Star Wars Zero Company has finally gotten its first patch, and it fixes one of the most annoying bugs players could find: the one where shots miss even when the chance to hit is 100%.
The patch, numbered 1.1, arrived after two weeks of waiting. Its main note reads simply: “Fixed various crash issues.” That’s followed by fixes for Beskar saves being temporarily deleted and crashes specific to Beskar mode. There’s also a direct fix for the shot-missing problem, which reads: “Fixed an issue where shots can be missed, even when the chance to hit is 100%.”
The patch also addresses several overwatch issues, though not the specific one the writer experienced. Several bugs involving overwatch triggering against units outside the targeting cone or behind solid objects have been fixed.
The Beskar Problem
The writer’s main reason for avoiding Beskar mode is fear of losing a run. Star Wars Zero Company’s iron man mode is called Beskar, and it forces players to commit to one run. That’s the whole point of the mode, and it’s what makes it appealing.
But the game has been crashing at launch, and the fear of losing a mid-save run is enough to keep the writer playing with Beskar off. The patch notes suggest the save system was broken, with Beskar saves being deleted temporarily. Now that’s fixed.
The crash fixes are also in the patch. The writer has had the game crash a few times during playthroughs, and the thought of losing progress mid-save is enough to keep them playing without Beskar. Now that the patch has arrived, the risk of a mid-save crash is reduced.
What Got Fixed
The patch covers a lot of ground, but the core issues are simple to list:
- Crash issues across the board
- Fixes for Beskar saves being temporarily deleted
- Fixes for crashes specific to Beskar mode
- Shots missing even when the chance to hit is 100%
- Overwatch triggering against units outside the targeting cone or behind solid objects
The one issue that wasn’t addressed is the writer’s personal bug: overwatch not triggering when enemies jog through multiple targeting cones on their turn. The patch notes don’t mention it directly.
Why the Patch Took So Long
Bit Reactor, the studio behind Zero Company, reportedly furloughed most of its staff shortly before launch. The studio has been operating with a skeleton crew since then, which explains why it took two weeks for some fairly fundamental issues to be addressed.
Two weeks is a long time for a game this new. Star Wars Zero Company’s situation is unusual. The furlough means fewer people working on the game, but the source only speculates that skeleton staffing explains the delay.
How the Game Compares
Star Wars Zero Company draws heavily on the XCOM formula. It’s a tactical squad-based shooter set in the Star Wars universe, with players moving soldiers around a battlefield and taking out enemies one at a time.
The comparison is apt, and the writer makes it explicit: Zero Company is much easier than XCOM. Losing seems unlikely, which makes the iron man constraint feel less punishing. The game is also much easier than XCOM, which is part of why the writer can afford to play without Beskar on.
| Feature | Star Wars Zero Company | XCOM |
|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | Much easier | Not specified |
| Save system | One-time run | Multiple saves |
| Setting | Star Wars universe | Modern military conflict |
| Genre | Tactical squad shooter | Tactical squad shooter |
The Shot-Missing Bug
The shot-missing bug was a persistent annoyance for anyone playing the game. Players would see a 100% chance to hit a target and still miss anyway.
The patch fixes that. Now, when the chance to hit is 100%, the attack should land. The writer had assumed the game was rounding up the numbers, and that they’d been missing 97% chance shots instead.
The fix is listed as a separate item in the patch notes.
What Remains Broken
Not everything is fixed in the 1.1 patch. The overwatch bug the writer personally experienced — where enemies jog through multiple targeting cones without triggering overwatch — remains unaddressed.
The patch does fix several other overwatch issues, though. Overwatch triggering against units outside the targeting cone or behind solid objects has been resolved.
The writer’s plan is to wait one more patch before turning on Beskar mode. That’s a reasonable approach, given how long it took to get this first patch out.
The Writer’s Background
The writer, Jody, has a long history with gaming. Their first computer was a Commodore 64, and they remember using a code wheel to play Pool of Radiance. They also worked as a music journalist, interviewing everyone from Giorgio Moroder to Trent Reznor.
Jody co-hosted Australia’s first radio show about videogames, Zed Games. They’ve written for Rock Paper Shotgun, The Big Issue, GamesRadar, Zam, Glixel, Five Out of Ten Magazine, and Playboy.com. Their cheques with the bunny logo made for fun conversations at the bank.
Their first article for PC Gamer was about the audio of Alien Isolation, published in 2015. Jody edited PC Gamer Indie from 2017 to 2018, and they eventually lived up to their promise to play every Warhammer videogame.
The Patch’s Timing
The 1.1 patch is live now, and it addresses the biggest complaints from early players. The crash fixes should make the game more stable, and the save system should work properly now.
The shot-missing fix is a quality-of-life improvement that removes a frustrating mechanic. No longer will players see a 100% chance to hit and watch the attack miss anyway.
The patch also brings stability to the Beskar mode, which is important for anyone planning to try that harder path. The patch notes say the temporary save deletion issue was fixed and the crashes specific to Beskar mode were addressed.
The patch is a step forward, but there’s still work to do. The overwatch bug remains open, and the skeleton crew at Bit Reactor means patches may continue to arrive slowly.
Source: pcgamer.com
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