Difficulty options at a glance
The official accessibility information confirms the four level names, while EA’s campaign guide confirms that the entire difficulty setup is locked to the save once the campaign begins. EA does not publish a complete numerical breakdown for every level, so the table describes each option by its intended challenge rather than inventing hidden enemy bonuses.
| Difficulty | Best fit | Campaign commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Story | Players prioritizing the narrative or learning tactical systems with lighter pressure | Locked after the campaign starts |
| Normal | A balanced first campaign for most players | Locked after the campaign starts |
| Hard | Experienced tactics players who want mistakes to carry more weight | Locked after the campaign starts |
| Expert | Players already comfortable with squad tactics and long-term risk | Locked after the campaign starts |
How the four difficulty options shape a campaign
Story is the most forgiving route, Normal is the intended middle ground, Hard raises the tactical demand, and Expert sits at the top of the standard challenge ladder. All four use the same core campaign: positioning Operators, choosing actions in turn-based encounters, completing Operations, and developing the company between missions.
The practical difference is how much room you want for imperfect plans. Story is a sensible choice if you mainly want Hawks and the squad’s Clone Wars narrative or are new to cover-based tactics. Normal still expects you to learn abilities, lines of sight, action points, and squad roles, but it gives a first playthrough a more approachable learning curve than the two upper settings.
Hard and Expert are better treated as commitments than as badges. A tougher campaign asks you to extract more value from positioning, Operator synergies, equipment, and the choices made at the Den. EA has not published a complete stat-by-stat modifier list for these levels, so claims about exact enemy health, aim, damage, or reinforcement changes are not officially confirmed.
What difficulty affects—and what remains separate
Difficulty controls the campaign’s challenge, but Permadeath and Beskar Mode are separate switches on the campaign setup screen. This distinction matters: you can choose a demanding combat level without automatically accepting permanent Operator deaths or a single-save campaign.
Permadeath determines whether a fallen Operator can be lost for the rest of that campaign. EA says it is enabled by default but can be toggled off before starting. Leaving it on gives battlefield losses lasting narrative and roster consequences; turning it off lets you experience demanding missions without every fatal mistake permanently removing a squad member.
Beskar Mode changes save behavior. With it enabled, the campaign has one save and manual saving is unavailable, making decisions and consequences permanent. That is a different kind of difficulty from stronger opposition: it limits your ability to revisit a decision or recover from a poor outcome. Combining Expert, Permadeath, and Beskar Mode is therefore a much larger risk jump than selecting Expert alone.
Can you change difficulty during a campaign?
No. EA’s official combat guide states that the Difficulty Settings chosen before starting apply for the entire campaign and cannot be changed after selecting Start Campaign. That lock also covers the campaign choices for Permadeath and Beskar Mode.
If the setting feels too easy or too punishing after several missions, the supported route is to begin another campaign from the main menu. The original save can remain as its own campaign, while the new one uses a different level or different consequence settings. There is no officially documented option to convert the existing run in place.
Spend a moment on the setup screen before committing. Difficulty can affect how long it takes to progress, while Permadeath and Beskar Mode can reshape the entire emotional rhythm of a run. The guided training missions, on-demand tooltips, loading-screen tips, and optional end-turn warning can still help you learn; these accessibility and guidance features do not require choosing Story difficulty.
Which difficulty should you choose?
Normal is the safest recommendation for a first campaign if you have some turn-based experience. Choose Story when the characters and campaign decisions matter more to you than tactical resistance. Hard suits players who already understand cover, ability timing, and squad composition; Expert is most appropriate after you know how Zero Company’s specific systems interact.
For a first run, a useful compromise is Normal with Permadeath off and Beskar Mode off. That preserves the intended tactical middle ground while keeping the roster and save system forgiving enough for experimentation. Players who want the theme of loss without the pressure of a single save can leave Permadeath on but keep Beskar Mode disabled.
Do not choose all three harshest settings simply because you have played another tactics game. Zero Company has its own Operators, bonds, Operations, expiring missions, and campaign economy to learn. A second campaign is an excellent place for Hard or Expert, especially because later playthroughs unlock certain customization options and let you explore different choices without compromising the first story run.
Related STAR WARS Zero Company guides
Official sources
- EA accessibility resourcesOfficial difficulty names, Permadeath option, tutorials, tooltips, and gameplay accessibility features.
- EA turn-based tactics guideOfficial campaign setup, locked settings, Permadeath, and Beskar Mode behavior.
- Steam store pageCurrent storefront feature and accessibility fields.