Star Wars: EA raised $3 billion with a license.
Even if Electronic Arts no longer has the exclusive rights to produce Star Wars games, the American publisher does not intend to stop exploiting this license so lucrative. CEO Andrew Wilson raised the subject during an exchange with shareholders, revealing in passing some figures.
With the Lucasfilm Games label’s return, future Star Wars video games will no longer be developed solely by Electronic Arts. Disney should multiply non-exclusive external partnerships; the American giant has chosen Ubisoft to develop an open-world Star Wars game.
A new Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, which EA would not develop, is also at the heart of the rumors. Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts, was asked about the implications of this change for the publisher:
“The fact that other people will make Star Wars games does not change our commitment to this license or our ability to produce an adequate number of games. We have a long-standing partnership with Disney.” – Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts.
EA has made over $3 billion from its slate of Star Wars titles, and it isn't planning on slowing down anytime soon. https://t.co/BhK9emoMIL pic.twitter.com/DYxUtWDBYE
— IGN (@IGN) February 3, 2021
“You can expect additional investments in Star Wars. This partnership has been very profitable so far, with over three billion dollars generated. We should not necessarily expect a drop in the number of games” – Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts.
Andrew Wilson says mobile free-to-play Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, which features turn-based combat with characters from all Star Wars eras, has generated more than $ 1 billion of his own. Alone since its launch in 2015.
EA also reveals that it has sold a total of 52 million Star Wars games. Signed in 2013, its partnership with Disney saw the birth of two new Star Wars Battlefront (DICE), Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order (Respawn), and Star Wars Squadrons (EA Motive).
Still, it was also marked by significant cancellations (Viking project, Ragtag / Orca project). The publisher also takes care of the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO developed by Bioware in 2011.
EA already has “several Star Wars projects” in the works, including a prior successor to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a single-player action-adventure game that has exceeded expectations.