“Star Wars” being an “active” franchise thanks to its Disney+ spinoffs, it’s no surprise LEGO Star Wars is similarly busy. From new sets and minifigs to videogames, the Force is strong with this one. Warner Bros. Games has “LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” lined up for a multi-platform launch next year. But if you think that’s all the videogames this LEGO line is getting for some time, think again.
Okay, so this one isn’t actually new. “LEGO Star Wars Battles” actually launched in beta for iOS back in 2019. That beta period lasted two years. It shut down this past July however. Then there came this new announcement.
“LEGO Star Wars Battles,” a mobile real-time strategy game, is coming exclusively to Apple Arcade according to StarWars.com. This was revealed by WB Games, Lucasfilm Games, and the LEGO Group on August 30. Rather than a standalone, “LEGO Star Wars Battles” becomes part of the Apple Arcade service. This means one must subscribe to it ($14.95-$29.95, plan-wise). Then they must subscribe to the game at $4.99/month, with one-month free trial.
Is the game worth it, though? One could look for those who played the beta version on iOS before its recent closure. But if you already like the PvP RTS genre and “Star Wars” as a franchise, this mash-up might do. The official “LEGO Star Wars Battles” blurb talks of buying characters, from faction troops to named characters. That’s pure mobile RTS already. Rather than Sentinel/Scourge or Legion/Hellbourne, we have Light/Dark sides fighting it out.
Aside from just managing troops on the move, the game also allows players to build LEGO-tower defense. They can also put their characters into brick-vehicles, and uses abilities from heavier weaponry to Force powers. Attack, defend, capturing territory…pure mobile RTS mechanics. The fact that you do this in control of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Rey and more is geek-out bliss.
For now, “LEGO Star Wars Battles” is expected to come to iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple TV via Apple Arcade. If it becomes popular enough however, there’s a chance of full ports to PC and even videogame consoles. We still have to wait until the game comes out (once more).