Disney Interactive and Lucasfilm have launched a new Star Wars mobile game in the build up to a new animated movie, premiering later this year.

Star Wars: Commander has been launched on iOS and will come to Android in the future. A freemium strategy game, it takes place during the Galactic Civil War period of the original trilogy, and places players in command of a base which must be built up and defended against waves of attackers.

Players can command forces from either the evil Galactic Empire or heroic Rebel Alliance, and interact with characters from the film series, including Darth Vader, Princess Leia and Han Solo. The game also incorporates sound effects and music from the original trilogy, to create a more immersive experience.

The game is the third Star Wars game launched by Disney since it acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, after Star Wars Scene Maker and Star Wars Journeys: The Phantom Menace. It also represents the first push in marketing the Star Wars brand in anticipation of the new trilogy arriving in cinemas next year.

On 29 September, the company is releasing a new computer-animated movie, “Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion” online and on the Watch Disney XD app, shortly before it debuts of Disney Channels across the world on 3 October, followed by a series based on the movie. The series is accompanied by a range of toys, bedding, backpacks and other products, along with a range of Star Wars-branded healthy foods which will arrive in stores next year.