For centuries, many of the galaxy’s largest and most powerful warships have been built by Kuat Drive Yards: a massive corporate complex of manufacturing plants and docks that form a ring around the planet Kuat. As a key part of the Republic war machine, Kuat Drive Yards has been one of the Empire’s primary targets for some time. Thanks to the strategies of the shrewd and ambitious Admiral Ranken, the time for an Imperial attack has finally come. However, Fleet Admiral Bey’wan Aygo, the Bothan leader of the Republic’s forces on Kuat, refuses to surrender such a critical war asset. The result is a fierce battle over control of Kuat that will see both factions calling on their greatest warriors to join the fray.

Game Update 2.6 introduces a new Flashpoint for level 15+ players – Kuat Drive Yards.

Kuat Drive Yards is a new type of instance that we’re calling a Tactical Flashpoint. The main thing that distinguishes Tactical Flashpoints is that they are role-neutral – in other words, they are balanced for a combination of any four classes. This means Group Finder will match the first four players it finds, which translates into drastically shorter queue times, especially for DPS classes. If you’re level 55, you’ve probably seen this in action with the story mode versions of Czerka Corporate Labs and Czerka Core Meltdown, which are now also classified as Tactical Flashpoints.

Starting at level 15, Kuat Drive Yards is accessible from Group Finder under the new Tactical Flashpoint category. In addition to being role-neutral, Kuat is bolstered and level-neutral, meaning players of widely-varying levels can band together to do it. So if you’re a high-level player looking for something to do with your lower-level friends, Kuat is an excellent choice. Be warned, however – companions will not be bolstered, so you should bring a full group if possible.

Kuat has an unusual structure – you will be assigned two out of five possible gameplay scenarios, and then you will be matched against one of three final bosses. You’ll also be matched against different enemies based on your faction – the Republic must reclaim the station from the Empire, and vice versa. Additionally, there are bonus objectives and mini-bosses which may vary between scenarios. The result is a Flashpoint that can change each time you play it, so you can return to Kuat while leveling for a fresh experience each time.

If you’ve played the Kuat Mesas map in Starfighter, you might have wondered about the larger story surrounding the conflict. By visiting the new Starfighter Launch Deck on the Fleet, you’ll have a chance to speak directly with Admiral Ranken or Admiral Bey’wan Aygo. You’ll also meet your Starfighter-exclusive crew members – (Aven Geth, Writch Hurley, Salan Rok, and MZ-12 for the Empire – Oro Wogawa, Kendra Novar, B-3G9, and Ashy for the Republic).

Finally, completing objectives in the Flashpoint will earn you Reputation with Imperial Forward Command or the Republic First Fleet, along with achievements, titles, and other exclusive rewards, such as the KDY Shipwright armor and the highly-unusual KDY Orbital Lifter mount.

We’ll see you in the Battle for Kuat!

Jesse Sky

Lead Designer