Luko Bronk looks like one of those characters for whom the tactics game has already figured everything out for you. He appears with a rifle, a sniper badge, and the expression of a man who would rather be a few meters further from what you're pointing at. Hide it behind cover, find something valuable on the other side of the map, and let math do the rest.

Interestingly, the best version shown in The Critically Clueless video is not just "another sniper". The video starts with Luko paired with Scout, briefly looks at the Medic option, compares other additional specializations, and finally settles on the Rogue. This change is important because Trickster doesn't require Luco to become a different character. It just makes his existing job more dangerous: punching through defenses, creating critical hit opportunities, and contributing more in assists while the Marksman line continues to do some serious shooting.

At the beginning of the video, Luko acts as a sniper and scout on the squad selection screen.Screenshot: The Critically Clueless / Star Wars: Gaming

Construction in brief

• Main specialization:Sharpshooter
• Minor Specialization:Scoundrel
• Weapons: EE-3 blaster rifle with powerful critical and base damage modifiers.
• Signature Talent:Combat Gas, moved to Combat Gas III.
• Sniper priority: first destroy them (Tick Them Off V), then continue to level up the Aiming skill (Zero In) as concentration points accumulate.
• Role in battle:High-precision damage to a single target, lane control with Overwatch and countering defenses.

This is a snapshot of a level 10 build rather than a perfectly completed endgame skill tree, which is useful because it shows a real priority issue. Focus points are finite. As explained in our Zero Company Build Flexibility Guide, the game generously encourages experimentation, but the strongest mixed builds still require one core engine. Here this engine remains the “Sharp Shooter”. Scoundrel is a thoughtful addition, not a second full-time job.

Luko Bronk with EE-3: 14 weapon damage, +7 critical hit damage, 11% critical hit chance and first shot with 1 AP (quick action). Screenshot: The Critically Clueless / Star Wars: Gaming

Why the EE-3 is such a good fit for Luco

The EE-3 Luko rifle is clearly visible in the video. With two mods installed, the rifle shown has the following stats: 14 weapon damage, +1 assist damage, +7 critical hit damage, and 11% critical hit chance.The stated range is medium, which sounds less flashy than the word "sharpshooter", but the real value is in the economy of action: the first blaster rifle shot in a turn is a quick action for 1 AP. Extra shots become slow actions.

This tells us how Luko wants to play the move. He is not Cly Kullervo from our endless Mandalorian build, trying to turn one activation into an administrative error. Luko wants the opposite: make the first shot excellent, and then decide whether to spend the remaining action points on regrouping, setting up an overwatch, or preparing for the next exchange of blows. The rifle rewards discipline more than the number of shots fired.

This also means that weapon mods should enhance what the weapon already does. Blaster Damage, Critical Hit Chance, and Critical Hit Damage are attractive because the build already provides huge accuracy bonuses through the abilities. Our Zero Company Black Market Guide looks at the broader question of what weapon upgrades are worth buying; for Luko, one should resist the common urge in tactical games to buy accuracy upgrades simply because accuracy exists. He has other ways to improve this indicator.

Combat Gas III is the first shot.

Combat Gas is Luko's fixed talent, so the question isn't whether to take it, but whether it's worth investing in. The video clarifies this issue quite easily. Combat Gas III costs 2 advantage points and can be used once per battle. He gives Luko five stacks of Heightened Senses. Each stack adds 5% to hit chance and +1 damage from ranged attacks, and one stack disappears after each ranged attack.

With five stacks, the first shot starts with +25% to hit chance and +5 to damage. The second one still gets +20% and +4, and so on.This is why combat gas should be used at the beginning of a significant battle, and not on the first battle droid that comes along. This buff is powerful precisely because it burns while Luko is shooting. Spending your starting stack on something that would make the rest of your squad sneeze is the tactical equivalent of opening up good wine for microwaved lasagna.

Because combat gas consumes general advantage rather than normal action points, the unit must plan its time around its use. In our detailed guide to using advantage we'll go into more detail about generating and spending this resource, but Luco's rule of thumb is simple: if you know a dangerous target is coming, hold 2 points for it advantages.

Combat Gas III provides five charges of Heightened Senses for 2 advantage points. Screenshot: The Critically Clueless / Star Wars: Gaming

Pick The Mash V turns Overwatch into a real weapon.

The most upgraded node of the Marksman skill in the video is Shoot 'Em Up Level V, and it's a well-justified investment. At level V, it adds +25% to hit chance when returning fire and +6 to damage from return fire. These aren't just small improvements to improve usability. They transform return fire from a reassuring warning signal into one of Luko's full-fledged damage-dealing tools.

This is important because the EE-3 discourages pointless extra shots. If the first 1 AP rifle attack has already done the important job, Luko can use the rest of the turn to control a doorway, ramp, or narrow passage.Now the enemy has a pleasant choice: stay somewhere useless or go through a sniper who has specifically invested in this decision to cause damage.

Our Zero Company Overwatch guide explains why the cone should span the route rather than just pointing at the enemy. Luko is especially good at this because Zero Company reveals the battlefield without the traditional fog of war so you can often plan out a likely movement path before using his AP.

The Pick Them Off V skill adds +25% to hit chance in overwatch mode and +6 damage in overwatch mode. Screenshot: The Critically Clueless / Star Wars: Gaming

Continue to set the value to zero after the main build is complete.

Another obvious investment in the Marksman skill is Zero Entry. The level 10 skill tree shown in the video doesn't have all the subsequent levels completed yet, which is really helpful to see: Eliminate Enemies V is already a priority, while the next Zero Entry upgrades are future purchases. The video looks at "Zero Input V" and "Zero Input VI" to show what the end of the path looks like.

Zero In V is a 1 AP quick action that grants seven stacks of Mortal Strike, increasing hit chance by +35% and critical chance by +21%. Zero In VI increases this number to eight stacks, +40% hit chance and +24% crit chance.You don't have to rush through these levels before the rest of the build's features kick in, but they explain the endgame concept very clearly: Luko eventually reaches a point where a difficult shot starts to look less like a possibility and more like a planned encounter.

