One cannot debate the popularity of The Mandalorian on Disney Plus and its appeal to Star Wars fans of all ages, as well as those who have historically been less interested in the galaxy far, far away. And while I was critical of EA Capital Games at the end of 2019 for their lack of content around the series, I do understand that the release of The Rise of Skywalker took precedence in terms of their content releases. Now a year later, Season 2 of The Mandalorian is already a hit, with some saying the first episode of Season 2 was the best Mando episode yet. However it is my belief that CG is still not getting all they can out of the success of The Mandalorian TV series, which we will get into below. A recent episode of Rogue Actions from Cubs Fan Han and Hynesy brought up the idea of a new Raid in Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes centered around Mando content – something I think is a fantastic idea.
As we look at the state of SWGoH in late 2020, we have a community that is in desperate need of a new Raid. The Sith Triumvirate Raid was released in February 2018, almost 3 years ago, and as the game nears its 5-year anniversary, having that guild-focused new content and goal could be a huge step in the right direction for the community. But a “Mando Raid” would not simply be a way to reinvigorate the current players, but bring in new players and past players alike. Yes, it seems simple, but if you build it CG, they will come…
How would a Mando Raid work?
I propose a couple of ideas on how to best execute a new SWGoH Raid centered on The Mandalorian content. To start, CG used to be uber-paranoid about the fact that Marvel Strike Force and other similar games were taking their ideas and creating competing games (just ask any of the old SWGoH GameChangers). It’s time to turn the tables CG. Creating a Raid that has specific bonuses for individual characters, most notably The Mandalorian characters, would add a special element of value to the soon-to-be five that we have in-game – The Mandalorian, Cara Dune, Greef Karga, Kuiil and IG-11. While it has been rumored that this fivesome will be needed to unlock a Legendary character in SWGoH – either The Child (aka Baby Yoda), The Mandalorian in Beskar Armor or even Moff Gideon – CG could continue to milk our wallets with a Legendary AND add character shards (or ship shard for the Razor Crest) as the reward for a Mando Raid. Marvel Strike Force does a fantastic job with this concept and it would be a nice twist to add to SWGoH for a new Mandalorian show Raid.
In addition to the above, creating a Raid that grows with the community and the game’s power creep is how you ensure this Raid is not outdated 3 months after it’s release. Maybe we even do a level of difficulty that is released during each Season of The Mandalorian and rewards to match. Start with Season 1 content and rewards as Phase 1, then we get a Phase 2 in the coming months after Season 2 ends. This keeps the excitement going even after the season is over and allows the players to stay engaged. As the show goes on in time the Raid gets a new Phase and resulting rewards. There are a great many smart, talented people inside the walls at Capital Games. Even 1/10th of this concept would be a huge money-maker for SWGoH.
What would a Mando Raid mean to the SWGoH community?
One of the questions posed in the Cubs Fan Han & Hynsey video was “what would this mean to the SWGoH community?” The answer to that question is that it would put this game back at the top of the minds of most of the player base, and draw back in a great many former players. The Mandalorian nearly broke the Internet a year ago and “Baby Yoda” merchandise is still on of the hottest items available a year later. Add content around the show, especially unique content that evolves with the live action TV series, and it could take SWGoH to heights it has not experience since the Sith Triumvirate Raid helped this game reach its peak nearly 3 years ago.
Final Thoughts on The Mando Raid
The popularity of The Mandalorian is not in question, but the vision and future of SWGoH and the leadership of Capital Games is and has been for over two years now. What better way to put all of that to rest? Add in the fact that this could put Star Wars gaming back on the map given and help EA increase their strong stock prices. While seemingly terrible at PR, Electronic Arts is great at making money, and with Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes already sitting as the Star Wars franchise’s most profitable title of all time, this could be a nice boost to an already valuable stock.
Photo Credit: Disney & Lucasfilm
