How to Play Through the Canon Star Wars Games in Order
Although Star Wars has become a fixture of movie culture over the generations, it’s also left a signature stamp on the world of video games. From LEGO spin-offs and NES movie adaptations to pod-racing simulators, it’s hard to talk to someone about games they loved as a kid without the words Star Wars cropping up in there somewhere.
And as the series has grown into a powerhouse in the gaming world, so too have video games become a key part of the Star Wars universe as a whole. In recent years, we’ve seen more and more video games become official parts of the franchise’s canon timeline, whether that’s Cal Kestis’ adventures through a post-Order-66 world in the Star Wars Jedi series or Iden Versio’s transformation from Empire trooper to Resistance hero in 2017’s Star Wars Battlefront 2.
So, for those looking to catch up with the video-game-exclusive chapters of the Star Wars history books, let’s take a look at all of the canon Star Wars games in chronological order.
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How Many Canon Star Wars Games Are There?
Considering Star Wars has been making its way to video game consoles for over four decades at this point, there are a lot of Star Wars games spread across the history of the series. To be specific, there are well over 100 Star Wars games in total, including everything from first-person shooters and tactical strategy games to dance titles and even educational point-and-click adventures.
That’s a lot of games, although only a very small selection are part of the series’ official storyline. Since Disney wiped the extended universe from the canon, there are now eight games canon to the timeline of the series. Only one of these games won’t feature on our chronological list, and that’s Star Wars: Uprising. Although the mobile RPG was an official continuation of the Star Wars story, it was closed down back in 2016 due to low player counts and is no longer available.
We also haven’t included any of the Star Wars web browser games or titles that act as retellings of the events of the main story, such as the Star Wars Journeys series.
All Canon Star Wars Games in Chronological Order
1. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
The first notch on the official canon timeline, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is set half a decade after the events of Star Wars: Revenge of The Sith, and follows a survivor of the Order 66 Jedi purge.
After years of hiding from the Empire and their ruthless Jedi-hunting soldiers, the Inquisitors, Fallen Order’s story sees former padawan Cal Kestis rekindle with the force after his powers are discovered, sending him on a galaxy-wide adventure in the hopes of rebuilding the Jedi order. Along the way, he’s pursued by the merciless Second Sister; a powerful Sith Inquisitor determined to hunt Cal down and put a stop to his plans.
Fallen Order takes heavy inspiration from the soulslike genre, with players exploring iconic and all-new planets while taking part in frantic, fast-paced lightsaber duels and building their arsenal of force powers. It was the beginning of a franchise for developer Respawn Entertainment, who went on to make a sequel four years later. Speaking of…
2. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
The official sequel to Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is set five years after the events of the previous game. Now an older and more wizened Jedi Knight, we pick up Cal’s story as he searches for a place to hide from the Empire and raise a new crop of Force sensitive warriors. However, after discovering a powerful Jedi who served during the High Republic era, Cal quickly becomes embroiled in a new battle which tests his abilities and connection to the Jedi teachings.
Much like its predecessor, Survivor focuses heavily on soulslike combat spread across several explorable planets, taking players to new locations alongside a few fan favorites. All the while they’ll get to test their mettle with brand new fighting stances, allowing them to duel-wield a saber and a blaster, or channel Kylo Ren, and carve through their foes with a powerful crossguard lightsaber.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Standard Edition – PlayStation 5
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3. Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series
Set after Revenge of the Sith and before Rogue One, Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series takes place over three episodes and follows a nameless smuggler who becomes entangled in a mysterious plot tied to Darth Vader’s past.
After their ship is pulled out of hyperspace by the Empire, the smuggler is forced to explore Vader’s castle on Mustafar, where they learn about a mystical artifact with the power to conquer death. Vader Immortal aimed to grant players the childhood dream of wielding a lightsaber with their own hands, planting them in the world of Star Wars via a VR headset and fully immersing them in the Jedi experience.
4. Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (2017)
Although Star Wars: Battlefront 2’s multiplayer takes place across the various eras of Star Wars history, the story mode begins just after the events of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. It follows Iden Versio: the commander of an Imperial squadron known as Inferno Squad. Spanning thirty years, it follows Versio and her allies’ journey, from the destruction of the Second Death Star all the way to the climax of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Along the way, she meets various iconic characters and explores some of Star Wars’ most famous battlegrounds, including Bespin, Endor and Naboo. In-game, players can expect plenty of third and first-person firefights, battling across lovingly recreated maps while wielding blasters, flying ships and even picking up a lightsaber as one of the game’s many hero characters.
Star Wars Battlefront II – PlayStation 4
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5. Star Wars: Squadrons
The next notch on the timeline belongs to Star Wars: Squadrons; EA’s space-fighting spin-off. Strapping players into an array of iconic starships, they’ll engage in huge battles across the vast reaches of the galaxy, getting into intense dog fights from behind the controls of X-Wings, Tie Fighters and more.
Although the beginning of the story takes place during the events of A New Hope, the bulk of Squadrons’ campaign is set after the Return of the Jedi, with players switching between the roles of a Resistance and Empire pilot.
Shifting back and forth between both perspectives, it tells the story of a secret Rebel project codenamed Starhawk, which poses a major threat to the Empire. Intending to prevent its completion, the Empire rushes to stop the plans, leading to plenty of all-out, space-based skirmishes.
Star Wars: Squadrons – PlayStation 4
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6. Star Wars: Droid Repair Bay
Set during the events of The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Droid Repair Bay is an entirely free VR experience that tasks players with repairing BB-8 and a series of other droids. They’ll have to remove and replace faulty parts, tweak circuits and ensure the droids are ready for field deployment. Droid Repair Bay was a tie-in with the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, with players cast as a mechanic on the Raddus space station shortly before its battle with the Supremacy dreadnought during the events of the film.
7. Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge
The final slot on the timeline comes via Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge. Set between the events of The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, Galaxy’s Edge is a VR experience where players step into the shoes of a nameless droid mechanic and explore the planet of Batuu: the same setting as Disneyland Park’s Star-Wars-themed attraction.
After crash-landing on Batuu to evade smugglers that boarded your ship, Galaxy’s Edge has you shooting your way through First Order soldiers and Guavian criminals while solving puzzles and delving deeper into the planet’s various mysteries. It eventually got an expansion called The Last Call, which allowed players to train as a Jedi and suit up as the legendary assassin droid, IG-88.
All Canon Star Wars Games in Release Order
- Star Wars Uprising (2015)
- Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017)
- Star Wars: Droid Repair Bay (2017)
- Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series (2019)
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (2019)
- Star Wars: Squadrons (2020)
- Star Wars: Tales From The Galaxy’s Edge (2020)
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (2023)
What’s Next for Star Wars Video Games?
Although the current list of canon video games in the Star Wars universe is relatively small, over the next few years, it appears to be growing significantly. On August 30, Ubisoft is set to add another major entry to the franchise in Star Wars: Outlaws. An open-world RPG casting players as underworld thief Kay Vess, it promises expansive worlds to explore and a new canon story, featuring some returning Star Wars characters like Jabba the Hutt and Qi’ra. Meanwhile, on June 4, we can expect Star Wars Hunters, which is a free-to-play multiplayer team shooter coming to mobile devices.
In terms of projects a little further out, Heavy Rain developer, Quantic Dream, announced back in 2021 that it’s working on a Star Wars title set during the High Republic era titled Star Wars: Eclipse. Amy Hennig also revealed she was working on a Star Wars game with Skydance Media back in 2022, while Saber Interactive’s CEO recently confirmed that the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake is still in the works. In short, it seems we can expect plenty more visits to a galaxy far, far away over the next few years.
Callum Williams is a freelance media writer with years of experience as a game critic, news reporter, guides writer and features writer.
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