The important thing about the sequence is that Zero Point costs AP and Combat Gas costs Advantage. Use this distinction. If the shot is important enough, spend the shared resource on Combat Gas, then spend Luko's AP on Zero Point, and then fire a rifle shot using both systems at the same time. You deliberately spend two different currencies to make one attack extremely reliable.

The next levels of Zero In show how much the accuracy and critical damage upgrade package can scale; Zero In V grants +35% hit chance and +21% critical chance. Screenshot: The Critically Clueless / Star Wars: Gaming

Why is Scoundrel the best second spec in this case?

This is where the video gets more interesting than the usual “choose the class with the most powerful weapon” guide. In the final comparison of specializations, Luko's second slot is occupied by "Rogue". This works because each piece of the Rogue core set complements the ranged specialist without forcing him to change his rotation.

• Scoundrel Instinct: All of Luko's attacks penetrate the target's defense, ignoring up to 4 points of defense.
• Reveal Weakness: makes the targeted enemy vulnerable so that the next attack against it will be a critical hit.
• Easy Mark:Marks an enemy so that Luko can help the next ally who attacks that target.
• Never play fair:Adds +1 damage from attack assist.

The “scoundrel instinct” is the main feature.Luko already has enough tools for accurate shooting; armored targets present a more troublesome problem because hitting them is not the same as damaging them. Ignoring up to 4 defensive attacks is one part of the equation that Marksman doesn't automatically solve. Moreover, it is a passive skill. No action points, no setup animation, no requirement for Luko to leave the perfect hideout he spent half the mission finding.

The second reason is “Identifying Weakness”. If Luko can't get the perfect shot himself, he can leave the enemy vulnerable and provide a guaranteed critical hit opportunity for someone else. Light Mark does the opposite: Luko marks the target and joins an ally's next attack, providing assistance. In both cases, it remains part of the damage chain, even when the tactics board indicates that someone else should take the shot.

Scoundrel was chosen as the second specialization; Scoundrel Instinct penetrates up to 4 defense points. Screenshot: The Critically Clueless / Star Wars: Gaming

Why not choose a Marksman, Medic or Scout?

The video looks at the alternatives, and none of them are bad. This is important. Zero Company is much more flexible than a traditional class system, and the squad issue can make the "second best" spec option suitable for your campaign. But each alternative requires a compromise from Luko, which Scoundrel does not touch.

Rifleman is a tempting option. Keen Eye adds +6% critical strike chance to all ranged attacks, Open Fire allows you to fire two shots, Rapid Fire grants a quick attack from your secondary weapon, and Rush adds +1 damage from your main blaster for each attack made in the same turn. This set is great for a character built for constant shooting.The problem is that EE-3 Luko turns extra rifle shots into slow actions, and each ranged attack also consumes one charge of combat gas. "The Gunslinger" pushes him to increase his number of shots at a time when his signature talent is rewarding carefully timed shots. It works; it's just a different rhythm.

The Marksman skill is a tempting alternative, as Keen Eye and Rush encourage multiple attacks from a distance. Screenshot: The Critically Clueless / Star Wars: Gaming

Medic is a backup option. Morale boosts, a combat stimulant, improved health kits, and the First to Arrive skill can make Luco an incredibly useful emergency support operator. If your team is really short on a medic, this might be more valuable than another damage-boosting passive. But in a balanced squad, Luko's second specialization is spent on a task that could normally be completed by someone else, leaving armored targets as armored as before.

Medic offers morale boosts, combat stimulants, more powerful medkits, and a permanent medkit after achieving the First Responder rank. Screenshot: The Critically Clueless / Star Wars: Gaming

Scout is a natural option to start the game with. In fact, the video starts with Luko listed as a Marksman + Scout. The Scout remains a great option when the company needs to generate more advantage and prepare for combat. Our guide to the best early game team is based on the broader idea that one Operator must prepare the next.But if your squad is already generating enough advantage to fuel Battle Gas, Rogue adds a more direct answer to Luko's toughest targets.

How to play this build in battle

There's no rigid MMO-style rotation here—the battlefield is too harsh for that—but Luko has a very robust decision-making process.

1. Choose a firing zone before spending resources. Place Luko in cover that provides visibility to an important enemy movement route. If you move after taking a position, you may lose the value of a carefully prepared shooting move.
2. Save the combat gas for the real deal.Spend 2 advantage points when an elite enemy, armored enemy, or dangerous group of enemies is really worth spending once per battle.
3. Use Zero Strike when the shot is worth an action point.This ability is a quick action, so it can turn an important attack into a percentage of damage that will allow you to sleep peacefully at night.
4. Fire the first shot with the EE-3 at the start of Luko's activation.The first shot with the rifle is a quick action costing 1 AP. With five charges of combat gas, this is the most effective moment of the move.
5. Have the Rascal eliminate the target rather than change the rifle.Break through the defense occurs passively. Use Reveal Weakness or Light Mark when the party can use them more effectively than Luco can just fire again.
6. Use your remaining action points to effectively observe.Using the Pick The Moff V ability is too expensive to aim at an empty courtyard and hope that someone will show poor judgment.

Combat footage shows this philosophy at work in miniature. Luko aims his crosshairs at the heavy clone with a 100% hit chance, and the attack preview shows 19 damage per shot with a 1 AP rifle.His review previously stated 14 weapon damage; Combat Gas III can add +5 to initial ranged attack when fully charged. The point is not that every goal will always show these exact numbers. The bottom line is that Luko systems work in one direction: to make the first important shot accurate, powerful and inexpensive.

Priorities in choosing equipment for Luco

When the build itself provides significant accuracy, the equipment can be more aggressive. Priority should be given to pure weapon damage, critical strike chance, and damage from critical hits. Assist damage is also more attractive than it sounds, as the Rogue modifier gives Luko more reasons to engage in an opponent's attack. If a modifier provides a small increase in accuracy, but a competing option provides significant damage or critical damage, Luko is one of the operators most capable of dispensing with the crutch of accuracy.

