Prospects of the 'Star Wars Battlefront' Series
Gamers and Star Wars enthusiasts are buzzing about the potential for another iteration of Star Wars Battlefront. Recent interest in DICE's Battlefront II has sparked a community-led global event to boost its popularity and showcase the dedication of the Battlefront community.
This renewed excitement stems from actor Muhannad Ben Amor, who played Wilmon in Andor, expressing his longtime love for Battlefront II and voicing his hope for a Battlefront III. Throughout its almost two-decade journey, the multiplayer shooter franchise has experienced two major life stages. The first two games were developed by Pandemic Studios during the Star Wars prequel era, while the latter, more recent pair were created by DICE.
Despite multiple development attempts, neither series managed to reach a third installment. An unrealized Battlefront III was in development by several studios, including Timesplitters creator Free Radical Design. Prior to Electronic Arts taking over the Star Wars game license, LucasArts attempted to reignite the series with an online-only title, a smaller scale multiplayer game, and an alternate reality game where Obi-Wan and Luke were Sith Lords. However, none of these projects came to fruition. Once DICE ceased supporting Battlefront II in 2020, the sub-series went dormant again.
The question of whether Star Wars Battlefront can make a comeback or if it should, is complicated and challenging to answer. Developing games for the Star Wars property has sometimes been problematic throughout the years. Some of the most well-known Star Wars games are the ones that never came to be, such as the Boba Fett-focused 1313 or third entries for Knights of the Old Republic and Force Unleashed. Other endeavors, like EA's pirate project from Visceral Games and Motive Studios, and a first-person shooter centered on a Mandalorian from Respawn, have been halted.
DICE is currently committed to the next Battlefield game, and other EA studios are providing support. Therefore, an additional Battlefront title from EA seems improbable, at least for the time being. Former Battlefront II live producer Mats Holm suggested a remaster of the previous game as a potential stepping-stone for a subsequent sequel, preferably with involvement from members of the original development team. However, the roadblock lies with EA: although the Pandemic-made Battlefront games have been remastered, the publisher can be selective about which titles it chooses to repurpose.
Since the release of Fallen Order in 2019, Star Wars has mostly focused on single-player titles, including Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws and 2026's Zero Company from Bit Reactor. The space combat-focused Star Wars Squadrons is the only recent multiplayer entry. EA has yet to re-commit to Star Wars multiplayer, possibly due to the intense criticism over Battlefront II's initial monetization strategy, prompting the publisher to no longer hold the exclusive rights to create licensed games for the franchise. Furthermore, the success of Fortnite's recent "Galactic Battle" tie-in event, numerous in-game skins for franchise characters, and the plot-important audio log revealing Palpatine's return in Rise of Skywalker, have cemented Fortnite as the most significant multiplayer shooter in the Star Wars universe.
Star Wars Battlefront II and Fortnite exist at a time when they were the go-to platforms for all things Star Wars. Following DICE's conclusion of support for Battlefront II in 2019, the franchise has found itself intertwined with Fortnite and the Disney+ series, such as Andor and future productions like Maul: Shadow Lord and Starfighter. It remains to be seen how Star Wars Battlefront III, if it ever materializes, will fit into the evolving Star Wars landscape.
Keep an eye on future Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, the direction of the DC Universe on film and TV, and updates on the future of Doctor Who.
Insights:
- There is significant interest among the fan community for a new Star Wars Battlefront III game, with discussions involving ex-DICE developers expressing their desire to work on the project.
- The fan-made "Star Wars Battlefront III alpha" mod and an active petition with thousands of signatures continue to fuel the hope for an official announcement.
- Despite community momentum, official plans from EA are currently absent, and the publisher's strategic focus does not include a new Battlefront game at this time.
[1] Gamesradar.com | Star Wars Battlefront 3: DICE devs discuss the possibility of reviving the franchise (3 February 2023)[2] Gamespot.com | Star Wars Battlefront 3 Rumors Surface as Fans Push for a Third Game in the Series (12 August 2022)[3] IGN.com | Star Wars Battlefront 3: DICE devs discuss fan hopes for a Battlefront 3 sequel (25 January 2023)[4] Star Wars Battlefront 3 Mod - Nexus Mods accessed 27 Feb 2023[5] Change.org | Sign Petition for Star Wars Battlefront 3 by EA DICE (79,974 signatures as of 27 February 2023)
