"Time will tell": Bit Reactor discusses queerness in Star Wars: Zero Company and future with EA

In the game, players can create a custom character named Hawks, who uses they/them pronouns. CEO and creative director Greg Foertsch explained that while there is no canonical version of Hawks, the team wanted to allow players to express themselves however they choose: "There's no canon Hawks, per se... allowing people to explore Star Wars in a way that they want to do it".

This stance comes at a time when EA was acquired for $55 billion by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. According to filings, the PIF now owns 93.4% of the newly private company. While the acquisition has drawn criticism from politicians and union organizers over concerns about human rights records in Saudi Arabia, including restrictions on LGBTQ+ individuals, EA's new owners have also invested in other publishers like Nintendo and Activision-Blizzard.

Despite these concerns, Foertsch stated that the studio has not reconsidered its partnership with EA: "Our relationship with EA has been great... Our deal with them is from way before any of this. We're trying to get this thing out the door, so all that paint is pretty fresh." The planned release window remains August 2026.

While the developers emphasize their commitment to player expression and strong working relationships with partners like Lucasfilm and Respawn, the long-term impact of EA's new ownership on representation in future titles remains an open question.