Auxiliary means depend more on the composition of the squad. Grenades allow you to destroy clusters of targets that Luko would have to shoot at one at a time, and defenses help if the map forces him into open firing positions. It's not worth spending half your campaign budget on turning him into a Heavyweight. There are already people in the company whose professional task is to be under fire.

For a broader understanding of building a team around multiple complementary roles rather than a single fighter, a useful counter-option is our campaign strategy that generates credits, intelligence, and increases survivability .Luko is best suited when the rest of the team provides what he lacks: frontline pressure, advantage creation, and someone willing to stand close to grenades.

Is Marksman + Scoundrel the best build for Luco Bronc?

For a versatile Luko who needs to remain a sharp shooter, yes - this is exactly the combination I would choose based on the video. Sharpshooter sets the style of play. Combat Gas III creates a burst. Pick Them Off V gives him a second life as a serious threat in Overwatch. Zero In constantly increases accuracy and critical damage. Scoundrel then makes up for the awkwardness by breaking through defenses and giving him useful critical damage capabilities and assistance in gunfights when just gunfighting isn't the best option.

The Scout is still a very good alternative for units looking for an advantage. The medic is quite justified if there is no support in the composition. The shooter can make interesting moves with multiple shots. But the Rascal demands the least from Luko and gives him the most useful new trick. He doesn't need another identity. He needs the target's armor to stop being so complacent.

If you're forming the rest of your squad around him, keep our Complete Guide to Star Wars Zero Company handy, as well as our a guide to the best talent for each specialization. Zero Company is most effective when these systems overlap: the rifle, focus tree, overall advantage, and second specialization all solve different parts of the same tactical problem.

Editor's Note: Build analysis and screenshots based on video provided by The Critically Clueless "Star Wars Zero Company Luco Bronc: BEST Build and Specialization." The video starts with selecting gear for the Scout, then looks at the Medic and other options, and the final spec comparison shows the Selected Rogue in the second slot. Screenshots are prepared with a Star Wars: Gaming watermark and attribution.

The developers at Bit Reactor announced on the Steam Community that the first patch for Star Wars Zero Company will be released next week and will fix bugs and performance issues in the critically acclaimed game. game.

Next week we will be releasing a patch to fix bugs and performance issues in Star Wars Zero Company. Stay tuned to our website - https://www.ea.com/games/starwars/zero-company/news - for more information, and again thank you for your patience while we prepare this patch.

We will share more information as soon as the update is announced. Star Wars Zero Company is available now on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Astromechs are very easy to underestimate in Star Wars Zero Company. They're small, don't carry conventional weapons, and their combat animation language mostly consists of rolling around somewhere useful and making an insistent electronic noise. Compared to a Mandalorian with a jetpack or a sniper carrying an EE-3, this might look like the tactical equivalent of carrying office equipment to a gunfight.

The secret is that a properly assembled astromech does not compete with your damage-dealing units. He improves them all. The build shown here turns the droid into an action point source, battlefield scanner, defense coordinator, and walking stockpile of useful items. He can remove protection from groups, remove evasion from a priority target, transfer action points to an operator who can use them more efficiently, and then replenish the squad when the turn really needs to get incredibly difficult.

We've already used astromechs as armor-piercing batteries in our endless Mandalorian build with Cly Kullervo, and we previously confirmed that Zero Company will even allow you to field four astromechs for the Angry Beeps challenge. This guide is different. Here the droid does not support any one feature. He is the basis of a regular squad.

An astromech in combat, already positioned where his support means can influence the next exchange of blows.Screenshot: Wayfaring Nomad / Star Wars: Gaming

Best Astromech Build: A Brief Review

• Main specialization:Astromechics
• Second specialization:Analytics
• Talent: Built-in Comlink
• Passive kernel components:Extended storage
• Astromech Priorities:Enhanced VI scanners and coordinated VI support.
• Analytics priorities:Deep target scanning, predictive analytics and self-preservation.
• The optimal approach to useful items:one item for control, one item for defense and one item for damage/debuff; Flamethrower Mk. IV is a great option for the late game.
• Role on the battlefield: act early, identify targets, transfer action points to the right operator and spend advantage only when the whole squad can benefit from it.

If you're still deciding how to use additional classes, it's worth reading our Zero Company Build Flexibility Guide first. Analytics is relevant here because it expands on the Astromech's existing mission, rather than trying to turn him into a second-rate damage dealer.

Expanded storage is why useful features on Android matter more.

The first reason to take an astromech seriously isn't even the skill tree. Its built-in passive ability is Expanded Storage, and its effect is incredibly practical: each limited-life utility item the droid carries gains one additional use. A one-time use grenade becomes a two-time use grenade. A powerful emergency tool becomes something that can be planned ahead rather than saved for the end credits.

This changes the way you think about your arsenal. The Astromech doesn't have a normal weapon and starts the game with zero weapon damage, so there's no point in pretending to be a regular marksman.Auxiliary items are the droid's arsenal. Concussion grenades can push enemies out of cover or from a useful position, smoke bombs can create defensive space, impact bombs deal direct area damage, and later exotic tools can turn that small repair block into something the Geneva Convention would probably want to discuss.

The Astromech can carry practical utility items, such as a stun grenade, in place of a regular weapon. Screenshot: Wayfaring Nomad / Star Wars: Gaming

This is different from the shopping problem described in our Zero Company Black Market Guide . For most Operators, the question is whether upgrading a weapon improves the attack they're already using. For the Astromech, the question is whether the support item provides a more efficient move for the entire squad.

The built-in communications system turns the astromech into an autopilot battery.

The built-in communicator is a talent that makes this build perfect. It costs 1 AP, is a quick action, and gives one ally +1 AP. It can be used once per turn. The receiving operative cannot exceed the normal limit of 3 AP, and locked operatives cannot be replenished, so timing of use is important.

