Anticipating the Prospects of 'Star Wars Battlefront' Sequels or Updates
Gamers and dedicated Star Wars enthusiasts have recently been vocal about their craving for a new Star Wars Battlefront game. The growing player count of DICE's Battlefront II on PC, combined with the community's ambition to build momentum and showcase Star Wars Battlefront's devoted fanbase, have sparked a day-long global event.
This surge can be attributed to Star Wars actor Muhannad Ben Amor (who played Wilmon in Star Wars: Andor) urging the revival of another entry, stating, "Grew up with Battlefront II; been a veteran since day one, let's hope a Battlefront III happens."
Tracing back over two decades, this multiplayer shooter series has had a couple of lives. The early games, during the Star Wars prequel era, were created by the late Pandemic Studios, whereas the more recent pair come from Battlefield developer DICE. Neither managed to concoct a Battlefront III, but a version nearly materialized; a Battlefront III for the original series was in development from various creative forces, including Timesplitters creator Free Radical Design. However, before EA secured the Star Wars gaming license, LucasArts attempted to rejuvenate the franchise with online-only entries, smaller-scale multiplayer endeavors, and a fourth game featuring an alternate universe where Obi-Wan and Luke were Sith Lords. Naturally, these efforts bore no fruit. Once DICE abandoned its support for Battlefront II in 2020, the venerable sub-series vanished.
The queries of whether Star Wars Battlefront will make a comeback and why it deserves a second chance are deeply intertwined and challenging to answer. Crafting games around this property hasn't always been an easy task throughout the years. Some of the most esteemed Star Wars games are the ones that never transpired, like the Boba Fett-starring 1313 or third entries for Knights of the Old Republic and Force Unleashed, two series that coexisted with Battlefront. Even EA experienced turbulence; it shelved a pirate-focused project from Visceral Games and Motive Studios, and more recently scrapped a Mandalorian-centric first-person shooter being developed by Respawn, creators of the lauded Star Wars Jedi games.
Currently, DICE focuses its entire attention on the next Battlefield game, while several other EA studios are on standby to provide assistance. As such, another Battlefront can't reasonably emerge from EA, let alone in the near future. Mats Holm, a former live producer on Battlefront II, made this clear on Reddit, instead advocating for a remaster of the prior game as a stepping stone before creating a proper sequel, ideally with any members from the previous crew who were up for the challenge. A remaster would provide the best potential "in," but convincing EA to greenlight such a project would be the hurdle to overcome.
Since 2019's Fallen Order, Star Wars has predominantly placed its gaming focus on single-player titles, such as Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws and 2026's Zero Company from Bit Reactor. Apart from the space combat-focused Star Wars Squadrons, EA hasn't recommitted to Star Wars multiplayer, possibly because the controversy surrounding Battlefront II's initial monetization was so damaging and widely denounced that it's the reason why the publisher relinquished exclusive rights to craft licensed games for the franchise. And then there's Fortnite: thanks to the recent "Galactic Battle" tie-in event, a multitude of in-game skins for various franchise characters, and the plot-significant audio log revealing Palpatine's reemergence for Rise of Skywalker, Epic Games' battle royale has become the most significant multiplayer shooter that the franchise could boast.
Previous iterations of Star Wars Battlefront existed when they could be the sole domain where all of the franchise thrived. Battlefront II was already positioned as a unifying point for all three trilogies, and as part of the game's rehabilitation efforts, DICE worked tirelessly to incorporate updates meant to include maps, weapons, and characters from the sequels, prequels, Rogue One, and Solo. In the time since DICE ceased its support for the game in 2021, Star Wars hasn't sustained a consistent pace that would justify the genesis of a genuine Battlefront III.
By 2026, The Mandalorian and Grogu are likely to experience a Fortnite crossover of some sort, as well as the Disney+ series Maul: Shadow Lord and the 2027 Starfighter film. Like Lonni Jung in Star Wars: Andor, Star Wars has become trapped in the web of Epic Games, and it seems unlikely that Disney will discontinue that partnership anytime soon.
Despite the dwindling prospects, hope for a Star Wars Battlefront III can never truly wane. But as Star Wars proceeds into a new era of films and shows, with aspirations to delve into periods during and beyond the sequels, one can't help but ponder where it would fit in the franchise's grand schemes and who will be present to craft it during a time when online games of all sizes are swiftly retired.
So, stay tuned for more updates on Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, DC Universe's silver screen and television adventures, and all Future Doctor Who debunkery!
- The resurgence of interest in a new Star Wars Battlefront game has sparked conversations amongst gamers and Star Wars enthusiasts, fueled by the enthusiasm of players on DICE's Battlefront II and the statements of actors like Muhannad Ben Amor.
- With EA focusing its attention on the next Battlefield game and other studios waiting in the wings, the emergence of another Battlefront game seems unlikely, let alone in the near future.
- The potential for a Star Wars Battlefront III remaster is a stepping stone that some, like former live producer Mats Holm, advocate for, hoping to engage EA in greenlighting such a project.
- As Star Wars delves into new eras of films and shows, the question remains about where a Star Wars Battlefront III would fit into the franchise's grand schemes, and who will be present to craft it during a time when online games of all sizes are swiftly retired.
