Star Wars Escape Pod

Welcome back to the escape pod! Here is a quick snapshot of what went down in this chat:

Celebration 2027 Lineup & Bucket Lists: Looking ahead to the 50th-anniversary Star Wars Celebration in Los Angeles, the hosts run through the ever-expanding roster of celebrity guests (from Hayden Christensen to Ahmed Best and the cast of The Bad Batch) and chat about their ultimate actor wish-lists.

Orbitkey x Disney Collections & A Famous Canadian Bear: The hosts discuss Orbitkey's limited-edition releases, diving into the Winnie the Pooh collection, its deep Canadian roots tied to Winnipeg, and the newly announced Disney villains line featuring characters like Cruella and Hades. (More review to come!)
https://www.orbitkey.com/pages/disney-orbitkey-villains-edition

Gaming Roundup: From the adrenaline-fueled Galactic Racer and Star Wars: Unlimited trading cards to a thrilling fan-made resurrection of the beloved mobile game Force Arena.

The End of an Era: Breaking down the bittersweet news of BioWare permanently closing its doors and canceling the next Mass Effect project, alongside a look at Tippett Studios' legendary stop-motion legacy.

Wacky Crossovers & Movies on Ice: Taika Waititi’s Star Wars film officially gets put "on ice," while ESPN and Lucasfilm announce a wild, alternate-telecast Star Wars Super Bowl.

Strap in, grab your caf, and tune in for some classic star wars radio! May the Force (and the forest) be with you!

Check out the Star Wars Archives link in our description for a database of all 400+ episodes!

Orbitkey x Disney Collection
Add a sprinkle of Disney magic to your everyday carry.
The Orbitkey x Disney Collection features fun, functional accessories inspired by Disney characters, designed to make staying organised feel like magic.
https://www.orbitkey.com/pages/disney?srsltid=AfmBOorl0UJrj6Skr7fWecL5ZzpxJ6tt757WShCMY3XcCGsLaXPwzBUw

Kirk is on YouTube: @kirkmihelakos
https://www.youtube.com/designedbykirk

Darian is on YouTube: @TheManDarian
https://www.youtube.com/@TheManDarian

————————————————————————
Star Wars Escape Pod

🖥️ Website: https://starwarspodcast.ca
🐦 X: https://twitter.com/SWEscapePodcast
🦋 B.Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/swescapepodcast.bsky.social
📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/swescapepodcast/

📧 Email us or voice messages to: swescapepodcast@gmail.com
🗃️ Podcast Archives: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRiF_icUbgNiufSItYBMLCdXc2dPtlQPHrNeDcEHmHS6z0yFduND-BLC_3czuY-YY6kpNtRM1uMppts/pubhtml

Have you checked out our flashcast called Star Wars Launch Pad?
https://www.youtube.com/@SWLaunchPad

https://open.spotify.com/show/1v0naAAJZMW0nig3OkFToJ?si=8014aef1647f4da5

Join us for a massive week of news, starting with a deep dive into the newly launched Star Wars: Galactic Racer video game and its adrenaline-fueled gameplay. A major announcements out of New York Comic Con 2026, covering Hasbro's latest Black Series and Vintage Collection figure reveals—including the new Saga Edition multi-pack featuring a unique lineup of characters—as well as upcoming book and comic publishing details like Dave Filoni's Ahsoka comic series and a new Star Wars line for Dungeons & Dragons. Finally, wrap up with exciting updates to Disney Parks' Savvy's Workshop and new Galactic ID photo booths before teasing next week's upcoming game review and museum membership unboxing.

Check out the Star Wars Archives link in our description for a database of all 400+ episodes!

Orbitkey Disney Collection
Add a sprinkle of Disney magic to your everyday carry.
The Disney x Orbitkey Collection features fun, functional accessories inspired by Disney characters, designed to make staying organised feel like magic.
https://www.orbitkey.com/pages/disney?srsltid=AfmBOorl0UJrj6Skr7fWecL5ZzpxJ6tt757WShCMY3XcCGsLaXPwzBUw

Kirk is on YouTube: @kirkmihelakos
https://www.youtube.com/designedbykirk

Darian is on YouTube: @TheManDarian
https://www.youtube.com/@TheManDarian

————————————————————————
Star Wars Escape Pod

🖥️ Website: https://starwarspodcast.ca
🐦 X: https://twitter.com/SWEscapePodcast
🦋 B.Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/swescapepodcast.bsky.social
📸 IG: https://www.instagram.com/swescapepodcast/

