Zynga has delayed the release of Star Wars: Hunters again, this time to 2023.
The free-to-play, squad-based arena combat game was originally scheduled to be released for Switch, iOS and Android devices in 2021 before a previous delay to 2022.
Announced in February 2021, Star Wars: Hunters is in the works at NaturalMotion Games, a UK development studio owned by Zynga, which was acquired by Rockstar parent company Take-Two earlier this year.
Star Wars: Hunters – Enter the Arena | Gameplay Trailer
Set between Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the game soft-launched for mobile in selected countries in late 2021.
According to NaturalMotion, Hunters challenges players to “build a team from a cast of unique and all-new Star Wars characters – from daring bounty hunters to heroes of the Rebellion and Imperial stormtroopers”.
Players also engage in “real-time cross-play” battles in “grand arenas” based on iconic Star Wars settings.
Announcing the game’s latest delay on Monday, the studio said: “We are working tirelessly to achieve our vision for Star Wars: Hunters. Our ambition is to create a competitive battle arena game that will entertain for years to come.
“To ensure we meet the high expectations we are setting for fans globally and ourselves as developers, we have made the decision to delay the worldwide launch of Star Wars: Hunters.
“We invite all gamers to join us on Vespaara when Star Wars: Hunters launches in 2023 on Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android devices.
“We understand game delays are frustrating, however, our top priority is ensuring players have the best possible experience in the arena,” NaturalMotion added.
“For those of you who have been able to join us in soft launch, we truly appreciate your support and feedback as we work to make Star Wars: Hunters the best it can be.
“We will continue to roll out new content updates regularly in soft launch territories until worldwide launch, with our next update coming up within the next few weeks.”
