The short answer is NO. Unfortunately, there is no romance system in the new trend title of Star Wars installment, Zero Company.
Bit Reactor confirmed that there aren’t any romance systems or branching paths in Star Wars Zero Company. While the studio is pushing the genre forward with a more cinematic approach, it remains a turn-based tactics game at its heart built around skill and strategy.
Star Wars Zero Company Romance: An Absolute No
Bit Reactor addressed this head-on in a Discord Q&A session with fans ahead of launch.
Asked directly whether the game includes any romance system or story branches tied to it, the studio was unambiguous. The answers was short: there isn’t one. The team explained that even though they’re bringing a more cinematic style to the genre, Zero Company is still fundamentally a turn-based tactics game built around combat strategy rather than player-driven relationship arcs.
What Happens Between Squad Members Instead?
Rather than a romance mechanic, Zero Company uses what the developers call a Bond System. It’s a relationship layer between your Hawks and others active squad Operators that develops naturally as you play, rather than through dialogue-wheel choices aimed at winning someone over.
Bond levels scale from 1 to 8. As two characters grow closer, their relationship level rises. This will unlock additional rewards and new Cross Training advantages.
Building a stronger bond also awards Focus Points for the characters involved. Higher relationship levels provide significantly more Focus Points.
Star Wars Zero Company Bond System
Here’s roughly how it works, based on what I have found in the game:
- Bonds grow through shared combat. The more two characters fight alongside each other on missions, the stronger the tactical connection between them becomes.
- Bonds unlock gameplay bonuses. Stronger relationships translate into combat synergies rather than unlockable romantic scenes.
- Relationships aren’t always friendly to start. Some pairings begin with friction rather than warmth.
- Approval affects the story, not just stats. Characters can visibly approve or disapprove of your choices, in a manner some previews have compared to Dragon Age’s companion approval systems. Disapproval doesn’t just sit quietly in the background. In specific authored moments, it can affect a character’s fate, though relationships won’t casually break down without a real narrative reason behind it.
How to Increase Bond Levels?
Bonds can be raised in several ways like completing Missions or Operations together, picking certain dialogue options, finishing Cross Training, upgrading the Teamwork node in The Den, resolving Dilemmas, and progressing the main story.
Each bond tier needs a set amount of XP, trackable under the “Bonds” sub-tab in the Personnel menu.
Operations are the best method. Non-combat scenarios where you pick from a few approaches to a situation often require a specific number of operators (and sometimes Intel) to start. Everyone involved bonds afterward, though some carry injury risk, so check the danger level first.
Missions are the next best option. Any of your four active operators who finish a mission successfully bond together. Actions like Back-Ups add even more.
For a passive boost, upgrading the Teamwork node in The Den grants 5 XP to every operator not currently deployed, small, but useful for a large roster.
Bonds can also drop, mainly through bad dialogue choices, story moments or Dilemmas, where one of three choices affects every operator’s bond at once. Choose carefully and prioritize your core team’s bonds to maximize their Cross Training perks.
Star Wars Zero Company
