TheStar Warscommunity has routinely grappled with the frustration of canceled video games. While the franchise is known for putting out some of the most pivotal video games in the industry, there have been just as manyStar Warsgames that have never seen the light of day. Some of these canceled games are more notable than others, like the more recent Project Ragtag from Visceral Games, andStar Wars1313that was dropped as a result of Disney’sStar Warsacquisition. On top of those examples, there have even been games that got canceled before they really got started.
Star Wars 1313getting canceledafter Disney boughtStar Warswasn’t the only game to get axed in the proceedings. There was anotherStar Warsgame that planned to put fans in control of one of the franchise’s most prominent Sith: Darth Maul.Battle of the Sith Lordswas an action game that had the potential to revolutionizeStar Wars' place in the gaming industry, but fate had different plans. Now that some time has passed since its cancelation, it’s worth taking a look back at whatBattle of the Sith Lordswas trying to do, and all of the factors that worked against it.
RELATED:7 Games That Are As Intense As Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Battle of the Sith Lords And The Power Of Maul
In giving fans control of the relentless Darth Maul,Battle of the Sith Lordswould have been a much more matureStar Warsgame than fans are used to. The game would have included dismemberment and adult themes, really leaning into the darker side of the galaxy. Gameplay would have revolved around stealth mechanics with Maul using his signature lightsaber in combat, as well as a slew of crushing Force powers. Looking at prototype footage, lightsaber combat wasn’t too dissimilar toJedi: Fallen Order, showing how fans could have had that kind of gameplay several years before EA’s 2019 hit.
Production Difficulties On Battle of the Sith Lords
Battle of the Sith Lordswould have been a rareStar Warsgame to give players control of a character that had previously shown up in the films. Development of the game started around 2010 when LucasArts approached Red Fly Studio to make a game centered on Maul, but there was little actual story direction. Red Fly’s prototyping focused on making a Maul origin story that would have followed his story beforeThe Phantom Menace, but right as the studio got started there were complications.
At the time,Star Warswas getting ready to bring back Maul inStar Wars: The Clone Wars, which would have conflicted with the story that Red Fly was putting together. On top of that, whenStar Warscreator George Lucas looked at the game he wanted it to include comic character Darth Talon, who existed 170 years after Maul did in canon at the time. Red Fly eventually adjusted the game to make it about a clone or descendent of Maul in Talon’s era, but it greatly disrupted the game’s prototyping up to that point.
The Cancelation Of Battle of the Sith Lords
Just as Red Fly Studio was continuingBattle of the Sith Lords' production in this new direction, the developer reportedly began to experience communication issues with LucasArts. The company wouldn’t sign off on any of the game’s big ideas that would allow for full development to start, and eventually stop communicating with Red Fly altogether. The studio eventually learned via email that the game was canceled, further solidified by Disney’s subsequent acquisition ofeverythingStar Wars. It was a rough way for things to end, especially when prototyping was just wrapping up at the time.
Almost all hope forBattle of the Sith Lordsevaporated withEA’sStar Warsexclusivity dealand Disney’s grip on canon to serve the sequel film trilogy. Red Fly Studio tried putting together a demo of the game that could be reskinned to better fit Disney’s vision withStar Warsat the time, but it never gained traction. There has been some hope of oldStar Warsprojects resurfacing with LucasFilm Games taking greater control of the franchise’s gaming license, but for now it seems doubtful thatBattle of the Sith Lordswill ever be fully realized.
MORE:Star Wars Planets That Have Never Been Explored in a Video Game
