The Tragic End of Angry Birds Star Wars – Why This Adored Game is Gone for Good
As a hardcore Angry Birds gamer since the original viral sensation took the world by storm in 2009, I was heartbroken to learn that one of my all-time favorite versions – Angry Birds Star Wars – has flown its last flight. When Rovio announced back in December 2019 that the legendary mashup would be permanently discontinued, it hit the gaming community hard.
So why exactly is this beloved entry in the series gone forever? As a fan and avid gamer, I‘ve done some digging to get to the bottom of it.
The Golden Age is Over
It‘s hard to overstate the absolute phenomenon that was Angry Birds in its early years. The franchise was a global juggernaut, with over 12 million combined downloads across all titles in 2010 alone. Angry Birds Star Wars arrived right in the sweet spot of peak popularity in 2012. This exciting crossover with the iconic sci-fi saga sent fans into a frenzy.
But over time, something changed. While still profitable, Rovio started to see steadily declining engagement and growth:
| Year | Monthly Active Users |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 263 million |
| 2013 | 263 million |
| 2014 | 187 million |
| 2015 | 131 million |
As the charts show, the franchise began hemorrhaging users at an alarming rate. Investors grew concerned with short-term profits taking a hit. The golden age couldn‘t last forever.
With so many spinoff games fragmenting the audience, Rovio likely felt it prudent to prune some of the less-played options. At its peak, Angry Birds had become too ubiquitous. Streamlining came at the cost of nixing fan favorites like Angry Birds Star Wars.
Pulling the Plug
Beginning in late 2019, Rovio started announcing the end for earlier Angry Birds games. In their words, the older titles were "built on an older codebase and technology" that made updating a challenge. Fair enough…keeping a game going for nearly a decade without issue is no small feat.
Still, by that same logic, you might expect them to kill off the very first game. But the original Angry Birds remains (for now), while the popular Star Wars flavor got unceremoniously dumped. The reasons likely come down to cold, hard business realities:
Licensing Fees: Rovio almost certainly has to pay Disney/Lucasfilm handsomely for rights to use the Star Wars brand and characters. As the franchise grows ever bigger, with new movies and shows expanding the universe every year, these fees likely mounted to unsustainable levels.
Focusing Development: Angry Birds 2 continues receiving updates with new content and events added regularly. Star Wars looks stale in comparison – since early 2019 it got no new levels or features. Why expend resources propping up an old game when the sequel needs attention?
Say what you will about greed killing off a beloved game, but focusing on their biggest money maker makes total logical sense for Rovio. For us fans though, it‘s a sad swan song for such a legendary title.
Filling the Void
So what options do Star Wars birds fans have now? A few silver linings:
- Rovio is actually rebuilding Angry Birds Star Wars from scratch – though who knows when it will actually release.
- Alternatives like Galaxy Wars Birds let you get a similar intergalactic pig-crushing fix.
- For hardcore fans who previously bought the game, your phone may let you download and play old compatible versions you paid for even if they are no longer on app stores officially.
It‘s bittersweet consolation while we pray to the mobile gaming gods for an Angry Birds Star Wars return. For now, may the birds be with you, always.