Moving one action point in itself seems insignificant. This is not the case in a tactical game. One action point can be used for another quick shot, a heal, a repositioning, a finishing move, or even to set up overwatch or just stand in cover looking thoughtful.The Astromech takes an action point that would often do very little damage and turns it into an action point for a character whose turn actually matters.

This is the same basic mechanic we used in the Kly Kullervo build but you don't need to build your entire squad around Kly to make Comlink great. Any AP needy and damage dealing operator or support operator can benefit from this. Our guide to the best units for the early game is a useful reminder that good moves usually happen in collaboration, rather than having four different people take turns using up their AP bars.

The built-in communicator costs 1 AP and gives one ally +1 AP once per turn. Screenshot: Wayfaring Nomad / Star Wars: Gaming

Rush Enhanced VI Scanners

If built-in communications move resources, enhanced scanners change the battlefield. At level six, the ability costs 1 AP, affects enemies within a radius of 24 meters and imposes a scanning effect, negating all defense. Each target hit also has a 35% chance of becoming vulnerable. That's an impressive amount of preparation in one cheap, quick action.

The order of actions is important. Use astromech before the main fighters. If you scan a group of targets first, each subsequent attack will be directed against weaker defensive lines, and some targets will also be primed for critical hits thanks to a vulnerability. The droid's own damage remains secondary. He improved the stats of the other three operatives before they could even do anything.

Our specialization rating is also useful here.The best utility skills in Zero Company often buff the entire squad rather than providing impressive results on a single character sheet. Improved scanners are almost a classic example.

Enhanced VI scanners scan enemies within a 24 meter radius, neutralizing defenses, and have a 35% chance of making each target vulnerable. Screenshot: Wayfaring Nomad / Star Wars: Gaming

VI Coordinated Support System is a direction change button.

Coordinated Support is initially expensive, but the sixth level pays off. The version shown in the video costs 6 advantage points and gives eligible operators +2 action points once per battle. No one can exceed 3 action points, and blocked operators are excluded, meaning the effectiveness of the ability depends on your timing.

Do not use this ability when two party members already have 3 action points. This will turn your impressive support ability into an expensive light show. Take out the squad first, then use coordinated support while multiple operatives can get a full ammo resupply. At this point, the astromech stops feeling like a single unit and starts feeling like a team that has quietly added an extra turn to the mission.

Because cost is determined by the overall meter, this build fits seamlessly with the principles outlined in our Zero Company Advantage Guide . Six Advantage is a serious purchase.The droid must spend it when the entire team benefits, and not just because the icon finally lights up.

Coordinated Support VI costs 6 Advantage Points and grants eligible Operators +2 Action Points once per battle. Screenshot: Wayfaring Nomad / Star Wars: Gaming

Analytics is the best second specialization.

Analytics is the best second major because it continues to serve the same purpose: gathering information, improving efficiency, and protecting. The passive skill Self-Preservation gives the Astromech +1 AP each time they are hit by return fire or a counterattack. This does not mean that you need to deliberately break through every fire zone in the galaxy. The droid, full of holes, remains a surprisingly weak support unit. But when the inevitable retaliatory attack occurs, the build can recover some of the lost resources.

Analytics adds the “Self-Preservation” ability: getting hit by return fire or a counterattack gives the astromech +1 AP. Screenshot: Wayfaring Nomad / Star Wars: Gaming

The most important analytical tool is deep target scanning. It costs 1 AP, works at a range of 14 meters, scans and detects one target and removes all evasion effects. Improved scanners are better against groups of enemies; deep target scanning is a highly accurate tool for combating one elite enemy whose defense system is currently causing problems for everyone.

Deep Target Scan costs 1 AP, scans and detects one target and removes all evasion effects.Screenshot: Wayfaring Nomad / Star Wars: Gaming

Predictive analytics solves the opposite problem. At the high level shown in the video, it costs 8 advantage points and gives all allies +6 defense until end of turn, with two uses per battle. This is expensive, but can be very useful before a risky offensive, target engagement, or move where multiple operatives must remain vulnerable. It's less exciting than another attack, and much more exciting than watching three squad members spend the next round wounded.

At the specified high level, the Predictive Analytics skill gives the entire squad +6 defense until the end of the turn. Screenshot: Wayfaring Nomad / Star Wars: Gaming

The flamethrower is no joke.

Late in the game, the flamethrower Mk. IV is one of the most interesting ways to use extended storage. The Exotic version shown in the video costs 2 AP, deals 12 Fire damage, causes 12 stacks of Burning, and reduces the defense of targets hit. This is both an area damage, a debuff, and a damage over time tool.

More importantly, this solves one obvious astromech problem: sometimes you actually need the droid to damage something. A regular astromech doesn't have a weapon, but the auxiliary item doesn't care. The flamethrower allows the droid to deal significant damage without changing the basic concept of the build. You still use equipment to improve subsequent attacks; there is simply more fire than the phrase “support” usually implies.

Flamethrower Mk. IV deals 12 damage, applies 12 stacks of the Burning effect and reduces the defense of affected targets.Screenshot: Wayfaring Nomad / Star Wars: Gaming

What to do with bonds?

Astromechs participate in Bonds in the same way as other fighters, which we discussed when we looked at how squad relationships are mechanically useful in Zero Company. For this build, the best partner is usually the one who appears in the same missions and often benefits from using a communicator or scanner. Consistency is more important than searching for a supposedly perfect match in the lore.

The High Comms tutorial screen shown in the video offers options such as +4 max health for both operators, +2 focus points for both, or extra comms experience. The extra Focus Points are especially attractive to a build that wants to invest heavily in both the Astromech and Analytics branches, and the maximum health is quite acceptable if your droid has developed a habit of detecting enemy surveillance mode through hands-on experimentation.

