Star Wars™: Galaxy of Heroes

Review by eFreeware

Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes is a free turn-based role-playing game from Electronic Arts, and it has been running since November 2015. You build a squad from heroes and villains drawn from across the films and series, upgrade them, and take them into battles that play out in turns rather than in real time. The main reason to consider it is the roster: Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Ahsoka Tano, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and The Mandalorian are all in the mix, alongside bounty hunters, Jedi and Sith.

The game has been installed more than 50 million times and holds a 4.1 average from roughly 1.8 million ratings, which tells you it has held a large audience for a long time. It is free to download, carries no ads, and offers in-game purchases, including virtual currency and random virtual items. That combination shapes what kind of game this is: one built for players who are happy to keep returning and building over months.

What separates it from other squad battlers

The draw here is the breadth of the source material. Rather than focusing on one trilogy or one series, the game pulls characters from across Star Wars history and lets you mix them into a single team. You might field a squad built around the Rebellion, the Empire, or something in between, and the developer frames the whole thing as a battle for galactic dominance.

That range matters because squad building is the core of the experience. You are not just picking strong characters; you are deciding which heroes complement each other, which abilities cover a weakness, and which leader makes the rest of the team work. The developer lists signature moves such as Han Solo's "Never Tell Me the Odds," Obi-Wan Kenobi's "Mind Tricks" and The Mandalorian's "Disintegrate," which suggests each character is meant to feel distinct rather than interchangeable.

The game also spans two scales of combat. On the ground you command heroes in turn-based fights, and in space you command a fleet of iconic ships, including the Millennium Falcon. Having both in one game gives you a reason to invest in two separate collections, which is a meaningful difference from a straightforward character battler.

Turn-based combat and squad building

Battles are turn-based and built around strategy, skill and legacy, according to the developer. You deploy reinforcements, counterattack when the moment is right, and try to read what the opposing team is going to do next. It is the kind of system where a well-chosen ability at the right turn matters more than raw numbers.

Progression runs through leveling and upgrading heroes, along with gear and abilities you improve over time. The goal is an elite squad, and the game supports that in both player-versus-environment and player-versus-player modes. It mixes strategy, action RPG and online multiplayer, and those pieces fit together well.

Because gear and abilities are upgradable, there is a long tail of investment behind each character. You are not finished when you unlock someone; you are finished when they are equipped and trained enough to hold their own in harder fights. That structure is what gives the collection its staying power, and it is also what makes the game a long-term commitment rather than a quick diversion.

Ships, fleets and the Fleet Arena

The starship side of the game is a separate layer of play. You fly famous ships, the Millennium Falcon among them, and battle in the Fleet Arena. Heroes you have recruited can pilot your fleet, and unlocking ship abilities lets you build out an armada over time.

What appeals to me about this part is that it reuses your roster rather than asking you to start from nothing. The pilots are characters you already know, so progress on the ground feeds into progress in space. It also gives the game a second competitive arena, which means there is more than one ladder to climb if you want a goal beyond the core modes.

Fleet Arena is built around ranked competition, so a dominant framing suits it. If ship combat is what you enjoy most about Star Wars, this is the section of the game that will hold your attention, and it is substantial enough to be a reason to install on its own.

The Coliseum and rotating challenges

The Coliseum is a mode where you face a rotating roster of opponents, among them the Dyax, Jotaz and Pirate AT-ST. Because the lineup changes, the mode asks you to adapt your squad rather than settle on one team and repeat the same fight. That variety is the point of it.

Ranking up earns leaderboard standing, plus strong rewards and materials. Those materials feed back into upgrading your roster, so the competitive modes and the collection are tied together rather than separate hobbies. Galactic Challenges and Squad Arena are other online competitive modes, so there are several routes into player-versus-player play.

For anyone who likes a ladder to climb, this is where the game's competitive side lives. The rotating opponents keep it from feeling static, and the reward structure gives the effort a purpose beyond bragging rights.

Guilds, raids and Territory Battles

Guilds are the social core of the game. Guilds let players team up and take on raid bosses such as rancors and AAT tanks. Raids give a group a shared target and a reason to coordinate, which is a different experience from building a squad on your own.

Guilds also take part in Territory Battles and Wars, where you fight for dominance as a group. Those modes reward organization: someone has to decide who attacks where, and the outcome depends on the whole guild rather than one player's roster. Online games such as Squad Arena, Galactic Challenges and the Coliseum sit alongside these guild activities, so multiplayer runs through the whole game.

One practical detail worth knowing is that the game includes in-game chat, which can be disabled through the Chat Setting in the settings menu. If you would rather play quietly without conversation, that option exists, and it is handled inside the game.

Requirements, purchases and who it fits

Before installing, there are a few things to be aware of. Playing needs an internet connection, and your plan may carry network fees. Playing also means agreeing to EA's User Agreement and its Privacy and Cookie Policy. Online features can be retired after 30 days' notice on the service updates page, which is normal for a live game of this type.

On money: the game is free and carries no ads, but it does offer in-game purchases. That is the model, stated plainly, and it is worth understanding before you start rather than after.

As for who this suits, I would point to players who enjoy turn-based tactics and are happy to build a collection over a long period. If you like the idea of assembling a squad from across the Star Wars saga, weighing abilities against each other and testing the result against other players, the structure here is built for exactly that. The guild modes add a social layer for those who want company while they grind.

The most recent update, from September 2026, is described as back-end optimizations and performance improvements, so there is no new content to weigh in this version. It signals that the game is still being worked on, which matters for anyone deciding whether to invest time in a long-running title like this one.

A long-term squad builder for Star Wars players

Galaxy of Heroes is a game you commit to rather than finish. The combination of hero collection, turn-based combat, ship battles and guild raids gives it a lot of surface area, and the developer has kept adding to it for years. For a free game with a 4.1 average across nearly 1.8 million ratings, that breadth is the strongest argument in its favor.

It is best suited to players who like planning squads, upgrading gear and abilities, and competing on ladders over time. If you want a Star Wars game you can dip into for an evening and set aside, the depth of the progression systems will feel like more than you asked for. If you want a hobby that rewards patience and a bit of strategy, this is one of the more complete options in the genre.

The caveats are straightforward: you need a connection to play, you accept EA's agreements, and the game offers optional purchases including random items. None of that is unusual for a free-to-play RPG of this scale, but all of it is part of the deal. Go in knowing that, and the roster of heroes and ships is likely to keep you busy for a long while.

What's new in version 0.40.2084484

Hey, Galaxy of Heroes fans! This update includes some back-end optimizations and performance improvements. Have fun, and see you on the Holotables!