If 2012–2018 was defined by centralization, then 2019–present is defined by reopening the gates. Following the consolidation of the EA Exclusive Era — and the controversy, cancellations, and corporate recalibration that defined it — the years after 2019 represent a structural shift back toward diversification. The change did not happen overnight. It began quietly. In November 2019, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order launched. At the time, it looked like a strong single-player title within the existing EA framework. In hindsight, it marked the beginning of something larger. By January 2021, Disney and Lucasfilm formally ended EA’s practical exclusivity. The “Lucasfilm Games” brand returned publicly. New publishers entered the field. Studios outside EA began developing major Star Wars titles for the first time in nearly a decade. For the first time since the early 2000s, the Star Wars gaming landscape widened again. This era is not defined by one publisher. It…
Star Wars games timeline
Star Wars Games (2012–2018): The EA Exclusive Era
When we closed the book on 2006–2012, it felt like LucasArts was wobbling. When 2012–2018 began, the wobble turned into a restructuring. And everyone felt it. This wasn’t a loud collapse. It wasn’t dramatic overnight silence. It was something slower and stranger — like watching the galaxy shift ownership while you were still standing in it. In April 2013, Disney shut down internal development at LucasArts.In May 2013, Electronic Arts was announced as the exclusive publisher for core Star Wars console and PC games. And just like that, an era ended. But what followed wasn’t a drought. It was a recalibration. Where This Era Sits in the Timeline If you’re reading this as part of the complete SWTORStrategies Star Wars Games archive, here’s the path so far: Now we enter 2012–2018. This is the EA Exclusive Era. And it is defined by two forces working at the same time: It’s…