As recent hits likeThe Mandalorianhave demonstrated, theStar Warsuniverse is incredibly expansive. When creatingStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order,developer Respawn Entertainment added several old pieces of lore back to theofficialStar Warscanon. However, the game’s director, Stig Asmussen, recently revealed that podracing was one of the franchise’s past elements that did not make it into the final game.
During a panelat the 2020 DICE Summit in Las Vegas,Asmussen went into detail about the game’s development process. Although the development team at Respawn Entertainment had always wanted to create a single-player Jedi adventure game with lightsaber and Force combat, it had also considered alternate genres for its contribution to theStar Warsuniverse.
RELATED:Disney Wants More Games Like Jedi: Fallen Order
In the fireside chat, the director stated that he had considered creating either a podracing game or a moretraditionalStar Warsfirst person shooter.Asmussen also cited Lucasfilm’s hesitation to allow Respawn to use the Jedi in a game as another reason to seriously consider developing a podracing game. However, Lucasfilm eventually allowed Asmussen and his team to use the word “Jedi” forFallen Order, and Respawn was ultimately allowed to stick with the “melee-action” genre that defined the developer’s previous games.
HadStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderused podracing as a mechanic, it would have been the first podracing game since 2002’sStar Wars Racer Revengefor the PS2. However, according to Asmussen’s talk at the DICE Summit, the podracing concept was short-lived.
Not only was the racing gameplay unlike anything Respawn was equipped to create at the time, but it was also clearly not what the developers had in mind. The fact that Asmussen and Respawn continued working on the game’s premise without permission to use the Jedi shows an artistic commitment that could not have been easily changed.
Ultimately, the developer’s decision to create a more story-centric, lightsaber action game was for the best. Thanks to both its callbacks and fresh gameplay,Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderwas able to capture the attention of Disneyitself, in addition to countless fans. After frustration with previousStar Warsgames, Respawn’s contribution revitalized the franchise’s video game selections. It’s no surprise that some believe aJedi: Fallen Ordersequel is already in development.Hopefully, Respawn will continue its current hot streak.