The “High Level of Connection” training can increase survivability or add additional concentration points to an astromech and his regular partner. Screenshot: Wayfaring Nomad / Star Wars: Gaming

How to play an astromech every turn

1. Act immediately if there is a useful group of targets on the battlefield.Improved scanners should make follow-up shots more effective, rather than appearing when everyone else is done.
2. Use deep target scanning on that one elusive or high-priority enemy that requires more than a simple scan.
3. Use the built-in communicator before your chosen ally is blocked, and do not waste a transfer on someone who has already reached the 3 action point limit.
4. Use auxiliary elements when they solve a positioning or control problem better than other data transmission through the access point. Expanded storage allows you to be more careful with them.
5. Save the Coordinated Support VI ability for when multiple operators can actually use +2 AP. This ability becomes absurd when the party is almost depleted, and mediocre when everyone already has enough AP.
6. Use predictive analytics before an incident occurs, not after the damage has already been done. +6 Protection is prevention, not apology.
7. Let the damage dealers do the most glamorous part of the job. If an astromech ends its turn without dealing any damage, but providing two additional kills to the squad, then it means it has completed its task perfectly.

Why this build is so strong

The best astromech build is strong because almost nothing in it depends on the droid winning the damage race. The built-in communicator improves the other operator's progress. Improved scanners improve the accuracy of the entire squad against defenses. Deep target scanning solves the problem of elite opponents evading. Predictive analytics makes dangerous turns safer. Expanded storage adds value to existing equipment. Coordinated support can restart the entire squad's action point economy.

This makes the astromech one of the purest examples of Zero Company's support technology. He's not the hero of the mission, and that's the point.For nearly fifty years, Star Wars has taught us that the little squeaking droid standing next to the heroes is probably doing something important while everyone else is busy posing. Zero Company simply added numbers to it.

For more options, combat system information, and campaign tips, keep our Complete Guide to Star Wars Zero Company handy. You can also compare this support-focused approach to our snowball progression option, which simplifies the campaign through credits, intel and survivability rather than through action points and field control battle.

For the first time in almost seven years, the franchise is returning to the big screen. The new film will continue the story begun in the seriesThe Mandalorian. The film is largely separate from the events of the Skywalker Saga, leaving fans wondering how it fits into the overall timeline.

After its debut on Disney's streaming service, the film was added to the official timeline ofStar WarsafterThe Backbonein 2024 and just before the animated seriesStar Wars Resistancein 2018.

Basically, The Backbone takes place parallel to the early seasons of The Mandalorian, during the New Republic. Around the same time,The Book of Boba Fettand the first season ofAhsokatake place.

The Resistance follows a young New Republic pilot who is recruited into the Resistance by Poe Dameron to spy on the First Order.The series is set during theStar Warssequel trilogy, approximately six months before the seventh episode.

Current timeline:

• “Acolyte”;
• Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - Life and Death and Judgment
• Star Wars: Tales of Underworld - The Good Life
• Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - The Choice
• Star Wars: Tales of Underworld - "A Deed of Good" and "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished"
• Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
• Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - "Lord of the Sith";
• Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Seasons 1-4;
• Star Wars: Tales of the Empire - "Path of Fear";
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Seasons 5-7;
• Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - “Repetition is the mother of learning”
• Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
• Star Wars: Tales of the Empire - "Devotion"
• Star Wars: Bad Batch
• Star Wars: Tales of Underworld - "The Way Forward", "Friends" and "From One Warrior to Another"
• Star Wars: Tales of the Empire - "Realization";
• Star Wars: Maul - Lord of Shadows
• Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - "Resolve"
• “Han Solo: Star Wars. Stories";
• Obi-Wan Kenobi;
• Star Wars: Tales of the Empire - "Path to Freedom";
• Andor - season 1;
• Star Wars Rebels - Seasons 1-2;
• Star Wars: Tales of the Empire - "Path of Wrath"
• Star Wars Rebels - Seasons 3-4;
• Andor - season 2;
• Rogue One: A Star Wars StoryStories";
• Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
• Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
• Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
• Star Wars: Backbone Team
• The Mandalorian - Season 1;
• Star Wars: Tales of the Empire - "Path of Hate"
• The Mandalorian - Season 2;
• The Book of Boba Fett;
• The Mandalorian - Season 3;
• "Ahsoka";
• The Mandalorian and Grogu;
• Star Wars Resistance - Season 1;
• Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
• Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
• Star Wars Resistance - Season 2;
• Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker. Sunrise."

What does The Mandalorian and Grogu's place in the timeline mean?

The film's location in the chronology can mean several things for the entire saga. Most notably, the franchise could bring back Jude Law's Jod Na Navuda in future stories. Considering his darker side has been confirmed throughout the series, he could be a prime candidate to take on Din Djarin and Grogu.

Mando could also discover the planet At-Attin during his travels around the galaxy, especially if the Republic sends him on another mission to find the planet (similar to his mission with the Hutts inThe Mandalorian and Grogu). This would be another major crossover between different storylines, something that The Mandalorian has already achieved with characters like Luke Skywalker.

There is only one new film on the schedule at the moment - Sean Levy's Star Wars: Starfighter. The film with Ryan Gosling will be released at the end of May 2027. Before that, the second season ofAhsokawill premiere.

Star Wars Galaxies Legends is preparing a new weekly mission system that will take players into battles on land and space. The missions are designed for single players, groups, and even low-level characters. The system was revealed in the latest developer diary and is based around a new mission board run by a Rodian named Kritz Baelna. Players will be able to take on repeatable missions ranging from Tier 5 Rebel starships to much more dangerous ground targets such as the Shadow Cult of the Sith and Terentatek. For completing tasks, players will receive boxes with rewards.

The most interesting thing is just this combination. For much of 2026, Legends has been busy improving certain aspects of the game. The massive Battle of Restuss update pushed PvP and bounty hunting forward, while the June update expanded Bespin, space content, and improved usability systems. Weekly hunts don't feel like just another isolated activity, but rather like a link between the many systems that already exist in SWG.

