Disneyland’s Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride is about to get a proper sequel you can play from your sofa. Star Wars: Smuggler’s Gambit, a new Unreal Engine experience built inside Fortnite, launches August 16 and lets players carry on working for Hondo Ohnaka after leaving Galaxy’s Edge, according to a hands-on preview from IGN’s Ryan McCaffrey. It is a co-op PvE spin-off of the theme park ride, complete with missions, faction vendors, and Hondo himself, voiced again by returning actor Jim Cummings.
What’s Waiting On Ord Ryla
The action is anchored around a hub area on the planet Ord Ryla, built around a grounded ship called the Scuttled Sparrow. From there, players and their crew can browse weapon and item vendors, interact with three factions, and head down to the dock to board a ship for a mission, according to McCaffrey’s preview.
Missions offered during the demo included The Imperial Patrol, The Pirate Raid, The Pirate Hunt, The Heist, and The Reverse Robbery. The missions had distinct objectives and featured varied opponents. Beyond stormtroopers, aggressive local wildlife can also stand between players and their objectives. The creatures are not picky about who they attack, which can work in players’ favour when Imperials are busy fighting them instead.
Pilot, Gunner, Engineer – And A Reason To Bring Friends
Smuggler’s Gambit uses the same three roles as the physical ride: Pilot, Gunner, and Engineer. Pilots receive increased stamina regeneration and a scanner that reveals nearby enemies to the whole squad. Gunners can call in a droid ability capable of taking down hardened targets or groups of enemies. Engineers have the most expanded toolkit of the three, deploying a dome shield and regenerating the team’s shields during fights.
Weapon progression is also part of the experience. McCaffrey started with a basic blaster rifle and had it dealing significant damage by level 6, provided he took time to aim down sights rather than firing until it overheated. Players can also scan a QR code to link their Epic Games and MyDisney accounts, which will unlock a special experience on the physical Smugglers Run ride. Exactly what that entails has not been detailed.
Smuggler’s Gambit is designed to extend the theme-park experience into Fortnite, while the MyDisney connection also links the game back to Smugglers Run at Disney theme parks.
- Read more: IGN’s full Smuggler’s Gambit preview