I never thought I would say, ‘I’m so sorry, I messed up your amazing podracer,’ but that changed when I got an invitation to become one of the first individuals to experience a preview of Star Wars: Beyond Victory – A Mixed Reality Playset.
Now, my usual rhythm is
movies
and
TV
— which is why I attended Star Wars Celebration in Japan this year — but I secured the Meta Quest headset and geared up for an immersive experience in the high-stakes world of podracing because, frankly, it seemed incredibly entertaining.
Of course, my skills in pod racing weren’t as advanced as my excitement for it, leading to an embarrassing apology to Director Jose Perez III after crashing and exploding my racer. Such incidents do occur from time to time.
Back to the track
I felt somewhat taken aback upon initially entering the game’s virtual reality environment, mainly due to my expectation of experiencing a first-person podrace similar to hurtling through a course which might have left me feeling more nauseous than my trip to Tokyo. However, contrary to this anticipation, the demo features a podrace set on a hovering holographic board. Although part of the narrative unfolds from an immersive first-person perspective, allowing for enjoyable exploration within the racer’s hangar with commendable attention to detail during a briefing sequence, overall, it offered quite a different experience than what I expected.
The main thing that struck me during the short demonstration was how enjoyable it was. Being part of a podracing experience as someone who grew up with the prequel movies made me very happy. Actually controlling a racer around the course kept me smiling throughout. Additionally, the game’s board layout works well since it lets players monitor both their competitors and the racetrack more easily compared to a first-person viewpoint.
However, I became overly enthusiastic about using my boosters, causing me to leap over—and right into—obstacles and crash uncontrollably throughout the track. This reckless approach eventually caused my podracer to explode from excessive strain. Fortunately, another opportunity quickly presented itself, and this round I secured a surprising yet pleasant spot at fourth on the leaderboard.
Podracing naturally gained significant attention through the prequel trilogy, largely due to Anakin Skywalker and Sebulba’s renowned competition in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.” However, “Beyond Victory” takes place considerably after these events.
Star Wars timeline
— although it revives the legendary podracer Sebulba — and centers around a new, original character named Volo Bolus.
How can you engage in podracing without ending up right where Sebulba is?
“After you’ve completed playing the game,” Perez shares with me, “this was the ideal period for ‘Reign of the Empire.’ We have Volo Bolus grappling with a failing repair shop; everything around him seems to crumble. Meanwhile, the Empire is wreaking havoc throughout the galaxy, making life incredibly difficult for ordinary folks. It’s fascinating to explore a Star Wars narrative centered on someone starting from scratch and navigating such oppressive conditions. Our primary focus was ensuring that the tyranny of the Empire remains palpable, highlighting the daily challenges faced by common individuals—especially those involved in podracing and running garages.”
And indeed, Sebulba is coming back into the fold of Star Wars. When asked why they chose to reintroduce him specifically, Perez remarks, “Well, it’s Sebulba,” which speaks volumes on its own accord. He adds, “When working with podracing elements, isn’t Sebulba essential? As someone who loves all things Star Wars deeply, every opportunity to feature a legendary figure feels monumental. While everyone recognizes Sebulba, many aren’t familiar with more than his abrasive demeanor. However, now we’re dealing with events set roughly ten years prior to the Battle of Yavin. How have these past decades shaped Sebulba? Has he evolved from being strictly antagonistic towards becoming something different entirely? It’s incredibly exciting to delve into such narrative possibilities within this timeframe and ponder what became of this character after three full decades.”
Now this is podracing
The upcoming Star Wars Celebration this weekend marks the first opportunity for fans to experience the game firsthand, which excites Perez greatly—not only due to the demo being played but also because much more content is yet to be revealed.
“I put effort into this project, so I hope everyone enjoys it,” he states. “My aim is simply to evoke some nostalgia—someone who cherished the prequel movies seeing Sebulba again should bring back those feelings; I wish viewers to share that sentiment and leave with an understanding that this is merely a tiny piece of a larger undertaking. The product offers three distinct experiences: first, there’s our adventure mode where the narrative unfolds. Second, we have the arcade mode featured during your podracing segment, which intertwines within the storyline as well. Lastly, there’s the playset mode, which I’m eager for folks to discover exactly what sets it apart. My priority has always been catering to Star Wars enthusiasts, aiming to provide content they’ll appreciate.”
When I mention hoping nobody crashes their podracer as terribly as I did, Perez quickly responds, “Volo handles pod maintenance; it’ll be alright. They will tow it back, and they can repair it afterward. Everything will be fine.”
Star Wars: Beyond Victory – A Mixed Reality Experience is currently under development. If you plan to attend
Star Wars Celebration 2025
Head over to Hall 4, Booth #20-5 to test your own podracing abilities.
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