EA’s canceled Star Wars game, codenamed Project Ragtag, would’ve reportedly focused on heists and have players take control of a band of scoundrels, potentially outshining Solo: A Star Wars Story in the process. The title, which was being led by former Uncharted developer Amy Hennig at the now-defunct Visceral Games, was canceled in 2017, and there’s talk that Hennig may be reviving the concept for Skydance’s new Star Wars game, which has just been recently announced. There isn’t loads of information surrounding Ragtag, but reports have illuminated aspects of its tumultuous development, including its Uncharted-style gameplay, the game’s setting, and even its characters.
Announced in the wake of Disney giving EA exclusive access to the Star Wars license in 2013, the then untitled game was to have focused on a group of scoundrels following the events of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Gameplay would have reportedly involved multiple playable characters, with concept art showing a crew comprised of several humans, a droid, and what appears to be a Falleen (the same species as Prince Xizor). Although originally an open world Star Wars game, with Visceral ostensibly adapting the project from a pirate game it had been developing, Hennig’s involvement saw it shift to a more story-driven, linear title in the vein of Uncharted. However, development trouble on Battlefield Hardline and difficulties with the infamous Frostbite engine eventually contributed to the cancellation of Ragtag, with Hennig leaving EA a year later.
Like many other canceled Star Wars games, interest in Ragtag has remained relatively high since development on it ended. Bits and pieces surrounding its premise and gameplay sound compelling, and it’s no surprise that there’s talk of it being revived over at Skydance now that Hennig is leading the studio. The idea of an Uncharted-style Star Wars game pulling from films like Where Eagles Dare and The Dirty Dozen – as Hennig revealed in a conversation published by Eurogamer in 2019 – would seem like a recipe for success, as the similarities between George Lucas’ saga and classic war epics are evident. Star Wars is anything if not a story of underdogs, with the Rebel Alliance overcoming great odds to fell the mighty Empire, and applying that approach to a band of Han Solo-esque misfits and scoundrels could have led to something special.
Ragtag Would’ve Been Like Solo: A Star Wars Story’s Best Scene
One of the better set-pieces in Solo: A Star Wars Story was the heist on Vandor, where Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Tobias Beckett’s crew attempt to steal coaxium from the Empire. Ragtag’s reported heist focus – whereby players would take control of multiple protagonists similar to GTA 5, and take different routes to achieve objectives in different ways – could’ve been like that, only more. Uncharted was renowned for its high-stakes action drama, with Uncharted 2: Among Thieves‘ train sequence a highlight of the series, and Ragtag may have applied that style of mission through a Star Wars lens. The series is filled with rich iconography, and Lucasfilm visual artist Doug Chiang was even involved in aspects of Ragtag’s development, which would’ve lent another layer of authenticity to the project.
It’s unclear as of now as to what focus Skydance’s Star Wars game will take, but Hennig has unresolved business with the galaxy far, far away, and it would be a shame if Ragtag’s premise wasn’t to be resurrected. Star Wars games over the last decade have suffered from a dearth of variety, with the sole AAA offerings being FPS games in the form of Star Wars Battlefront or Jedi-focused experiences with Fallen Order. Not that there isn’t space for those games, or that they haven’t contributed anything valuable, but rather that it’s time gaming once again reflected the broad scope of the franchise. Resurrecting Ragtag’s heist story would be a good start.
