Star Wars: Squadrons is all about blasting your enemies out of the sky, and it looks like it’s going to be a ton of fun. For those not chasing nostalgia, there’s a layer of ship customization in Star Wars: Squadrons that makes it more fun for the gearheads looking to min-max their time in the game.
When you’re engaging in combat, you will have various components at your disposal, depending on how you outfit your ship. The ship customization in Star Wars: Squadrons is actually very complex. There are multiple types of parts, each with their own stats and tons of variance between them. Each of the components you bolt onto your ship belongs to a certain category, but each ship has mostly the same basic types of components that can be bolted on.
Components are unlockable items that you can equip your Starfighter with. You get them by earning Requisition points, and you can add them to your ship to change how they function and what abilities are available to you. There are seven component slots that you can attach, with some ships like the TIE Fighter not being able to use shields, for example. The slots are:
- Primary weapons
- Auxiliary slots (x 2)
- Countermeasures
- Hull
- Shields (unavailable for TIE Fighters, Bombers, and Interceptors)
- Engines
What are active and passive components?
Each of the component types fits into an overarching category of either a passive or active component. Passive components confer stat buffs or other powerups that make you more effective in combat in some way. Active components are meant to help either through defensive or offensive changes to your starship, with each type being fitted for a certain role. For example, firing off your countermeasures to deal with missiles.
Primary weapons – these are your laser cannons. Different types for short and long-range fights can be found.
Two auxiliary slots – These are the supporting abilities you can use to either buff yourself or support your team. Players can have tractor beams, healing boosters and other addons in these slots for various purposes.
Countermeasures – These are defensive modules aimed at reducing incoming damage. Whether it’s dodging missiles or jamming enemy sensors, you have plenty of options for Countermeasures in the game.
Passive components make up the other three parts of your ship’s customization. Each has a strength and weakness, however, so ensure you’re aware of the trade-offs between each one. Some components are also designed to confer specific bonuses, like an engine with a unique speed boost. These are:
- Engines – Engines are the core of the ship systems. More powerful engines are faster, but you have to pay more attention to managing power to prevent them from being overloaded.
- Hull – Hulls are the basis for the starfighter. Some hulls are lighter than others, trading defense for maneuverability.
- Shields – Shields will be used to form the base of your defenses in battle. Any enemy projectiles will have to pass through shields to deal damage. Some shields won’t be as effective though, say against explosive weapons like torpedos.
Can I customize my Starfighter with cosmetics?
Yes. All eight Starfighters can be customized. You can change your ship’s paint job, adding themed decals and other tweaks. You will also be able to add unique bits of flair to your in-game cockpit.
Ship skins and other cosmetics will be a thing in the game. Be aware that the ship customization and skins only apply during multiplayer matches. The singleplayer ships will always stay the same in terms of both external paintjobs and the look of the cockpit. Both of which can be tweaked via the cosmetics system in the game.