Canceled Star Wars RPG Magellan Looked Like A Star Wars Take On Borderlands

There’s no shortage of Star Wars games in development right now, but one game set in a galaxy far (far!) away that you won’t be playing is an AAA action-RPG set in that sci-fi series. Developed under the codename Magellan–it’s worth noting that Zynga has never officially confirmed this project–the project would have allowed players to pick up a lightsaber and play as a Jedi, or, if they wanted to be cool, a Mandalorian.

According to official development materials seen and uploaded by MP1st, Magellan was in development at Echtra Games, but the studio was shut down last year by its owner, Zynga. NaturalMotion was also assisting on the game’s production, which reportedly kicked off in 2021. Some footage shared by a former Echtra Games developer shows off a third-person ARPG with plenty of shoot-and-loot gameplay, featuring two character classes: Jedi and Mandalorian. Jedi have their signature lightsabers and the ability to use the Force, while Mandalorians can use their jetpacks to get around, flamethrowers, and ranged weaponry.

Both classes could use gadgets like electric grenades, and the core gameplay loop seemed to revolve around obtaining “Booster Gear” from enemies and opening reward chests. An “NPC Bond System” would also have allowed players to build relationships with NPCs when they weren’t fighting Stormtroopers and droids. Magellan was originally targeting a PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S release, but work on the project ceased, and Magellan joined a long list of canceled Star Wars games, like Star Wars 1313, Visceral’s Project Ragtag, and a Republic Commando sequel.

While Magellan is currently one with the Force, the wait for new Star Wars games is paying off with the release of the XCOM-like Zero Company on August 27 and Star Wars: Galactic Racer on October 6. This year’s D23 also had plenty of reveals for the wider Star Wars franchise, including a new look at Ahsoka’s second season, the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter movie starring Ryan Gosling, and the recent release of The Ninth Jedi, a standalone spinoff of the Star Wars: Visions anthology.