilled Operators for hire. Your team is anything but ordinary. From a hardened Clone Trooper to a Mandalorian warrior of the ancient Clan Verminoth, a Jedi Padawan, an Umbaran sniper, and more, each member brings their own edge to the fight.
Together, they must track down and stop Kundri Fathom, the enigmatic leader of a Separatist-aligned cult known as the Infinite Coil, before the Coil’s actions push the galaxy beyond the brink.
This is Star Wars Zero Company™,a single-player, turn-based tactics game developed by Bit Reactor in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. It will be available on PC starting August 27. Pre-purchases are available on all supported platforms.
*Star Wars Zero Company is still under development. Anything discussed in this article is subject to change.
Your campaign starts now!
It’s time to meet some key members of Zero Company, learn to control your squad on the harrowing battlefield, and manage them between missions at the Den.
Table of Contents
Meet Zero Company
Battlefield Basics: Commanding Zero Company
The Den: Your Base of Operations
Stay Tuned for More News
Meet Zero Company
There are two types of Operators you can have in your company: Authored and Custom. Authored Operators join Zero Company naturally as the story unfolds, while Custom Operators are recruited directly by you and can be fully customized in appearance, clothing, voice, and name. Learn more about the Authored Operators of Zero Company below.
Once a captain in the Grand Army of the Republic, Hawks now leads Zero Company. Clever, cool-headed and decisive, Hawks works with operators from any and all backgrounds, as long as they know how to get the job done.
Trick, also known as CT-3301, is a consummate soldier who loves games of chance. He has been with Hawks since they both served in the Republic military.
The Tognath Jedi Padawan Tel-Rea’s boundless discipline and determination has led her to join Zero Company as she seeks to honor the legacy of her late Jedi Master.
The infamous Cly Kullervo is one of the last surviving members of the ancient Clan Verminoth. She joins Zero Company purely to further her implacable quest for revenge.
[/p]Sharp-tongued sniper Luco Bronc defended his home of Umbara during the Republic invasion. Although he has no love for the Republic that defeated and occupied his planet, Luco is willing to set aside his differences to work with Zero Company.
Born into the ruthless noble House Mordant of Shu-Torun, Jae went offworld to build her own mining citadel on Luunata, ruling as its Ore-Baroness until Fathom and the Infinite Coil took the planet for the Separatists. Sophisticated, witty, and relentlessly self-possessed, Jae was instrumental in convincing the Republic to hire Zero Company, and she will not rest until Luunata is hers again.
Kabbney "Kabb" Uppercut is a veteran crook and former prizefighter who now works for Zero Company. The burly Felshi is known for his cybernetic arm, his namesake knockout punch, and his distinctive rhyming dialect. Star Wars Zero Company is the first time we meet a Felshi in the Star Wars galaxy.
Check out the Operators hub for more information about these characters.
Ready up. Your first Zero Company boot camp lesson starts now.
In Tactical Missions, you’ll command your squad in intense, turn-based ground combat from an isometric camera perspective. Combat unfolds in turns: your entire squad acts first, followed by the enemy. Each squad member has three Action Points (AP) to spend every turn. Use them to:
Move your Operator between locations on the battlefield. The Action Point cost to move increases depending on the distance traveled.
Attack an enemy within range and line of sight using your weapon. The AP cost varies by weapon type, and some consume all of your available AP. Your Chance-to-Hit is displayed next to the target, and is dependent on several factors, such as range and cover. Additional details about the attack can be found in the Shot Breakdown panel.
Use Overwatch—an Action that lets your Operator fire at any enemy during their turn. Overwatch is placed on an adjustable cone that triggers when an enemy moves through or takes an action in the targeted area. Enemies hit by Overwatch while moving may have their movement interrupted. The Overwatching Operator can fire at a number of enemies based on the amount of AP invested. Your Chance-to-Hit varies based on the length of the Overwatch cone you place down. Using Overwatch immediately ends that Operator’s turn, making it an ideal final Action.
Use a Utility item. Medpacs, Concussion Grenades, and more can be helpful in a pinch, clearing groups of enemies or giving your squad the upper hand. Utilities typically cost one AP to use.
Activate an Ability. These Abilities can increase your Operators’ combat stats, expose an enemy, execute a powerful melee attack that sends foes flying, and much more.
As you can see, there’s quite a lot each Operator can do with their three AP each turn, and Actions can be taken in any order. One tried-and-true strategy is to attack an enemy using your blaster, move to a better cover position, and set up Overwatch to stop the enemy from fully advancing on your position the next turn.
Some Actions, such as Call for Backup, cost no AP. Each turn, Call for Backup allows one random Operator to select a teammate to assist with their next attack, usually by contributing their own firepower to help cut down the target. Use this Action to help overcome especially difficult enemies.