Visual: Weekly missions include space missions such as destroying Tier 5 Rebel starships.

Weekly hunts are not just for end-game players.

The developers say that the hunt will take place at different difficulty levels. Some tasks can be completed alone, while more difficult ones are designed for groups, and importantly, the system is also planned for lower level characters.This works especially well for Star Wars Galaxies, where progression has never been a single, step-by-step system. We recently returned to how weird this philosophy can get with the Jedi Trials progression system and the story of the SWG's first Mandalorian chestpieceshowed how a seemingly simple objective can turn into a small group expedition.

Weekly Hunts combine elements of a good old-fashioned sandbox with a more modern, repetitive structure. You log into the game, check the message board, and see if there's anything to do with starfighters, cultists, or explaining to Terentatek that you brought six friends with you tonight.

Visual: More challenging hunting targets, such as Terentatek, are designed to encourage group play.

Legends is also announcing new content.

Weekly hunts are just one part of the latest update. Legends also continues to work on improvements to the user interface, changes to the size of installation files, new Mandalorian armor and, apparently, a new storyline involving a new character, a droid and a starfighter. The team also announced new content for the Galactic Lunar Festival, including a heroic Halloween adventure featuring some seriously nasty zombie droids.Apparently, regular zombies weren't considered challenging enough.

Illustrative visual: A new heroic mode, Galactic Moon Festival, has been announced, featuring zombie droid enemies.

A galaxy that constantly finds new uses for old systems.

The overall picture is familiar. Instead of replacing old SWG systems, Legends is constantly finding ways to get players to interact with them again. That's what happened with modern home improvement and decorating tools, and the weekly hunts seem to follow the same philosophy: make use of the vast amount of content already available in Star Wars Galaxies, and give players a new reason to travel through it.

For a game that occupies such an unusual place in the entire history of Star Wars video games, this seems quite appropriate. Sometimes you don't need another planet. All you need is a Rodian with a tablet and a weekly quota.

Update 1.1 has been released for Star Wars Zero Company, which includes a number of new features, as well as dozens of bug fixes to improve the performance and stability of the game.

This page contains a detailed overview of Star Wars Zero Company Patch 1.1, including alink to the full patch notes.

Feature updates

• Tutorial
  • You can now use the Back button in the Weapon Mods menu to close the tutorial.
• Upgraded object
  • When canceling an update that takes multiple cycles, the progress reset message is now correctly displayed.
• Tel Ria's Heroic Mission
  • The final battle in the Heroic Body mission will no longer end prematurely when the number of survival turns reaches 1.Теперь миссия завершается в конце последнего хода противника.

Исправлены ошибки

Производительность и стабильность

• Исправлены различные причины сбоев.
• Исправлены различные визуальные зависания.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой сохранения, сделанные с помощью бескара, временно удалялись.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, приводившая к сбою в режиме «Бескар».
• Обновлен минимальный рекомендуемый набор драйверов до актуальных игровых версий для Nvidia и AMD.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой в настройках глобального освещения и отражений случайно указывалась трассировка лучей.
• Исправлена ​​редкая ошибка, приводившая к зависанию главного меню при агрессивном нажатии кнопок во время воспроизведения вступительного ролика.
• Исправлены проблемы с повреждением сохранений, которые могли возникнуть при внезапном или принудительном выключении игры.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой игроки не получали предметы, полученные по предзаказу или в рамках Deluxe-издания.

Кинематографические ролики и беседы

• Исправлено непреднамеренное движение волос Фэтома во время некоторых кат-сцен.
• Исправлена ​​анимация реакции нескольких персонажей в Логове, когда Хокс находится рядом или разговаривает с ними.
• Исправлена ​​анимация клонов-солдат в некоторых кат-сценах.
• Исправлена ​​анимация для Кабба во время диалогов.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка в отображении руки Хоукса во время анимации вставания.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой Трикс надевал свой стандартный шлем при входе в Стиллвотч без него.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой Трикс надевал свой стандартный костюм перед входом в Стиллвотч после перезапуска игры.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой Хокс иногда отсутствовал в заключительной заставке на Беспине.

Настройка

• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой световой меч Тель-Ри Вокосса продолжал отображаться после смены оружия на астромеханика в режиме кастомизации.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой при смене происхождения Оператора с другого гуманоида на клона и наоборот использовалось предварительное прослушивание голоса по умолчанию для ранее выбранного происхождения.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой предварительный просмотр досье на Хоукса не воспроизводился во время создания персонажа.

База данных

• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой символы повреждались при взаимодействии с базой данных во время сохранения.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой информация могла быть повреждена при редактировании персонажей в базе данных.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой имя другого оперативника ошибочно изменялось после редактирования имени другого оперативника, что приводило к дублированию имен персонажей и нарушению настроек для затронутого оперативника.

Встречи

• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой финальный противник в героической миссии Тель-Реал Вокосс некорректно переназначал прицел на Оператора, который его поразил.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой финальный противник в героической миссии Тель-Реал Вокосс не переназначал прицел на Оператора, который собирает Тель, когда она находится в опасности.

Стратегия

• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой бакта-резервуар можно было использовать более одного за один цикл.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой при загрузке из сохраненной игры создавалось дополнительное автосохранение.
• Исправлена ​​редкая программная блокировка, возникавшая в обучении Medbay.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой переход в меню выбора отряда и обратно при открытии режима осмотра блокировал дальнейшее продвижение.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой вторичные специализации некорректно добавляли пассивные навыки кросс-тренинга специализации в пул выбора при уровне отношений +8.
• Теперь дополнительные специализации будут корректно учитываться при проверке требований и результатов, специфичных для каждой специализации, во время операций.

