Star Wars: Squadrons is launching on October 2

Following Xbox.com's leak of its existence, EA has now properly unveiled Star Wars: Squadrons, showing off the first Star Wars game dedicated to space that we've seen in ages. Check out the trailer above.

Set after the Empire got its arse kicked in Return of the Jedi, you'll be flying for the New Republic or the dregs of the Empire, out for revenge. You'll be able to get into first-person dogfights in both the singleplayer campaign and 5v5 multiplayer.

Between dodging lasers and missiles you can improve your ships, and while you'll be able to unlock cosmetic and gameplay modifications, EA says they'll be earned purely through gameplay by moving up the ranks. Weapons, hulls, engines, shields, ship exteriors and pilot appearances are all up for grabs.

It's from EA Motive, which we knew was working on a Star Wars game known as Project Maverick. Like the Squadrons announcement, it was also leaked, that time by PSN, but no more details surfaced. Now we know Squadrons and Maverick are one and the same.

It's not too far off, either. It's coming on October 2 via Steam, Origin and the Epic Games Store. Everyone will be able to play together, too, regardless of platform, thanks to crossplay between the PC, Xbox One and PS4 versions of the game. Expect VR support on PS4 and PC, too.

The closest thing we've had to Rogue Squadron in years is Battlefront 2's very simple but nonetheless exciting space battles, and there's been nothing that's focused on the 'space' part of 'space opera' until now.

EA might have squandered its chance to take advantage of the new movies as they appeared, but at least it's finally getting back into the increasingly lucrative spaceship racket. There are plenty of sims and shooters flitting around in space again, but the absence of one featuring X-Wings and TIE fighters has been a glaring omission.

While the trailer doesn't give us a look at any in-game footage, EA's going to be showing off some gameplay during its EA Play even on June 18.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.