EA gave Star Wars fans a treat today in the form of a reveal trailer for Star Wars: Squadrons. The newly-announced dogfighting game will put players in the cockpit of X-Wings and Tie Fighters with VR capabilities. The story takes place after Return of the Jedi, and follows both New Republic and Imperial pilots as Palpatine’s one-mighty Empire fades. The press release promises “cameos from familiar faces in the Star Wars galaxy.” We already spotted one in the trailer.
The trailer was entirely narrative, offering hints that battles will be 5v5 and include fighter-to-fighter combat and larger assaults on cruisers. More importantly, it set the stage for the story. Emphasis was placed on following pilots on both sides of the war. One section shows bitter Imperials receiving the usual “we don’t tolerate failure” speech from their higher-ups. The New Republic pilots, meanwhile, were given a message of hope. During that message, a certain green Twi’lek can be seen at the briefing.
That has to be Hera Syndulla, best known as captain and pilot of the Ghost from Star Wars Rebels. Her orange jumpsuit and goggles are trademarks of her outfit. She also rises through the ranks of the Rebellion over the course of the series, landing as a General by the Battle of Endor. It makes sense, then, that she’d be present for a strategic meeting of Rebel pilots.
Fans also spotted a beloved Rebel pilot from the Original Trilogy - none other than Wedge Antilles.
It’ll be interesting to see what role Hera plays in the story of Squadrons. Rebels ends by showing that she took part in the Battle of Endor, but her ship appears later during the final battle on Exegol in Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. Squadrons could lend some context to what Hera does in between the Original Trilogy and Sequel Trilogy. Or she could just have a minor role staying at base and giving the player character missions.
As for Wedge, his story has already been covered in the novels. We learn that he retired and became a flight instructor following the collapse of the Empire, only to come back later during the Battle of Exegol. As such, he’ll probably also feature mostly as a mentor figure and occasional ally to the player character.
Star Wars is getting closer and closer to Marvel with the constant cameos, but it’s not too much yet. Hera and Wedge could use some fleshing out, and it makes total sense for them to be in a game about Rebel pilots. Of course, the real question is if the Millenium Falcon will make an appearance. And if so, will we get to fly it?
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