gamemerged40 mentionsFirst seen Sep 12, 2025Last seen Feb 23, 2026
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Star Wars Fall of the Empire is a 2025 pinball machine released by Stern Pinball in September 2025, designed by John Borg as part of his three-game sprint. It is Stern's flagship 2025 release and the first Spike 3 platform cornerstone game, featuring the 10th iteration of Star Wars pinball machines with 777 LE units produced. The game has received mixed reception from the community, with initial criticism regarding its accessibility-focused layout, mechanical reliability issues (particularly with the Death Star ramp), and mediocre sales performance, though extended play has improved some opinions. It features prominent accessories including a C-3PO animatronic topper and is backward compatible with the 2017 Steve Ritchie Star Wars machine.
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designedSeth DavisDesigner/decision-maker on Star Wars pinball game; made artistic decisions on foiled artworkmedium
manufacturesStern Pinball Inc.Stern Pinball manufactures Star Wars Fall of the Empiremedium
designedJohn BorgJohn Borg designed Star Wars Fall of the Empiremedium
works_atRaymond DavidsonRaymond Davidson contributed to design of Star Wars Fall of the Empiremedium
Star Wars Fall of the Empire was top earner for weeks of October 14 and October 21 at Lumberjack Johnny's
Recent Mentions (0)
No mentions
Contradictions
Existing: Stern's September 2025 releasevsConflicting: Stern production scheduled January 2026 (mention 18)
Resolved
kept_existing · Mar 2, 2026
Existing: LE easily available at $13,000 MSRP with weak sales and 8,000 original machines producedvsConflicting: 777 LE units produced as stated in Pinball Magazine recap
Resolved
kept_existing · Mar 2, 2026
Existing: Game released September 2025vsConflicting: Mention 19 suggests an 'alternate title' relationship to 2017 Star Wars, implying potential rebranding or confusion with different machines
Resolved
kept_existing · Mar 2, 2026
Existing: Designer is John Borg (mentioned in episodes 7, 23)
Related Glossary Terms
No linked glossary terms
Star Wars Fall of the Empire runs on Spike 3 platform
medium
affiliated_withSpike 2Spike 3 game used as comparison point for Spike 2 capabilities; highlights processing power, memory, and display improvementsmedium
attributeUses Spike 3 platformhighfrom 2025-09
attribute10th Star Wars pinball iterationhighfrom 2025-09
attribute777 LE units producedhighfrom 2025-09
attributeLE MSRP $13,000highfrom 2025-09
roleDesigned by John Borghighfrom 2025
roleCode developed by Andrew Wilkeninghighfrom 2025
roleDesign by Raymond Davidsonhighfrom 2025
roleClip selection by MXBhighfrom 2025
statusStern Pinball cornerstone/flagship release for 2025highfrom 2025-09
The Sarlacc pit (toilet shot) on Star Wars Fall of the Empire needs a visual identifier sticker because the clear funnel design makes players forget what it represents
Conflicting: Episode 8 credits Raymond Davidson as designer and Andrew Wilkening as code developer, creating ambiguity about primary design attribution
Resolved
accepted_new · Mar 2, 2026
Existing: Game received strong praise for code quality, immersion, and clip integration; ranked highly by hosts for 2025vsConflicting: Game noted as having all assets but lacking special feeling; called 'crappy' with mediocre Death Star shot reveal; criticized as 'easy/safe' design
Resolved
accepted_new · Mar 2, 2026
Existing: Game is new 2025 Stern release with Spike 3 platformvsConflicting: Mention 19 references 'alternate title for Fall of the Empire' with 2017 Star Wars design elements reused, suggesting possible confusion or mislabeling
Resolved
kept_existing · Mar 2, 2026
Existing: Game praised for code quality and immersion in mention 8vsConflicting: Called 'crappy' with mediocre reception in mentions 2, 3, 6