Star Wars Hunters is finally out, and it’s already shaping up to be a good time for critics and audiences alike. Early impressions of the arena-based shooter, which launched on June 4 for Nintendo Switch and mobile, point to another triumph for the long-running franchise.
Star Wars fighters
Professional critics have already managed to round up some of their opinions on the game. Nintendo Life's Jim Norman wrote an 8/10 review, praising the game for its originality, gameplay, and performance. "Star Wars: Hunters may not bring anything new to the ever-expanding field of class-based shooters, but there's a lot of fun to be had here," Norman wrote. Inverse's Throne Dowd also shared their thoughts on the game, comparing it to the most recent Star Wars series The Acolyte (also released on June 4). "With new fictional entries like Star Wars: Acolyte and Star Wars: Hunters, it finally feels like we're returning to creators who care about telling unique stories within this storied universe," they said.
Audience reaction has also been generally positive. Those who have played the game shared their positive opinions on X/Twitter about the gameplay and characters, while also having some minor criticisms about the performance issues and the Switch exclusivity.
Some users even went so far as to deliberately refer to the game as “Star Wars Overwatch,” drawing comparisons to not only that game, but also the upcoming hero shooter Marvel Rivals. These comparisons aren’t surprising considering the already crowded market for games of this genre, thanks not only to the aforementioned games, but also to Fortnite, Apex Legends, VALORANT, and the upcoming Concord.