The Predicted Direction for 'Star Wars Battlefront' Moving Forward
Gamers and Star Wars enthusiasts are clamoring for another installation of the beloved Star Wars Battlefront series. The renewed hype for DICE's Battlefront II from 2017, with its growing player base on PC, has sparked the community's ambition to capitalize on the moment, organizing a global event to attract more players and showcase the resilient spirit of the Battlefront community.
Star Wars' May 4 holiday and Andor actor Muhannad Ben Amor, who played Wilmon, fan base on fire by expressing a strong desire for another entry: "Grew up with Battlefront II; been a veteran since day one, let's hope a Battlefront III happens."
Over the past two decades, the multiplayer shooter series has experienced two distinct lives. Its initial offerings were launched during the Star Wars prequel era, created by the late Pandemic Studios. DICE developed the more recent pair. Neither series managed to reach number three, although plans for a third game nearly came to fruition. A Battlefront III for the original series was in development with several studios, including Timesplitters creator Free Radical Design. Before Electronic Arts (EA) gained control of the Star Wars game license, LucasArts attempted to rejuvenate the series with an online-only entry, a smaller-scale multiplayer game, and a fourth game set in an alternate universe where Obi-Wan and Luke were Sith Lords. However, none of these efforts bore fruit. Once DICE ceased supporting its Battlefront II in 2020, the sub-series vanished.
The questions of whether Star Wars Battlefront can stage a comeback and why it should are intricate and challenging to answer. Crafting games set in the Star Wars universe has occasionally proven challenging throughout the years. Some of the most well-known Star Wars games that failed to materialize include the Boba Fett-focused 1313, third entries for Knights of the Old Republic and Force Unleashed, two parallel series with Battlefront, and a pirate-themed project from Visceral Games and Motive Studios, which EA subsequently canceled.
Currently, DICE focuses solely on the next Battlefield game, while several other EA studios offer support. Consequently, a new Battlefront wouldn't likely emerge from EA, nor in the near future. Former Battlefront II live producer Mats Holm recently addressed this on Reddit, suggesting a remaster of the previous game as a strategy to re-engage the community before developing a proper sequel. Ideally, it would be done with administrative help from the previous team, should any of its members be interested in working on it.
A remastered version would be the best option for jump-starting development, but EA's decision-making process when it comes to remasters or remakes might create obstacles. The Pandemic-produced Battlefront games have been remastered, but Electronic Arts tends to be more selective than other publishers when choosing what content to remaster.
Since 2019's Fallen Order, Star Wars has primarily focused on solo titles, such as Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws and 2026's Zero Company from Bit Reactor. Besides the space combat-focused Star Wars Squadrons, EA hasn't recommitted to Star Wars multiplayer, possibly due to the controversy surrounding Battlefront II's monetization, which was so harshly criticized that it earned the publisher a bad reputation when it comes to licensed Star Wars games. And then there's Fortnite: thanks to its recent "Galactic Battle" tie-in event, numerous in-game skins for various franchise characters, and the plot-significant audio log that reveals Palpatine's mysterious resurrection in Rise of Skywalker, Epic Games' battle royale has arguably become the most crucial Star Wars multiplayer shooter available.
In the past, both versions of Star Wars Battlefront existed at a time where they could serve as the central hub for all Star Wars-related content. Battlefront II was already marketed as a unification point for all three trilogies, and to repair its damaged reputation following launch, DICE poured everything it had into the game's extensive post-launch updates, incorporating maps, weapons, and characters from the sequels, prequels, Solo, and Rogue One. Since DICE discontinued support for the game in 2019, Star Wars hasn't made consistent progress that would justify a legitimate Battlefront III.
By 2026, The Mandalorian and Grogu will likely see a Fortnite crossover event, much like Maul: Shadow Lord, another Disney+ series, and the 2027 Starfighter film. In light of Andor's Lonni Jung and the extent to which Star Wars has become enmeshed in the intricate web of Epic Games, it's doubtful Disney will sever that relationship anytime soon.
Though hope for a Star Wars Battlefront III persists, regardless of how insurmountable the odds appear, it's hard to imagine how it would fit into the franchise's future plans and who would be in charge of it at a time when online games, regardless of their scale, are swiftly cast aside.
Looking ahead, stay informed about the latest news on Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, DC Universe releases, and the future of Doctor Who.
- Gizmodo and io9, technology news websites, may cover the future potential of a Star Wars Battlefront III, discussing the challenges and opportunities in developing and releasing a new game in the series.
- Given the success of Fortnite's Star Wars tie-ins, if Epic Games decides to collaborate with Disney again for a Battlefront III, it might attract a significant number of players due to the game's popular battle royale format and recognizable Star Wars characters.
- As technology advances, virtual reality or augmented reality might be incorporated into future Star Wars games, including potential iterations of the Battlefront series, offering immersive gaming experiences for fans.
