Stern Pinball today revealed their latest Star Wars game, titled Star Wars: Fall of the Empire.
The title relates to the period in Star Wars history leading up to the destruction of the second Death Star at the Battle of Endor in the Return of the Jedi movie. Consequently, the game features assets from the original three movies – episodes 4, 5 and 6.
The game was officially announced their new game on 26th August, but it’s taken two-and-a-half weeks to get licensor approval to launch the title today. Even then, the game is not licensed for sale is certain geographic regions, in particular Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
A Media Open House was held two days ago to show invited members of the pinball media the new game, show them round the Stern Pinball factory and then give them the chance to play the game.
Those attending had to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to ensure they didn’t reveal any details of the game until after today’s launch.
All three variants of the Star Wars game – Pro, Premium and Limited Edition – were set up at the factory. The Limited Edition has a maximum run of 770 units, marking the premiere of Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope in 1977. However, Stern only promise the 770 limit on sales to currently-licensed regions. If they manage to open up new markets, there could be a new batch of Limited Edition models produced.
Game Designer, John Borg, and software lead, Raymond Davidson, talked about the mechanical features in the game along with the rules and assets included. George Gomez then demonstrates the power of the new sound system.
This is Stern’s first ‘cornerstone’ game to use the company’s new Spike 3 controller board. With that comes a larger 18.5″ LCD panel, a higher display resolution and improved sound quality. The Limited Edition model now comes with both a tweeter and a mid-range speaker on either side of the display.
C-3PO acts as the narrator in the game. C-3PO appears in all 9 of the original Star Wars movies. Anthony Daniels performed as C-3PO in most of the movies and provided the voice in them all. Since then, C-3PO has been voiced by Daniels, Tom Kane and Tony Pope in Star Wars video games. In the Stern pinball, it is Chris Bartlett doing the voice.
And so to the Star Wars: Fall of the Empire game itself.
The Pro model doesn’t have Stern’s Expression lighting system. The Premium has the cutouts in the cabinet sides for an aftermarket add-on purchase, while the Limited Edition includes the Expression lighting.
As you might expect, one of the main toys is the Death Star. This contains a motorised door which, after enough hits, opens to lock balls for multiball. When three balls have been locked they are fired back out of the Death Star onto the right flipper as Death Star Multiball begins. This device is common to all three variants of the game.
The centre ramp is different on the Pro compared to the Premium and Limited Edition. In the upper two versions, it acts as a bridge which can be raised or lowered to allow shots into the backboard. The ball enters the backboard, turns left and runs on a wireform down the left side of the playfield. When the ramp is raised, the ball is blocked from entering the backboard.
To the right of the centre ramps is the Sarlacc Pit, which has an illuminated Jabba The Hut model above it and a drop target in front. When the ball manages to get past the drop target it enters a cup where it spins around, highlighting different features on the display. When it stops spinning the highlighted feature is awarded.
To the left of the centre ramp is the AT-AT model. This is motorised to movie its legs up and down and also collapse when defeated in the Premium and Limited Edition but remains static in the Pro.
On the Premium and Limited Edition there is a Darth Vader sculpt on the left over his mystery award and multiball start, and a Stormtrooper sculpt on the right over his target. There’s also a Tie-Fighter model further up the playfield. However, these are all flat plastics on the Pro.
Continuing Stern’s trend of doing something interesting in the outlanes, Star Wars features a Force magnet between the flippers which can be activated by the lock bar button once J-E from J-E-D-I are lit to grab a left outlane ball before it drains, and fling it up the right outlane and into the shooter lane. If J-E-D-I is spelled in full, the Force magnet grabs the ball and holds it before flinging it back between the flippers onto the playfield. Again though, this is a Premium and Limited Edition feature, and not in the Pro.
So, the Pro differences are, the AT-AT is static, there are no Darth, Jabba, Tie Fighter, or Stormtrooper sculpts, no Force magnet, and no moving bridge on the centre ramp.
Here are the basic game rules from the instruction card. It’s worth noting there is currently no saved progression with Insider Connected, as seen in Venom or Dungeons & Dragons.
| REBEL MISSIONS: Complete FORCE targets to light Rebel shots to start a REBEL MISSION. BATTLE OF HOTH MULTIBALL: Hit the AT-AT target to light lock at the Luke shot. Lock 3 balls to start BATTLE OF HOTH MULTIBALL. DEATH STAR MULTIBALL: Hit the Death Star to open the hatch. Lock 3 balls in the Death Star to start DEATH STAR MULTIBALL. JABBA EVENTS: Knock down the Salacious Crumb drop target to access the Sarlacc Pit and start a JABBA EVENT. FALCON FEATURES: Shoot the Millennium Falcon to qualify FALCON FEATURES. DARTH VADER MODES: Complete Empire return lanes to light Darth Vader scoop for Dark Side Mystery and DARTH VADER MODES. CHARACTER COMBOS: Make shots in succession to collect character combos shown on the yellow inserts. ION CANNON MULTIPLIERS: Charge up the Ion Cannon by hitting the pop bumpers to light SHOT MULTIPLIERS. |
We’ll be adding lots more pictures of the three models as we receive them from Stern. Here’s what we have so far:
Pro Model
Premium Model
Limited Edition Model
Let’s now turn to the playfield and see the features and shots included in each model.