📧 Email us or voice messages to: swescapepodcast@gmail.com
🗃️ Podcast Archives: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRiF_icUbgNiufSItYBMLCdXc2dPtlQPHrNeDcEHmHS6z0yFduND-BLC_3czuY-YY6kpNtRM1uMppts/pubhtml

Have you checked out our flashcast called Star Wars Launch Pad?
https://www.youtube.com/@SWLaunchPad

https://open.spotify.com/show/1v0naAAJZMW0nig3OkFToJ?si=8014aef1647f4da5

In this seventh-anniversary episode of the Star Wars Escape Pod podcast, co-hosts Blake and Darian chat casually about recent news, upcoming projects, and merchandise. Discuss the newly opened Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, the Endor-inspired Outpost 181 bed and breakfast, and the trailer and upcoming January 20, 2027 release date for Ahsoka season two. The hosts also dive into a fan debate regarding Admiral Ackbar and the Holdo maneuver, merchandise updates including the upcoming Jango Fett Black Series helmet and a Hasbro thermal detonator, and reports that John Watts will direct a new Simon Kinberg-penned Star Wars trilogy featuring Rey Skywalker. Additionally, they touch upon the upcoming video game Star Wars Galactic Racer, recent Marvel comic adaptations, and share lighthearted banter about the franchise.

Check out the Star Wars Archives link in our description for a database of all 400+ episodes!

Orbitkey Disney Collection
Add a sprinkle of Disney magic to your everyday carry.
The Disney x Orbitkey Collection features fun, functional accessories inspired by Disney characters, designed to make staying organised feel like magic.
https://www.orbitkey.com/pages/disney?srsltid=AfmBOorl0UJrj6Skr7fWecL5ZzpxJ6tt757WShCMY3XcCGsLaXPwzBUw

Kirk is on YouTube: @kirkmihelakos
https://www.youtube.com/designedbykirk

Darian is on YouTube: @TheManDarian
https://www.youtube.com/@TheManDarian

————————————————————————
Star Wars Escape Pod

🖥️ Website: https://starwarspodcast.ca
🐦 X: https://twitter.com/SWEscapePodcast
🦋 B.Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/swescapepodcast.bsky.social
📲 Swell: https://www.swellcast.com/swescapepodcast
📧 Email us or voice messages to: swescapepodcast@gmail.com
🗃️ Podcast Archives: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRiF_icUbgNiufSItYBMLCdXc2dPtlQPHrNeDcEHmHS6z0yFduND-BLC_3czuY-YY6kpNtRM1uMppts/pubhtml

Have you checked out our flashcast called Star Wars Launch Pad?
https://www.youtube.com/@SWLaunchPad

https://open.spotify.com/show/1v0naAAJZMW0nig3OkFToJ?si=8014aef1647f4da5

Another Cantina Banter this week! Nice and chill the way we like it. Turns out Blake went to visit the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art recently and we had some questions about the facility. Funded entirely by George Lucas at a cost of $1 to $1.5 billion, the massive five-story building spans over 300,000 square feet and features extensive galleries, theaters, a research library, and gardens. Blake shares details about the exhibits, including the "Star Wars In Motion" collection featuring screen-used props, concept art by Doug Chiang and Ralph McQuarrie, life-sized replicas like an N1 Starfighter and a wheel bike, and extensive works by artists like Norman Rockwell. 

We talk a bit about some upcoming fan films, community updates like the LA based Scum and Villainy Cantina. More updates from books, comics and gaming!
Of course to top it all off, merchandising!

Check out the Star Wars Archives link in our description for a database of all 400+ episodes!

Orbitkey Disney Collection
Add a sprinkle of Disney magic to your everyday carry.
The Disney x Orbitkey Collection features fun, functional accessories inspired by Disney characters, designed to make staying organised feel like magic.
https://www.orbitkey.com/pages/disney?srsltid=AfmBOorl0UJrj6Skr7fWecL5ZzpxJ6tt757WShCMY3XcCGsLaXPwzBUw

Kirk is on YouTube: @kirkmihelakos
https://www.youtube.com/designedbykirk

Darian is on YouTube: @TheManDarian
https://www.youtube.com/@TheManDarian

————————————————————————
Star Wars Escape Pod

🖥️ Website: https://starwarspodcast.ca
🐦 X: https://twitter.com/SWEscapePodcast
🦋 B.Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/swescapepodcast.bsky.social
📲 Swell: https://www.swellcast.com/swescapepodcast
📧 Email us or voice messages to: swescapepodcast@gmail.com
🗃️ Podcast Archives: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRiF_icUbgNiufSItYBMLCdXc2dPtlQPHrNeDcEHmHS6z0yFduND-BLC_3czuY-YY6kpNtRM1uMppts/pubhtml

