Star Wars Hunters release date nears as pre-registration begins

The Star Wars Hunters art style seems to be in that slightly cartoonish style that Fortnite and Apex Legends have popularised, judging by the epic new trailer for the game that landed online recently. It'll be interesting to see if Star Wars Hunters can achieve a similar level of success to those huge games!

If you'd like to learn more about Star Wars Hunters, read on as we try to answer all of the key questions about the game, starting with that all-important release date window.

When is the Star Wars Hunters release date?

The Star Wars Hunters release date is scheduled for 2022, although an exact date has not been announced as of yet - we don't even know which month the developers from Zynga are aiming towards, but we'll be sure to let you know if that changes any time soon. Watch this space for more updates as and when further details become available.

What are the Star Wars Hunters pre-registration details?

The official Star Wars Hunters website currently has a pre-registration form on its front page, and you can fill that in if you want to declare your interest in the game. The website states that everyone who signs up will "help unlock a range of special in-game content" as well as subscribing for regular news updates. As of right now, we don't know exactly what that pre-registration bonus content will be, but signing up is free regardless.

Which consoles and platforms can play Star Wars Hunters?

Three different platforms have been confirmed for Star Wars Hunters so far - we know that it is going to launch on Nintendo Switch and mobile devices, with the iOS and Android operating systems being able to run the mobile version. It sounds like tablets such as the new iPad Mini will be able to run the game, as well as iPhones and Android products.

While we're talking about platforms, here's quite an exciting detail - Nintendo Switch players will be pleased to know that you will not require a Nintendo Switch Online membership to download and play Star Wars Hunters.

There's no word yet on a wider console release for the game, so you might be waiting a while - or forever - if you were hoping to play the game on PS4, PS5, Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S. As far as we know, Star Wars Hunters will not be heading to those consoles any time soon.

Is Star Wars Hunters free to play?

Star Wars Hunters will be free to play, so there's no price you'll need to pay if you want to download the game and try it out. That being said, there will surely be optional in-game purchases on offer within the game itself - like most mobile games, we'd expect Star Wars Hunters to make most of its money via microtransactions.

What do we know about Star Wars Hunters gameplay?

During the Apple event in September 2021, the very first glimpse of Star Wars Hunters gameplay footage was revealed. This brief clip has seen been shared on Twitter, so you can take a look below if you want to see what the gameplay looks like:

The official website for Star Wars Hunters offers some extra details. It tells us that the game takes place on a planet called Vespaara, "where Hunters from across the galaxy compete in The Arena."

Players will take part in what Zynga describes as "thrilling third person combat" across a number of "grand arenas set in a range of maps that evoke iconic Star Wars worlds". It does sound a bit like Apex Legends, with. a Star Wars lick of paint.

Zynga goes on to describe the core gameplay experience like so: "Mix and match teams, use skill, tactics and customize your character to find a winning strategy and reap the spoils of victory in this all-new free-to-play game."

Who are the playable characters in Star Wars Hunters?

The recent trailer for Star Wars Hunters introduced a number of brand-new characters, and they are a unique bunch: the main character in the promo video seemed to be a red-lightsaber-wielding villainess called Rieve, while the biggest scene-stealer was a pair of Jawas going by the new Utooni. One Jawa standing on the shoulders of another Jawa is certainly a fresh idea!

The game's official website offered these descriptions of the Star Wars Hunters characters:

• Rieve: "A shrewd dark side warrior here to sow wickedness throughout The Arena."
• Utooni: "Jawa scrappers with an arsenal of hidden firepower."
• Grozz: "A Wookiee warrior with a penchant for disarming droids and his opponents."
• J-3DI: "One-of-a-kind droid programmed to believe that the Force is with him."
• Aran Tal: "This Mandalorian stalwart is here to call out the wicked and serve up fiery justice.
• Imara Vex: "Always looking for the bounty, always on the hunt, Vex never loses."
• Slingshot: "A flashy adrenaline-junkie joyrider, Slingshot revels in roadkill."
• Sentinel: "A remnant of the Empire unwilling to accept defeat."
• Zaina: "A veteran of the Rebel Alliance and hero to the New Republic."

We count nine confirmed playable characters, then, or ten if you count Utooni as being two different beings. Of course, we wouldn't be surprised to see new characters added later - that's always a good trick when it comes to keeping your game alive. Perhaps we'll see some familiar faces from the films later on.

When does Star Wars Hunters take place in the timeline?

Star Wars Hunters is set "after the fall of the Galactic Empire," the official Star Wars website has confirmed. In terms of the Star Wars films timeline, this places the game between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens.

At this point, the Empire has been defeated and the New Republic is trying to control the chaos in its wake. This time period is popular at the moment - it's the same window of opportunity in which The Mandalorian, Ahsoka and The Book of Boba Fett take place on Disney Plus.

Is there a new trailer for Star Wars Hunters?

The latest trailer for Star Wars Hunters arrived online on 14th September 2021, and you can watch it below! This is a CGI teaser for the game rather than a deep-dive look at gameplay, but it's certainly enough to pique our interest. Could this be the next massive online game? Impossible to see, the future is, but we wouldn't bet against it.

Follow Radio Times Gaming on Twitter for all the latest insights. Or if you're looking for something to watch, see our TV Guide

Visit our video game release schedule for all upcoming games on consoles. Swing by our hubs for more Gaming and Technology news.