Тактический

• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой выстрелы могли промахнуться, даже если вероятность попадания составляла 100%.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой дробовики 2-4 уровней случайно использовали значения 1 уровня.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой конусные атаки неестественно привязывались к цели при наведении курсора мыши и клавиатуры.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка в анимации стрельбы Кабба при использовании M-32.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой игрок не мог использовать оперативников, оказавшихся за пределами карты.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой «Разборщик дроидов» некорректно начислял «Гармонию» при смерти всех врагов, а не только при смерти дроидов.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой атаки Силы Тел Реа отображали некорректные значения урона в пользовательском интерфейсе при применении бонусов.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой силовые атаки Тел Реа применяли бонус от тренировки «Дистанционный урон» дважды вместо одного раза.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой силовые атаки Тел Реа некорректно добавляли бонусы к критическому урону.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка в базовом уроне противотанкового выстрела DC-17m, из-за которой он не мог наносить критические попадания или получать бонусы к урону, которые должны применяться к гранатам.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой было сложно контролировать прицеливание с помощью ракетного удара и противотанкового орудия DC-17m.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой критический урон ионных бластеров удваивался.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой значение фокуса, отображаемое в радиальном меню, не отображалось также в других меню.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой способность «Улучшенные сканеры» астромеханика отображала «Неверная цель» при активации с контроллера.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой интерфейс Rally отсутствовал при наведении курсора на юнита в предварительном просмотре перемещения.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой урон, сниженный до нуля или ниже, некорректно отображался в пользовательском интерфейсе.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой эффект «Разделённые страдания» мог возникать за пределами экрана.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой статус «Неподвижный» применялся, но не предоставлял никаких бонусов.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой снаряды не отображались, когда дроидека стрелял, имея заблокированную линию обзора.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой враги за пределами зоны прицеливания «Размашистого залпа» всё ещё попадали под действие способности.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка во втором уровне таланта «Жизнь трудящегося», из-за которой бонусы накапливались бесконечно при многократной покупке.
• Улучшена стабильность камеры для уменьшения её смещения при выборе целей для применения способностей в бою.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой выстрелы в режиме Overwatch, произведенные по атакующим, приводили к тому, что враги стреляли сквозь твердые объекты по оперативникам, которых они не видели.
• Исправлены некоторые случаи срабатывания режима Overwatch на юнитах, находящихся за пределами зоны прицеливания.
• Исправлены различные ошибки в режиме Overwatch, из-за которых враги и оперативники подвергались непреднамеренным атакам.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой камера дрожала при переходе в режим обзора через плечо.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой один из оперативников мог отсутствовать в вашем отряде по прибытии на тактическую миссию.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка в порядке ходов, из-за которой Капитан Койла лечил цель, уже убитую в режиме Overwatch.
• Исправлена ​​ошибка, из-за которой боевые действия обрабатывались некорректно.

In the game, Hawks is a customizable character, meaning players can choose his race, gender, name, face, voice, clothing, and combat specialization. This freedom of choice opens up many storytelling possibilities, but the Star Wars Databank, the official online encyclopedia ofStar Warsconfirms that Hawks is male.

Hawks is depicted as a bearded man wearing a dark leather coat over a green high-collared shirt. This image was used in the introductory video ofZero Companybefore character creation began.

The official description of Hawks in the database uses the same short biography as in the game's marketing materials. It is noted that he was a former captain in the Grand Army of the Republic, dismissed after the defeat by the Separatists.

In an interview with IGN Director of Star Wars: Zero CompanyGreg Fertsch said that "Hawks can be anything you want," giving fans the opportunity to showcase:

Hawks can be anyone. You can make Hawks a Twi'lek or a Zabrak, a man, a woman... He has to be what you want him to be as a player.

Why Hawks is the most important character in Star Wars: Zero Company

In the game, the hero is clearly presented as the most important character. His backstory proves that he is more than just an officer assembling a team for high-stakes excursions.He is the only operative who cannot die permanently during missions, while all the others are expendable.

As a Republic captain in the 100th Clone Company, Hawks was an established soldier who was removed from service. This happened after he took the blame for a failed mission. His noble act defined him and pushed him to continue to act.

After leaving the army, Hawks' life changed a lot. Debts to the Hutts, work for Republic intelligence and the habit of hiring anyone to carry out tasks, regardless of origin, became part of his new life.

Brandon Wainerdy, author of StarWars.com, goes behind the scenes of The Mandalorian and Grogu to find out how the artists at Industrial Light & Magic brought it to life Jabba the Hutt's son, Rotta, in the latest Star Wars film.

In the 1997 Special Edition of Star Wars: A New Hopeviewers saw smuggler Han Solo walk behind a computer model of Jabba the Hutt and step on his tail. And although Rotta is not at all like his father, he is also no stranger to having his personal space trampled upon. "It all happens very quickly, but there's actually a moment during their fight where Mando comes around from behind Rotta, steps on his tail to give him a little extra height, and then pushes his hand away," Hal Hickel, longtime head of ILM's animation department, told StarWars.com.

“We included this not as a reference to the original joke, but still, it’s like poetry, it rhymes.”

Many longtime fans were introduced to Rotta before The Mandalorian and Grogu premiered in late summer 2008. At the time of the release of the animated film The Clone Wars, Jabba the Hutt's son was just a little green lump nicknamed Stinky who walked around in Ahsoka Tano's backpack. In fact, the filmThe Clone Warsalso marked the debut of the young Torgruta Padawan in a galaxy far, far away.Nearly 20 years later, both characters have matured significantly, and both have now been adapted into live-action films: Rotta has returned to the big screen as one of the main characters in The Mandalorian and Grogu, and Ahsokahas starred in her own series starring Rosario Dawson, the second season of which will be released early next year.

Rotta is back as a movie star, but it took a whole team of new artists to prepare for his close-up.

Grand plans

It all started with production designer Doug Chiang's concept artist team, who ran through a variety of options for what an adult (and perhaps less smelly) version of Rotta might look like. The design was then transferred to Industrial Light & Magic, starting with a digital version created by lead fashion designer Masa Narita and his team. Luckily, Narita was already something of an expert on the Hutts.

