Star Wars: Squadrons Celebrates The Holidays With Two Content Drops

Written by Brandon Hofer on November 18, 2020

News: There is new content coming your way from new ships, to new maps, custom matches, and more.

With the holiday season approaching, Electronic Arts, Lucasfilm, and Motive have revealed that they will be releasing two content drops for Star Wars: Squadrons. On Wednesday, November 25, the first update will deploy giving players a brand-new map of a fan-favorite location - Fostar Haven. This new map will be available in both Fleet Battles and Dogfight mode. Additionally, this update comes with several new ship components, including a Boost Extension Kit, Rockets, Prototype Piercing Torpedoes and an Anti-Material Rocket Turret.

The second holiday supply drop will arrive in December and feature some of the community’s most requested content, starting with two new iconic starfighters.

A/SF-01 B-wing starfighter lands for New Republic pilots

TIE/d “Defender” multi-role starfighter will join the Imperial Navy’s fleet

Alongside these starfighters, Motive is also introducing custom matches to all seven maps in both Dogfight and Fleet Battles. Custom matches will make it easier for more players to participate in community-run tournaments, which have been popular among players since the game’s launch.

The new Fostar Haven map that will be released later this month is set in a remote, lawless area of space under the light of twin stars. This map has been updated from its story mode counterpart to provide a new experience that should fit well with the other six maps. In the Prologue of Squadrons, which is set at the height of the Galactic Civil War, Fostar Haven was an isolated trading station that welcomed smugglers and pirates. Helix Squadron was sent there to search the cargo docks for Alderaanian refugees. Now, four years later, the denizens of Fostar Haven have made a few upgrades to their station, trusting neither the Empire nor the New Republic. You'll have the chance to weave through the crowded dockyards or take the fight to open space.

New Components

With this first update will come four new components. For Fighters and Bombers, you’ll be able to use the Boost Extension Kit, a component that, when used, gives your starfighter a full boost. It’ll then recharge over time and can be used again. This will help these starfighters be able to change the pace of the battle in a new way, such as by giving them the ability to change the tide of dogfights or to get out of engagements with flagships if used wisely.

Next, they are giving Interceptors and Fighters a way to provide more assistance against capital ships and flagships (or, with a steady hand, against starfighters, too). They’ll be getting the Ion Rockets, not unlike the Barrage Rockets they currently have. These will be great for hit-and-run attacks to strip enemy shields. These rockets move at half the speed of standard rockets, but they can be used at the same time as other components, including their non-ion counterparts. Time them well for the best results.

Bombers and Fighters (the latter with half the ammo count) will also be receiving the Prototype Piercing Torpedoes, providing these two ships with a new tactic for taking on capital ships. Though these torpedoes do less overall damage than others of their class, they have the ability to bypass capital ships and flagship shields, making them very well-suited for striking enemy flagship subsystems before shields have been taken down.

And of course, who can forget the U-wing and TIE reaper. They’ll be getting a new way to support their allies when taking on enemy capital ships and flagships with the Anti-Material Rocket Turret. Though this turret doesn’t target enemy starfighters, it’s very well poised to take on flagship subsystems, capital ships, and even turrets and other deployables from enemy support ships.

December Update>

In the December update they are adding in two new Starfighters, one for the New Republic and one for the Galactic Empire.

Designed as the “Blade Wing” prototype by Mon Calamari engineer Quarrie and finely tuned under General Hera Syndulla’s guidance, the A/SF-01 B-wing starfighter makes its way into the New Republic’s fleet in this update.

Naturally, there’s a fitting counterpart for it going to the opposing faction, too. From the mind of the brilliant military tactician Grand Admiral Thrawn and Sienar Fleet Systems, the TIE/d “Defender” multi-role starfighter will join the Imperial Navy as well.

These two starfighters are as powerful as they are iconic, though understandably balanced out for the purposes of the game. The B-wing will be categorized as a Bomber-class starfighter and the TIE defender will be a Fighter, each being able to use the components relevant to their faction and class, but they’ll also come with their own unique aspects in line with what you’d expect from them, such as the B-wing with its gyro-cockpit and swiveling wings and the TIE defender with its shields.

These functions and a couple unique components will help them differentiate themselves from the other starfighters in their classes and factions, but they have also made sure they aren’t outright better by default. There’s still going to be good reasons to pick a Y-wing over a B-wing or a TIE fighter over a TIE defender and vice versa. It’ll depend on your playstyle and what the situation calls for.

Custom Matches

Custom matches will allow one to five players per side across two teams to play on any of the (now) seven maps in both Dogfight and Fleet Battles. There will also be some additional restrictions and modifiers that you can change. These include things like hull/shield/damage modifiers, changing capital ship health, restricting certain starfighters, and other tools to help you change how you play. With this, there will also be a custom matches server browser for you to search through private matches made by your friends as well as public ones made by strangers.

What do you think about these updates? How have you been enjoying Star Wars: Squadrons? Tell us in the comment section below.