Games giant Zynga, known for its extended catalogue of mobile games, are no stranger to working with big IP names, from the wizarding world of Harry Potter to Game of Thrones Westeros.
So, in 2018, news broke that Zynga had entered a partnership with Disney to create a mobile Star Wars game, it seemed that a hit was cards. And when Zynga charged its subsidiary NaturalMotion, which it acquired back in 2014 for $527 million, with developing the game, it felt like success was in the bag.
But it hasn’t always been plain sailing for NaturalMotion under Zynga’s tenure. While the NaturalMotion team had had – and continues to enjoy – great racing success via its CSR franchise, Zynga and NaturalMotions first major title, action strategy Dawn of Titans would soon head off the rails.
In 2017, Zynga closed NatrualMotion’s Oxford office, resulting in staff being either laid off or moving to other studios in Brighton and London, as Zynga wound down its commercial technology licensing business.
Meanwhile Dawn of Titans would spend a tortuous 21 months in soft launch as its Zynga paymasters tweaked and perfected. However, as the game cooked and overcooked the game market moved on.
Subsequently, in September 2021, despite all the time, effort and money the game was shuttered.
The big reveal
But always looking forward, and with the responsibility of building Star Wars: Hunters on the NaturalMotion team, work continued. Zynga’s executive vice president Yaron Leyvand picks up the story. “Star Wars: Hunters was and is a labour of love by an international team across our studios in Brighton, London, and Austin. During development, the team evolved as they continued to add and expand content in the game.”
At one point the company had a team of 300 working on the game and it was ready to break cover at Nintendo Direct in 2021, where the first official teaser was shown. The reveal made Star Wars: Hunters the first game from Zynga to be developed for Nintendo Switch alongside mobile.
We’ve always been committed to bringing this game to Star Wars fans around the globe.
Yaron Leyvand
The big wait
However, while the game was expected to launch later that same year; a global launch didn’t happen. Instead, Hunters was soft launched across Android devices in New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines and Zynga announced in 2022 that the full release would be delayed until 2023.
Many wondered if the game would make it to a global launch, but as Leyvand told us, “We’ve always been committed to bringing this game to Star Wars fans around the globe.”
With years in soft launch, the team were able to expand the game significantly from its initial announcement, “We saw great engagement and input from players in our soft launch phase and worked to incorporate that into the version you see now”, Leyvand notes, with that soft launch phase proving invaluable for the NaturalMotion team to “introduce new gameplay modes, characters, and mechanics that truly make Star Wars: Hunters a best-in-class competitive arena shooter.”
Going global
And it’s finally here. Despite fan fears, Star Wars: Hunters launched globally yesterday, on June 4th, 2024. Not only had the game survived what appeared to be a rocky and prolonged development, but it launched cross-platform, representing “a huge step forward for Zynga as our first cross-platform competitive shooter,” according to Leyvand.
Leyvand notes that the game’s cross-platform capabilities are a standout feature, as players can “jump back and forth between the Nintendo Switch and mobile versions seamlessly. With crossplay functionality, the game is every bit as fun and competitive no matter which platform you’re on.”
However, the Nintendo Switch was released back in 2017, meaning it’s coming toward the end of its cycle, with rumours already floating that a new Switch could be on the market as early as Q1 2025.
Then there’s the mobile market, which moves incredibly fast and has faced numerous challenges for the last couple of years. Has Star Wars: Hunters – like Dawn of Titans before it – spent too long in gestation?
Leyvand teases that “We have a tremendous amount of exciting updates that we want to bring to players and fans in the future.” So, could there be a possibility that the team will bring the game over to the next-generation Switch and other formats whenever they land?
In a galaxy far away
Working with a big-name IP is always a lot of pressure because it comes with a fan base with high expectations, and companies as high profile as Lucasfilm and Disney bring with them their own expectations…
Nonetheless Leyvand claims that team and right-holders worked “hand-in-hand” on Hunters and were “incredibly supportive throughout the entire process” and we’re certain that they’ll be happy to see the game finally in the hands of players.
Star Wars: Hunters is available now on iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch. With Star Wars Acolyte on Disney Plus releasing at the same time, there may be even more reason for franchise fans to download the game. Time will tell if the development period, delays and extended soft launch given to Star Wars: Hunters ultimately pays off.
