Star Wars Eclipse‘s lead writer Adam Williams has announced his departure from developer Quantic Dream, after a near-10 year tenure with the studio. Over on LinkedIn (via IGN), Williams confirmed he was leaving to found a new studio “together with a group of very talented designers and developers.”
Based on wording, it appears Williams already has his next major project, with a team and investors backing “something very innovative, very special, and for now, very secret.”
What’s going on with Star Wars Eclipse?
At this stage, it’s unclear how Williams’ departure will impact Stars Wars Eclipse, and it’s also unclear how far along writing work on the game actually is. Quantic Dream’s take on the Star Wars universe has remained relatively under wraps, with only a cinematic trailer to indicate the vast scope and ideas for the upcoming adventure.
So far, the studio has described the game as an opportunity to “weave your own Star Wars story” via an “intricately branching” narrative that “puts the destinies of multiple playable characters in your hands.”
We know it’s being developed closely with Lucasfilm Games, and that it’ll be set in the High Republic era, in the Outer Rim. We also know it will feature a range of familiar races: Nemodians, droids, the Mon Calamari, the Duros, and more. Based on teaser images, the Jedi and the Sith will also play a role, although it’s currently unclear if any of the player characters will be Jedi.
Is Star Wars Eclipse still coming out?
There’s still many questions around Star Wars Eclipse, despite all this knowledge. Quantic Dream has only shown off one major trailer for the game, and that was way back in 2021. Since then, several other Star Wars games have released (and Ubisoft is also on the cusp of releasing its major open world adventure, Star Wars Outlaws).
Speaking to IGN in late 2023, Quantic Dream’s vice president of marketing Lisa Pendse confirmed the game “still exists” and that “it’s simmering” but with no other tangible updates, the future of Star Wars Eclipse remains unclear.
Read: Star Wars Eclipse is minimum ‘3-4 years away’, says industry insider
There’s also the matter that Quantic Dream has been dealing with allegations of toxicity since 2018, and allegedly, it has also struggled to hire and maintain staff in recent years, as a result. This may have pushed back the timelines for Star Wars Eclipse somewhat.
At this stage, Quantic Dream is still working on Star Wars Eclipse, although it seems quite far away. The departure of the game’s lead writer is likely to cause further complications, although we’re unlikely to get any public-facing updates in that regard.
Those keen to learn more about Quantic Dream’s upcoming Star Wars game will need to stay patient for further news, as the studio continues to work on this project.