As Zero Company hit the enemy with attacks, you’ll build up Advantage. This resource can be spent to activate some of the game’s most powerful Abilities during combat. Examples include granting an additional AP to an ally for the turn, calling in a devastating rocket strike, temporarily increasing Chance-to-Hit for your entire squad, and taunting nearby enemies to attack a single Operative. You can have a maximum of 10 Advantage at a time.
Advantage doesn’t cost AP to use, so it can be an excellent way to get your team out of a tight situation after all your AP has been spent, or inversely, it can set up a calculated turn of destruction for your squad.
Cover plays a key role in ensuring your Operators don’t end up full of blaster bolts on their first Tactical Mission. Units in partial cover are more difficult to hit, and even harder to hit when in full cover.
Don’t like your odds of hitting an enemy with an attack? Consider flanking them or attacking from higher ground to increase your Chance-to-Hit. Some forms of cover can be destroyed by incoming attacks, so don’t hunker down in one location for too long, or you’ll find yourself completely exposed.
When an Operator loses all their Health, that Operator is Downed and suffers an Injury. Downed Operators can’t take Actions, but can be Rallied by an ally, getting them back in the action.
Injuries negatively impact combat stats and must be managed carefully–accumulating three Injuries results in permanent death on standard difficulty. No Operator Hawks recruits is completely safe from an untimely end.
No single approach is superior. Use a mix of Actions, Advantage, cover, and your Operators’ strengths to come out on top in a firefight. Sometimes you’ll need to think outside the box to dispatch the enemy—one reliable combination is using Tel-Rea’s Force Push ability or Kabb’s Uppercut ability to knock enemies out of cover and into a squadmate’s Overwatch.
The tactical possibilities are endless, and we can’t wait to see what the community comes up with once Star Wars Zero Company launches.
Flex Your Operator’s Specialization
Most Operators have one of eight standard Specializations that define their role. Every Specialization includes three Abilities: an Ultimate, a Standard, and a Passive. These Abilities are unique to each Specialization. Here’s an overview of how each one plays:
Assault: The Assault is a frontline fighter that excels at maneuvering in battle to score medium to close-range kills against targets hiding in cover. Operators trained in this way are lethal opponents.
Gunslinger: The Gunslinger specializes in multi-target blaster attacks and fast strikes that allow them to spread offense across numerous targets.
Heavy: The Heavy is a frontline combatant, thickly armored and tough as nails. These Operators specialize in survivability and soaking up enemy attacks while out in the open.
Medic: The Medic excels at healing and the prevention of Injuries. Medics can also boost their teammates, both physically and psychologically.
Scoundrel: The Scoundrel is a wildcard, adept at taking advantage of situations without much preparation and making the most of every opportunity in combat.
Scout: The Scout is a tactical Operator trained in reconnaissance tactics. Their planning and timing benefit their entire team, creating opportunities where none existed.
Sharpshooter: The Sharpshooter is an expert marksman that excels at long-range engagements, focused on singling out and defeating chosen enemies in battle.
Soldier: The Soldier is a mainstay offensive unit, capable of engaging enemies at close to medium-range with melee, grenades, heavy blaster fire, and a powerful rocket launcher.
Tucked away in a hulking hangar on the Ring of Kafrene, the Den is Zero Company’s home base. From here, you can plot your next incursions, recruit and outfit Operators, treat their Injuries, and prepare for whatever the Infinite Coil may bring. While in the Den, the camera perspective shifts from the isometric overview of the battlefield to third-person perspective.
The Den is also where you can speak with Zero Company members between combat. Check in regularly to learn more about your Operators and their perspectives on unfolding events. Let’s take a tour of the many Facilities within the Command Center and what you can do at each.
Whenever you’re ready to jump into combat via Tactical Missions, begin an Operation, or check Zero Company's Influence, you’ll do it at the Holotable. The Holotable shows all available Operations and Tactical Missions for the current Cycle.
Operations are brief assignments which do not require tactical combat, but aid your team in information gathering, acquiring loot, or just simply replenishing the Den’s modest treasury of Credits, a currency spent in the Command Center. Some Operations require choices that could impact your Bond with other squadmates, or even how the enemy evolves. Operations cost Intel to complete and can provide immediate rewards such as Credits, Weapon Mods, Utilities, and more. Intel is gained by completing Tactical Missions.
Tactical Missions, as described earlier, are ground combat encounters where you will command your squad through intense, turn-based combat, engaging enemy forces, and completing objectives on distant planets, such as Bespin, Dantooine, Lothal, Ryloth and many more. Tie up any loose ends you may have in the Den before launching a Mission, as you will advance to the next Cycle after completion. Tactical Missions can award you with Credits, Weapon Mods, Utilities, Focus Points to upgrade your Operators, Zone Influence and more.
