The Outlook for 'Star Wars Battlefront' in the Coming Times
Gamers and Star Wars enthusiasts are buzzing with excitement lately, craving another installment of the iconic Star Wars Battlefront series. The renaissance of DICE's Battlefront II, with a growing player base on PC, has sparked the community to capitalize on this renewed popularity with a global day-long event. The spark was lit by Andor's star Muhannad Ben Amor, who called for a third game in the series.
Spanning almost 20 years, the multiplayer shooter series has had two lives. The first two games were developed during the prequel era by Pandemic Studios. The more recent duo comes from Battlefield developer DICE, but neither has seen a third game yet. A third game was almost a reality, with a Battlefront III in development from several developers, including the creators of Timesplitters, Free Radical Design.
However, LucasArts tried to revive the games with an online-only entry, a smaller scale multiplayer entry, and a fourth game where Obi-Wan and Luke became Sith Lords, but none of these efforts bore fruit. Once DICE stopped supporting Battlefront II in 2020, the sub-series vanished again.
The question of whether Star Wars Battlefront will return, and why it should, is a complex one. Creating games for this property has been a tough ask throughout the years. Some of the most famous Star Wars games that never happened – like the Boba Fett-starring 1313 or third entries for Knights of the Old Republic and Force Unleashed – illustrate the challenges. Even EA faced troubles, canceling a pirate-focused project from Visceral Games and Motive Studios, and a first-person shooter centered on a Mandalorian that was in the works over at Respawn.
As of now, DICE is entirely focused on the next Battlefield game, with other EA studios offering support. This makes it unlikely for another Battlefront game, let alone anytime soon. Mats Holm, a former live producer on Battlefront II, suggested a remaster of the previous game as a feasible plan before developing a proper sequel, ideally with members from the previous team. However, the challenge lies with EA; though the Pandemic-made Battlefront games have been remastered, Electronic Arts can be choosy about what it remasters or re-makes.
Since 2019's Fallen Order, Star Wars has predominantly focused on single-player titles, such as Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws and 2026's Zero Company from Bit Reactor. Other than the space combat-focused Star Wars Squadrons, and the controversy surrounding Battlefront II's initial monetization, EA hasn't shown interest in recommitting to Star Wars multiplayer. Meanwhile, Fortnite's recent "Galactic Battle" tie-in event, in-game skins for various franchise characters, and the plot-important audio log revealing Palpatine's return in Rise of Skywalker have made Epic Games' battle royale the most significant multiplayer shooter in the franchise.
Previously, Battlefront II was marketed as a unification point for all three trilogies, and DICE poured everything into post-launch updates that incorporated maps, weapons, and characters from the sequels, prequels, Rogue One, and Solo. However, since DICE ended support for the game in 2019, Star Wars hasn't made consistent momentum that would justify a real Battlefront III happening.
As Star Wars enters a new phase of its life, with more movies and shows ahead and a focus on exploring the time during and after the sequels, one has to wonder how it would fit into the franchise's designs and who will be around for it at a time when online games, regardless of their size, are quickly cast aside.
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Enrichment Data:There are ongoing discussions and hype surrounding the potential development of Star Wars Battlefront III. Former DICE developers have expressed interest and even suggested a push to revive the series, while the community has shown its support through a petition for Battlefront III. However, there is no concrete evidence from EA indicating that the game is officially in development, and their current focus lies elsewhere. A fan-made "alpha" version has been mentioned but is not an official release.
- The community's excitement for another Star Wars Battlefront installment has led to a global day-long event, with calls for a third game by Andor's star Muhannad Ben Amor.
- Despite the renaissance of DICE's Battlefront II, no third game in the series has been developed, with developers like Free Radical Design once working on a Battlefront III.
- The challenges in creating games within the Star Wars franchise are evident, with many famous games, such as the Boba Fett-starring 1313 and third entries for Knights of the Old Republic and Force Unleashed, never happening.
- Currently, DICE is focused on the next Battlefield game, with EA showing little interest in recommitting to Star Wars multiplayer, making a new Battlefront game unlikely.
- There are ongoing discussions and hype surrounding the potential development of Star Wars Battlefront III, with former DICE developers expressing interest and the community showing support through a petition, but there is no official confirmation from EA.