“I had already worked on the Hutt twins for The Book of Boba Fett, so I used them as a starting point when I started working on Rotta,” Narita says. “One of the main challenges was to make sure that Rotta was clearly related to his uncles, but also remained a completely different character. Even though they shared the same Hutt heritage, we wanted each character to have their own unique silhouette and personality, so a lot of the work involved finding the right balance between family resemblance and individual character."

Image: Conceptualist sketch of Rotta the Hutt fighting in the Pits by Richard Lim.

Unlike Rotta, who is young, strong and athletic, Gemini was designed to look much older and fuller. Their bodies were essentially a mass of fat, with very little visible muscle. The ILM team wanted this contrast to help highlight Rotta's youth and physical strength. As Narita explains: ““For Rotta, we actually started with the Hutt brother model.This allowed us to retain some of the face shape libraries and design language that were already established for the Hutt family. Then we developed his image, making him much younger and stronger."

However, Rotta could have looked completely different. At several points in the production process, Rotta's design changed as the final version was completed. “Initial concept art gave Rotta a slightly scaly and menacing appearance. I started creating a model based on this first draft,” Naritarecalls. “Director Jon Favreau later felt that the character should appear softer and friendlier, so the concept artist team created another version with a softer expression. As the project progressed, the design continued to change.”

Image: Concept art of Rotta the Hutt compared to Jabba the Hutt by Richard Lim.

Hickel adds context: “Right before filming began, we had pretty much nailed down the design—ILM was working on Rotta's digital asset, we started doing test animations, and Legacy Effects created a full-length head for filming. We were all on the same page—me, [director] Jon Favreau, [visual effects supervisor] John Knoll and Doug Chang. But after filming ended, when everything settled down and work on editing began, a funny thing happened, and we all began to doubt. We ended up going back, rolling up our sleeves and reworking the design, mostly the face. [Lucasfilm President and Chief Creative Officer] Dave Filoni gave us very valuable feedback: We made him too friendly and too human. He doesn't look like the Hutt enough."

“He was nothing like his father,” Hickel adds, laughing. “Fortunately, John was the kind of director who was very open to ideas and understood when something could be improved or needed to be changed. He wasn't afraid to change things as he went along.It didn't happen so late that it was a disaster - in fact, it was good timing - but for me, as a creative person, it was very interesting to first question something, and then take it apart and fix it."

“It was really nice and I really liked how everything worked out with Rotta.”

I like to move, move

But appearance is not everything. “From an animation standpoint, Rotta was the most challenging part of the entire film,” Hickel continues. — We've seen Hutts before, but they were usually big, sedentary villains like Jabba and the Twins. We didn't even really see how they moved, so even coming up with a believable gait for Rotta was difficult, let alone coming up with a believable way for him to move quickly and dangerously against an opponent."

The ILM team looked to the natural world for inspiration, focusing on elephant seals, which are the largest seals on Earth. “We came up with a run based on what elephant seals do,” Hickel says. — They run on their front fins—the front legs—while the tail of their body makes a “worm-like” motion, wriggling. And then their big bodies sort of collide as they fight.”

Every time Rotta appeared on screen, his entirely digital creation had to look as realistic as the real actors and elements on set. “Our creature artists needed to make it really dense and meaty and heavy,” continues Hickel, whose experience includes working as an animator for creatures like Watteau and Boss Nass. “In our digital simulation of Rotta, we created the skeleton, the muscular system, the fat and skin layers, and then it was all simulated after the animation was complete - the muscles contracted, tensed and relaxed, and there was a jiggling fat layer on top.The layer of skin really helped convey his weight - when he makes that powerful, crushing blow to the gladiator and you see all that mass moving, it really helps you feel like, 'Oh my God, this thing weighs 800 pounds.'

Image: Head of Rotta the Hutt by Legacy Effects.

On the set, the role of Rotta was played by Richard Cetrone, a member of the film's stunt team. “He was our ‘Rotta guy’ throughout the film,” Hickelsays. “Whenever Rotta was in a scene, Richard was there as a stand-in so that we would have the right look at Brendan Wayne, Lateef Crowder or Pedro Pascal as Mando—whoever was physically present in the scene. He could even carry that huge head from Legacy Effects if needed to give the cameramen a real idea of ​​what another character looked like. Rotta is not particularly tall, he is about the same height as a man, just over six feet, but we still wanted to take into account his impressive size."

For Meg Grube, digital artist at ILM, it was always important to make him look massive: “You never wanted him to seem like he was floating or too light on his non-existent legs. You always had to take him seriously. He is a serious opponent.”

However, in addition to all this physical expressiveness, it was equally important to correctly convey Rotta's emotions. He wasn't just an adversary, a monster, or a CGI creature—he was ultimately a sympathetic character that the audience should feel sympathy for. “He had the second most lines in the film, including three scenes with Mando that were just dialogue without any action,” Hickel says. “Character-driven scenes like this gave our animators great pleasure. With Rotta we really got the best of both worlds: action and emotion in one character.It was incredibly fun."

According to Grube, the most important thing was, perhaps, to accurately convey his facial expressions. She even turned to some cinematic sources for inspiration: ““I started watching a lot of action movies, adding that tough guy image from, say, a boxing movie. But overall it became a story about less being more,” Grubeexplains. “If you went overboard, [animation supervisors] Hal Hickel and Rick O'Connor would say, 'Turn it down and get back to it,' and then you'd really boil it down to one pose or look. In the end, it turned out to be much more successful.”

Were there any real-life examples from Rotta's voice actor, Jeremy Allen White, that the animators could use further? Grube actually used several moments from Rotta's voice actors as examples. “I watched footage of Jeremy and even the way he held himself while screaming was helpful for some shots,” Grube recalls. “Even the stuntman who was on set (Richard Cetrone) held himself or swayed with a certain expression, and I found that helpful too.”

However, Hickel notes: “Although Richard played the character on set and Jeremy voiced him, all the emotion had to come from the animator.”