EA Motive has launched its first game, and there’s a lot to be impressed with. Star Wars: Squadrons offers a unique modern and multiplayer starfighter experience, a style of game that hasn’t been available for many years now. Particularly impressive is Motive’s authentic recreation of so many Star Wars ships, from the X-Wing to Star Destroyers. And while fans are hoping for continued post-launch support from Motive, despite comments to the contrary, they’re also beginning to ask what’s next for EA’s young studio.
Motive general manager Patrick Klaus opened up about the future of the studio. In that interview, Klaus confirmed that with Star Wars: Squadrons launched, Motive now has “several projects” in the works, which is exciting for the fledgling studio, yet Klaus is understandably unwilling to elaborate on the nature of these games. However, he does attribute Motive’s ambition going forward to the early success of Star Wars: Squadrons.
With that ambition, Klaus says that there’s “a lot of appetites to innovate within Motive going forward. If there’s a clue to be taken regarding Motive’s future direction, it’s in that. If Motive is embracing innovation, a Star Wars: Squadrons 2 doesn’t seem as much of a priority. Motive may take the opportunity Star Wars: Squadrons has afforded the studio and create something quite different and new.
Klaus also provided a new mission statement for Motive that further expands on his promise of innovation going into the studio’s future project. The mission statement reads “To empower players to create, experiment, live and share their unique stories.” While a mission statement doesn’t have to reflect a studio’s projects, it certainly doesn’t seem to reflect Star Wars: Squadrons. It sounds more like the philosophy behind Minecraft or The Sims. Needless to say, Motive may be moving in a very different direction going forward.
For fans of Star Wars: Squadrons, Motive’s new, innovative direction doesn’t necessarily mean anything bad for the franchise. Continued support for Star Wars: Squadrons may not be in the game’s future despite its relative popularity. However, with the studio working on multiple projects, it’s entirely possible that Motive’s also working on a sequel at the same time as it pursues its more innovative ideas.
Regardless of Motive’s future plans, it’s likely going to be a while before the studio is able to share any more information. Barring one of the studio’s other projects being further into development than expected, it could be years before Motive’s next game is revealed and actively marketed. And in the meantime, a lot can change.
Star Wars: Squadrons is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
