The lead designer behind pioneering MMO Ultima Online says the genre has finally broken free from the shackles of World of Warcraft.

Speaking to 80LV, Raph Koster, whose MMO resumé also includes a suite of early 2000s titles including EverQuest and its sequel, as well as Star Wars: Galaxies, says that he is finally returning to the genre after several decades, in part because it no longer has to chase World of Warcraft.

After Blizzard began what has proven to be an almost uninterrupted stint at the top in 2004, there was a rush to create 'the WoW killer' - a feat Koster suggests was a fool's errand.

In returning to MMOs with Stars Reach, Koster says he was encouraged by the feeling that "MMOs were finally free of the fever dream of imitating World of Warcraft." That's partly because of "the rise of sandboxy gameplay in multiple genres at once." Citing the broader multiplayer options of games like Minecraft, Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, Valheim, and No Man's Sky, Koster says that "it's clear that there's interest and demand for more than killing orcs over and over."

Whether that's a fair criticism of World of Warcraft in 2026 is a debate I'm not qualified to have, but it's undeniable that multiplayer gaming has gained a lot of depth in the last decade. Fortnite and Roblox are other key examples, showing off a world in which the desire to simply spend time together is just as important as having a dedicated goal. The rise of 'friendslop' titles like Peak are other examples, even if they're not 'massively' multiplayer sandboxes.

For Koster, "the unique thing" that MMOs offer is a persistent world and large numbers of players. Most of those games listed above offer that persistence, albeit with smaller populations, and their popularity meant Koster thought "the time was ripe" to make his return to the genre.

While it's one of the biggest games this year, new details on Star Wars Zero Company have been few and far between, even after the gameplay trailer at the start of June. That changed yesterday when developer Bit Reactor hosted a Discord Q&A answering the community's questions on everything from the game's length to permadeath.

The thing that stood out to me the most, as a fanatic for character customisation, is how Zero Company is handling its Clone Troopers. User 'WhiteFeather87' kicked things off by asking what we were all wondering: Can you have a full Clone team? The answer is yes, but for two reasons.

Firstly, all operators actually have access to Clone armour cosmetics from the start of the game. Secondly, you'll unlock Clone Trooper operators "after a certain point in the story", CEO and creative director Greg Foertsch explains, "allowing you to have a full team of Clone Troopers."

The coolest detail Bit Reactor confirmed is that Clone helmets will actually add voice modulation to characters.

Discord user 'HaPeanut' dug deeper, asking specifically what kind of Clone customisation options we can expect, like ARF, paratroopers, or commandoes. While not nailing any specifics, lead designer James Brawley responded, saying, "We think you’ll be very happy with the selection of paint jobs and patterns we have for helmets, armor, and more for Clone Trooper customization."

Brawley's answer shows the team is clearly aware of the wide variety of Clone armour shown in movies and whatnot over the decades—they made for great action figures growing up, and hopefully now some top-tier fashion in Zero Company.

However, Caydence Funk, lead producer, has confirmed that the classic Phase 1 ARC Trooper armour is "only part of the 'Grand Army of the Republic' cosmetic pack for the Deluxe Edition." No Captain Rex cosplay for you, unless you fork out for it.

On the bright side, there aren't "any plans for monetization or microtransactions," the developer confirms. So any customisation options that are available (outside of the Deluxe Edition, at least) will be earnable in-game. Plus, Zero Company isn't a full-priced game either.

The Halo: Campaign Evolved release date is imminent, at least if you're one of those players who's shelled out some extra cash to get access to the five day long early access period. Having played the whole thing, and seen the somewhat gaudy skins you get for the premium edition, I can't say I necessarily recommend it for the cost.

Especially when the game is also coming to game pass day one, giving you an even cheaper way to play through the whole thing. You can also get some skins just for preordering. But if you're a diehard Halo fan and don't mind the extra expense, that early access option is available. Below, I'll explain the premium access release times as well as the regular edition.

Halo: Campaign Evolved early access release times

If you preorder the premium or collector's edition of Halo: Campaign Evolved, you can play the game five days early, from July 23, though this will cost you $20/£20 more at minimum. Here's when the game releases in early access:

• West Coast US: 8 am PDT
• East Coast US: 11 am EDT
• UK: 4 pm BST
• Europe: 5 pm CEST
• Australia: 1 am AEST (July 24)

Not that I recommend it, but there are other benefits to ordering the premium edition, such as six weapon skins and five skins for Master Chief, if you care about that sort of thing.

You'll also get the Foundry Pack if you pre-order any edition, which gives you two Master Chief and Assault Rifle skins, so you might prefer to just do that instead and save some money. As mentioned, Halo: Campaign Evolved will also be available on game pass day one.

Halo: Campaign Evolved release times

The regular edition of Halo: Campaign Evolved releases on July 28, but the good news is that the release times are exactly the same, just five days later, so:

• West Coast US: 8 am PDT
• East Coast US: 11 am EDT
• UK: 4 pm BST
• Europe: 5 pm CEST
• Australia: 1 am AEST (July 29)

If you're unsure as to whether you can run Halo: Campaign Evolved or you want to compare any of the different edition benefits, you can find all the info on Steam.

Can you preload Halo: Campaign Evolved?

Yes, preload for premium and collector's edition holders—so those who can play from July 22—goes live today, though a precise time was never provided. Presumably this preload will also be available to standard edition preorders, but you might have to wait until closer to launch to start downloading.