Have you checked out our flashcast called Star Wars Launch Pad?
https://www.youtube.com/@SWLaunchPad

https://open.spotify.com/show/1v0naAAJZMW0nig3OkFToJ?si=8014aef1647f4da5

Zero Company chat is not over here! Wait for our spoiler-centric review coming later once we've all finished the game! Although by the time this podcast drops we may have in fact finished it. In the meantime, our friends AJ, and Reid both return to Star Wars Escape Pod for a chat on the game, both AJ and Reid have been around for our reviews in the past for both books and games alike so here we are once again! Thank you again to them for joining us.
Despite our praise and critiques of the game I have posted a more recent list of the things I personally would love to see brought into the game (Josh). This list was not finalized during our initial recording of this podcast, for those who care to read, I have pasted it below:

FEATURE WISHLIST
--------------------------------------------
*Photo Mode
*Birds Eye Tactical View - If you've played CIV you may be familiar with that that can be like or be helpful
*IMPROVD ACTION CAM & CAMERA - We want more control over the camera so it's not flying into mountainsides during the opponent cut scene / turn. Control over this would be great while everything is happening so we're not locked into place.
*Fast Play Option, crank up the speed!! Animations for the battle moving at 2x or 3x, heck even an option to skip opponent turn animations... I'm looking for speed run mode. Let's go FAST!
*When a character is healing on bacta tank or bed, how come we don't see them in there??
*FINAL LEVEL ISSUE: I lost a permanent member, the Umbaran. I could still find his spot in the Den after and chat with the ghost of Umbarans past. He wasnt' there but the option to talk to a wall was lol.
Also I never got the achievement for loosing a member of Zero Company either because of that I think since it was final level.
*There was no prompt to tell me hitting Right Trigger would bring up shot stats and details, I figured that out wayy too late in the game, playing on PC with controller.
*Memorial wall is useless!! I can't see bio or other cool character creation details once they are dead and gone.. this should be more detailed and accessible in the wall in thier profile.
*We NEED a Player vs Player stats in game, I want to see how fast I did a level, how many shots each character took, how many kills for each character and so on.. and I want a way to compare to friends... NEEEEED THIS BAD. Also speed run stats.. how long it took to finish a level.0

Almost most importantly:
*A NONE CAMPAIGN QUICK PLAY MENU FROM HOME SCREEN - Just want to jump into THAT PLANET, with THESE ENEMIES, at THAT DIFFICULTY, with THESE OPERATORS (Maxed out spec and fully customizable on the fly with option to save presets). I've finished the campaign, maybe I don't want to play it again to get to a certain level.... give me that.

Our catalog is browsable in the Podcast Archives spreadsheet linked below.
We thank you all again, and encourage those likes, follows, shares, comments and audience emails!

 

Check out the Star Wars Archives link in our description for a database of all 400+ episodes!

Orbitkey Disney Collection
Add a sprinkle of Disney magic to your everyday carry.
The Disney x Orbitkey Collection features fun, functional accessories inspired by Disney characters, designed to make staying organised feel like magic.
https://www.orbitkey.com/pages/disney?srsltid=AfmBOorl0UJrj6Skr7fWecL5ZzpxJ6tt757WShCMY3XcCGsLaXPwzBUw

Kirk is on YouTube: @kirkmihelakos
https://www.youtube.com/designedbykirk

Darian is on YouTube: @TheManDarian
https://www.youtube.com/@TheManDarian

————————————————————————
Star Wars Escape Pod

🖥️ Website: https://starwarspodcast.ca
🐦 X: https://twitter.com/SWEscapePodcast
🦋 B.Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/swescapepodcast.bsky.social
📲 Swell: https://www.swellcast.com/swescapepodcast
📧 Email us or voice messages to: swescapepodcast@gmail.com
🗃️ Podcast Archives: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRiF_icUbgNiufSItYBMLCdXc2dPtlQPHrNeDcEHmHS6z0yFduND-BLC_3czuY-YY6kpNtRM1uMppts/pubhtml

Have you checked out our flashcast called Star Wars Launch Pad?
https://www.youtube.com/@SWLaunchPad

https://open.spotify.com/show/1v0naAAJZMW0nig3OkFToJ?si=8014aef1647f4da5