As usual, the Premium and Limited Edition models have very similar playfields, with both having the full range of mechanical toys and sculpts. So, we’ll compare the Limited Edition’s feature set with the Pro’s.
Limited Edition Model’s Playfield
Pro Model’s Playfield
Premium Model’s Playfield
To make sense of which model has which features, here’s the feature matrix showing what’s in each version of the game:
Here’s how Stern Pinball announced their latest title:
CHICAGO, IL – September 12, 2025 – Today, Stern Pinball, Inc., the largest designer and manufacturer of pinball games in the world, revealed their newest collection of pinball games inspired by one of the biggest entertainment franchises in the world. Stern Pinball is excited to bring Star Wars to existing and new generations of pinball players, taking them on an epic adventure to save the galaxy once and for all with a fresh take on the original trilogy. Star Wars: Fall of the Empire pinball games are available in Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition (LE) models. Initial availability will be in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, and Chile. Availability in additional markets will be communicated at a later date.In Stern Pinball’s Star Wars: Fall of the Empire pinball games; players will take part in the adventures that started it all and experience iconic Star Wars-inspired moments through a pinball experience like no other. Players will take down the AT-AT by attaching their snowspeeder’s tow cable and shooting the spiral ramp to send it crashing down, mirroring the breathtaking scene from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Destroy the Death Star II from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi by lowering shields on the battle station during Death Star Multiball to save the galaxy. Players can also escape from Cloud City when reactivating the Millennium Falcon’s hyperdrive by hitting the center jump ramp to escape to hyperspace. Throughout the pinball experience, players will enter Jabba the Hutt’s Sarlacc Pit, battle stormtroopers, defeat TIE fighters, and even mimic using the Force to save your ball on the journey to defeating the Empire. Feel the power of the dark side as you enjoy special Darth Vader-inspired modes. Accompanying the over 1,000 high-quality film and audio assets integrated into the gameplay, the Star Wars: Fall of the Empire pinball games feature the iconic movie score in addition to hand-drawn, vibrant artwork. The games feature custom audio call-outs from actor Chris Bartlett as C-3PO. “Star Wars is one of the most iconic franchises in entertainment history and bringing it to life with a fresh take in our new pinball machine is a dream come true for our team who grew up as fans,” said Seth Davis, President & CEO of Stern Pinball. “At Stern Pinball, we always want to deliver an immersive, high-energy experience for our players, and there’s no better way to do that than with Star Wars.” The Star Wars: Fall of the Empire pinball games launch on Stern’s next-generation SPIKE 3 technology platform, which includes a larger 18.5” full HD display with true color depth, along with a more powerful processor, and a new immersive audio system. SPIKE 3 electronics also feature more efficient power handling, improved Wi-Fi support, and wireless headphone capabilities. To honor the original release of Star Wars in 1977, the Limited Edition model will be limited to 770 games in the initial launch territories. This highly collectible model includes the Expression Lighting System The Star Wars: Fall of the Empire pinball games are available through authorized Stern Pinball distributors and dealers around the world, which can be found here. Stay up to date by following Stern Pinball on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Pricing and Availability: The Star Wars: Fall of the Empire pinball games are available now through authorized Stern Pinball distributors and dealers in the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and Chile or via request for availability on the game information page here. The Star Wars: Fall of the Empire pinball games feature Stern’s best-in-class commercial quality reliability backed by a one-year warranty. About Insider Connected About Stern Pinball, Inc. Recent Stern Pinball titles include King Kong: Myth of Terror Island, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: The Tyrant’s Eye, Metallica Remastered, John Wick, JAWS, Venom, Foo Fighters, James Bond, Rush, Godzilla, Led Zeppelin, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Stranger Things, Elvira’s House of Horrors, Jurassic Park, Black Knight: Sword of Rage, The Munsters, The Beatles, Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, Ghostbusters, KISS, Metallica, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Star Trek, AC/DC, and Batman,. A broad range of players enjoy Stern Pinball’s games, from professional pinball players competing in high-stakes global competitions to novice players discovering the allure of the silver ball for the first time. To join the fun and learn more, please visit www.sternpinball.com. ### |
Naturally, there are some promotional videos to accompany the launch.
Here’s the basic trailer showing some of the gameplay:
Here’s a longer one with George Gomez and John Borg showcasing the game’s features:
There’s also the first official gameplay video:
Finally, here are the flyers for the three models:
The first public outing for the game is expected to be at the Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown on 19th-21st September near Denver.
Watch out for more Star Wars: Fall of the Empire news, right here at Pinball News.