Certain Tactical Missions are Critical to advance the story. Operations and Tactical Missions have a limited time frame to complete before they disappear forever, so choose wisely.
Completing Operations and Tactical Missions will award Zone Influence within the respective region of the planet. Collect enough Influence to unlock Zone Rewards, such as Upgrades, powerful Utilities, Contacts, and Credits. The latter of which can be spent to gain large amounts of Influence.
As your journey to stop the Infinite Coil grows, so will your need to reinforce Zero Company’s roster with courageous recruits. New Custom Operators can be hired from the Recruitment Facility for Credits.
Each Cycle, a selection of new Custom Operators will be available for you to choose from. Custom Operators have their own Name, Talent, Primary Specialization, Weapon type, and backstory they come with, all of which can be further adjusted in the Den after recruitment. Many of these aspects can be altered for Authored Operators as well. If you don’t like the current pool of Operators, you can refresh your choices at will, allowing you to recruit whomever suits the needs of your company best. Alternatively, you can create your own pool of Custom Operators in the main menu for recruitment at this Facility.
The Den initially has limited space for new recruits, indicated by your Roster Capacity, so keep an eye out for opportunities to increase your allotment.
This Facility provides an overview of your Operators’ combat stats, Soldier Bonds, and the Focus Tree. The Focus Tree allows you to spend Focus Points–primarily earned from increasing Bonds– to upgrade the Talents, Abilities, and Passives of your Operator. You can also change most Operators’ Specializations to another one that suits your preferred playstyle from this menu at any time.
The final tab of the Personnel Facility is where you manage Bonds—how much each Operator likes or dislikes the rest of your team. Each pair of Operators begins with an initial relationship, usually neutral or negative. Completing Operations, Tactical Missions, and Calling for Backup are some ways to boost Bonds, and when a Bond increases in level, both Operators can Cross Train to gain a permanent combat stat bonus.
Once a pair reaches the maximum Bond level, they can unlock a special Cross Training that grants masterful benefits through a Passive Ability.
The Bonds of your team can be tested outside of combat as well. At certain points in the story, Hawks will be faced with a Dilemma, an important decision to make. Every Operator in Zero Company will weigh in with their opinion on how to resolve the issue. How you decide to handle the Dilemma may change your Bond with an Operator.
Building strong Bonds between Operators is key to your success in Star Wars Zero Company.
The Armory is your one-stop shop for outfitting Zero Company with deadly gear to overcome any threat in the field.
Weapon Modifications can be slotted into a weapon to alter its stats and apply distinct effects. Each weapon has a set number of Modification Slots, which can be increased throughout the campaign. Every Operative comes with a default weapon, but you can change it in the Armory. There are four Weapon types: Longarm, Repeater, Rifle, and Pistol—each offering advantages suited to different playstyles. And of course, you can customize your weapon’s cosmetic appearance with a variety of blaster models and colors found in the galaxy.
Utilities are equippable items that grant your Operators new abilities in combat, such as Impact Bombs and Concussion Grenades. Depending on an Operator’s Specialization, they can carry one or more Utilities. Outside of Operations and Tactical Missions, Weapon Modifications and Utilities can be purchased from the Black Market in the Armory using Credits.
Mix and match Weapon Modifications and Utilities across your Operators to concoct potent combinations.
The Den has everything you need to begin your campaign, but you’ll need to upgrade your Facilities and troops to stand a chance of stopping Fathom.
The Upgrade Facility allows you to bolster Zero Company’s effectiveness. Here, you can fund improvements to the Den’s existing infrastructure, such as adding a Droid Bay that allows you to recruit Astromech Custom Operators, or purchase roster-wide weapon upgrades that enhance the combat stats of all your Operators. Constructing an upgrade takes at least one Cycle and requires an available Build Slot. Over time, you’ll unlock additional Build Slots, allowing you to construct multiple upgrades at once.
The Medbay allows Operators to recover from Injuries sustained during Operations and Tactical Missions. Standard beds require one cycle to heal, while the Bacta Tank provides instant recovery. Healing an injured Operator costs Credits, so choose when to treat your team wisely.
Swing by the Customization Facility at any time to update your Operators’ appearance and outfits with a variety of cosmetic options. Hawks and Custom Operators can also change their species, choosing from options such as: Devaronian, Human, Mirialan, Togruta, Twi’lek, and Zabrak for Hawks, and Devaronian, Human, Mirialan, Neimoidian, Ovissian, Rodian, Togruta, Twi’lek, Weequay, and Zabrak for Custom Operators.
The Memorial honors Operators who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Visit this facility to reflect on their legacy, and review the stats and accomplishments that defined their service to Zero Company.