The controversial Star Wars video game being developed by Quantic Dream, Star Wars: Eclipse is reportedly targeting a 2026 release window, but behind the scenes issues could see the game release even later.
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The Eclipse report comes today from Tom Henderson, exclusively for Insider Gaming. If you’ve been following Eclipse reports then Henderson would be a familiar name to you. Back in March of 2022 and writing for XFire, Henderson reported that Quantic Dream were struggling to hire sixty seven developers for Eclipse, this was three months after the studio were looking to hire sixty members of staff for the project. According to XFire, the studio had been updating the publishing date shown on each of the job listings to make them appear more recent, meaning they’re still likely unfulfilled positions dating back to December 2021. The same report from Henderson also mentioned Quantic Dream debuted the Eclipse trailer at the 2021 Game Awards in hopes of attracting staff, with Quantic Dream’s hope at the time to release their Star Wars project in 2024, but due to being unable to attract talent to the project, Eclipse was looking to release in 2027 or even 2028.
It was also previously reported by Henderson that the studio has faced issues with their QD engine, as the QD engine’s architecture was apparently built for more confined levels with smaller areas to explore and with a limited number of AI. Eclipse is apparently going to be a multi-planet exploring title with open world elements, and the QD engine, according to the report, doesn’t work for such an ambitious title, and apparently this is one of the reasons the studio was looking to be acquired. Henderson claims that the studio is also having issues with multiplayer which is rumoured to be part of Eclipse, as the studio has never attempted to make a title with multiplayer elements before.
Henderson for Insider Gaming is today reporting that Star Wars: Eclipse is now targeting a release window of 2026, with his sources restating that part of the reason is the studios issues trying to hire staff for the project following allegations of a toxic work culture, sexual harassment and crunch. Henderson adds that due to the studios alleged issues attracting developers to the project, Eclipse might not make the 2026 window that the studio is hoping for, meaning it could release in 2027 or even later.
Earlier this month, Quantic Dream did an interview with BFM TV where they showed behind the scenes clips for the upcoming title which doesn’t include any new footage of Eclipse, but shows the studio using performance capture technology as well as sound mixing. During the interview the studio briefly commented on the bad working conditions at the studio back in 2018, which they said were now behind them and that development on Star Wars: Eclipse was advancing well.
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