Star Wars Celebration is just around the corner, and the hyperspace lanes are buzzing with pre-event news! The hype is reaching critical levels, so join your Escape Pod co-hosts as we blast through the biggest headlines and hottest topics you need to know before the main event. Get ready for our usual mix of insights, laughs, and maybe a few poorly-timed jokes!

New Star Wars Strategy Game: Ex-Firaxis developers at Bit Reactor, in collaboration with Respawn Entertainment, have unveiled "Star Wars: Zero Company". It's described as a single-player, turn-based tactics game set in the prequel era. More details are expected at Star Wars Celebration Japan on April 19th. (Source: Eurogamer)
LEGO Star Wars May 4th Reveals: Several new LEGO Star Wars sets have been announced for May the 4th, headlined by the Ultimate Collector Series (UCS) Jango Fett's Firespray-Class Starship (75409). This 2,970-piece set depicts the ship from Attack of the Clones. Other new sets include Kylo Ren's shuttle and helmet, a Jango Fett helmet, a buildable Chopper droid, and more. Most sets are available from May 1st, with the UCS ship having early access for LEGO Insiders on May 1st and general release on May 4th. (Source: Jay's Brick Blog) (Source: Geek Culture)
YouTini News: Youtini covers a wide range of recent Star Wars news, including the new video game "Zero Company," upcoming books and comics (like a new Darth Vader book and Doctor Aphra series), merchandise reveals for May the 4th (including the LEGO sets and Baylan Skoll/Shin Hati lightsabers), and previews for Star Wars Celebration Japan. (Source: Youtini Articles) (Source: Youtini Merchandise)
Light & Magic Season 2: The second season of the ILM documentary series "Light & Magic" premieres today, April 18th, on Disney+. Directed by Joe Johnston, this season focuses on the digital era of the 90s, the making of the prequel trilogy, and ILM's technological advancements during that time, covering films like Twister, Casper, and Pirates of the Caribbean. (Source: Star Wars News Net)
Fortnite at Star Wars Celebration: Fortnite will have a presence at Star Wars Celebration Japan (April 18-20). A special announcement regarding upcoming Star Wars content is expected.
Star Wars: Beyond Victory (Meta Quest): ILM and Lucasfilm revealed more details about "Star Wars: Beyond Victory – A Mixed Reality Playset", an experience for Meta Quest headsets. Set around the time of Solo: A Star Wars Story, it focuses on podracing and features the character Sebulba. It includes Adventure (VR/MR story mode), Arcade (MR holotable podracing), and Playset (MR figures/vehicles) modes. Attendees at Star Wars Celebration Japan can get a first hands-on look. (Source: ILM) (Source: UploadVR)

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