New gameplay footage from the long-cancelled Star Wars: First Assault has surfaced online, thanks to a fan team's efforts to restore the game. The project recreates the online shooter originally developed by LucasArts before its shutdown. While the build shows bugs, it demonstrates the game's multiplayer functionality.
Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm more than a decade ago led to the closure of LucasArts, which was later revived as Lucasfilm Games in 2021. This shakeup resulted in the cancellation of several projects, including Star Wars: First Assault, envisioned as the Star Wars franchise's competitive answer to Call of Duty.
According to a report from TheSixthAxis, a fan community is now working to complete the game using pre-release code that leaked years ago. An over one-hour YouTube live stream by Unseen Halo - Corbin showcases uncut gameplay on the Tatooine map, featuring stormtroopers and Rebels in online matches. The footage reveals a functional multiplayer experience, though with low framerate, visual bugs, and janky animations.
In 2024, former LucasArts developer Patrick Wren stated that First Assault was "months away" from completion and required no additional development costs when it was cancelled.
The fan project is recruiting new players through its Discord server. It joins other community efforts, such as the ongoing rebuild of Free Radical's cancelled Star Wars Battlefront 3, where new builds continue to emerge online. However, the initiative may face legal challenges from Disney and Lucasfilm Games.
