Star Wars Squadrons update to add B-wing, TIE defender, more

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EA and Motive have announced plans to bring new ships and other additional content to their starfighter sim, Star Wars Squadrons, via a series of free updates.

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by Liam Andrews

@pass_controller

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The first of the two updates, to be released 25 November, includes a new multiplayer map as well as various balance tweaks and fixes. The new map, Fostar Haven (which you can see above) is an isolated trading station set in a “remote, lawless area of space under the light of twin stars.” The location originally featured in the campaign’s prologue mission but has been reworked for Squadrons’ Dogfight and Fleet Battle multiplayer modes, with players able to “weave through the crowded dockyards or take the fight to open space.”

Also arriving alongside the Fostar Haven map this month are a number of new components, namely engine and weapon upgrades for various starfighter classes that can be unlocked using in-game currency.

Fighter and Bomber classes will be getting the Boost Extension Kit and Prototype Piercing Torpedoes. The former grants an instant full boost that then needs to recharge, while the latter is a new missile type that can bypass capital ship and flagship shields.

Interceptor and Fighter classes are getting the Ion Rockets, said to be similar to the current Barrage Rockets but “great for hit-and-run attacks to strip enemy shields.” Meanwhile, the Support class will have access to the Anti-Material Rocket Turret, which automatically targets flagship subsystems, capital ships and other players’ deployables.

The biggest content drop comes sometime in December with the arrival of two new fan-favourite starfighters - the B-wing and the TIE defender. Both can be seen below.

The former will fall under the New Republic’s Bomber class while the latter is to be included in the Imperial’s Fighter options. Each will have access to their respective class components, but also feature “unique aspects,” such as the B-wings’ gyro-cockpit and the TIE defender’s shields.

While these unique aspects help set the two apart from other starfighters in their class, Motive have made sure that they aren’t “outright better” by default, stating that there’s still “good reasons” to pick other ships depending on playstyle and situation.

Finally, Squadrons will also be getting custom matches and a server browser as part of the December update, with players able to modify things such as starfighter hull/shield/damage, capital ship health and enable class restrictions.

The updates may come as a surprise for many Squadrons fans, as, according to Creative Director Ian Frazier, EA and Motive were “not planning” to add any new content to the game. However, with the newly announced updates, plus last month’s drop of The Mandalorian-themed cosmetics, it looks like their attitude towards post-launch content has changed.

“Your enthusiastic support for Squadrons has enabled us to expand upon it further in all the ways outlined above, and I couldn’t be more thrilled,” said Frazier in a message to the game’s community. “It's because of your backing that we were able to get a bit of a head start on concepting all this cool new stuff. You really did make a difference. Take care, and see you in the stars!”

Star Wars Squadrons is currently available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. It’s also playable on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 via backwards compatibility.

What do you think of the updates? Looking forward to trying the new starfighters? Let us know below.

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