The Outlook for the Upcoming 'Star Wars Battlefront' Instalment
Catching the Battlefront Fever Again
Gamers and Star Wars enthusiasts have been clamoring for a new installment of the Star Wars Battlefront series. With the resurgence of popularity for Star Wars Battlefront II and the recent May 4 holiday, the community is eagerly trying to capitalize on the renewed enthusiasm with a global day-long event to boost player numbers and demonstrate the enduring spirit of the Battlefront clan.
This excitement has been ignited by Star Wars actor Muhannad Ben Amor (Wilmon in Andor) encouraging an uprising for a sequel to the celebrated Star Wars Battlefront II. Over nearly 20 years, the multiplayer shooter series has had two lifetimes. The earliest games were produced during the Star Wars prequel era by the late Pandemic Studios, while the more recent iterations come from Battlefield developers DICE. Despite both series never reaching a third part, one nearly materialized, with Timesplitters creator Free Radical Design involved in the development of a Battlefront III for the original series. LucasArts attempted various times to restart the games with an online-only entry, a smaller-scale multiplayer game, and a fourth game featuring an alternate reality where Obi-Wan and Luke were Sith Lords. However, none of these attempts bore fruit. Since DICE discontinued its support for Battlefront II in 2020, the sub-series has fallen silent once more.
The feasibility and warrantability of a Star Wars Battlefront III are intertwined questions that are tricky to resolve. Developing games for this IP has proven a tough ask in the past. Some of the most prominent Star Wars games are those that never saw the light of day, like the Boba Fett-centric 1313 and third installments for Knights of the Old Republic and Force Unleashed, two sub-series that coexisted with Battlefront. EA's own struggles are evident; it canceled projects from Visceral Games and Motive Studios, and more recently, a first-person shooter based on a Mandalorian from Respawn, creators of the critically-acclaimed Star Wars Jedi games.
Currently, DICE is fully engrossed in the development of the next Battlefield game, with several other EA studios extending their support. Under these circumstances, a new Battlefront probably wouldn't emanate from EA, and certainly not within the near future. Mats Holm, a former live producer on Battlefront II, suggested that a remastering of the previous game could be a useful stepping stone before producing a real sequel, ideally with members from the previous team involved wherever possible. However, the remaster's potential success is reliant on Electronic Arts' decision-making regarding which titles to remaster or remake.
Since 2019's Fallen Order, Star Wars has mainly invested in single-player titles, such as Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws and 2026's Zero Company from Bit Reactor. Aside from space combat-focused Star Wars Squadrons, EA has yet to recommit to Star Wars multiplayer games, possibly due to the backlash against Battlefront II's initial monetization model, which was criticized heavily and led EA to lose its exclusive rights to develop licensed games for the franchise. Furthermore, the ongoing alliance between Fortnite and Star Wars has made Epic Games' battle royale the most prominent multiplayer shooter in the franchise space.
With Star Wars transitioning into a new phase of its life that incorporates more films and shows, and plans to explore times during and after the sequels, one must wonder if a Battlefront III would fit into the franchise's grand designs, and if enough talents will remain engaged with the series amidst the swift dismissal of online games.
Fans, meanwhile, resort to creative means to keep the Battlefront series alive, such as the Kyber v2 mod for private servers and custom mod support, providing a platform to experience the game with new features and community-driven content.
While an official announcement of a new Battlefront game remains absent, the ardor of fans and the inventiveness of the community continue to give life to the series. As you wait for the next Marvel, Star Wars, or Star Trek releases, stay tuned for updates on the future of Doctor Who.
- The excitement for a potential new 'Star Wars Battlefront III' is high among gamers, with the community looking for ways to reignite the franchise, such as Muhannad Ben Amor's call for a sequel to 'Star Wars Battlefront II'.
- Despite Electronic Arts' current focus on other projects, like a remaster of 'Battlefront II' or the development of a new 'Battlefield' game, the potential for a 'Battlefront III' remains a topic of discussion among technology enthusiasts and fans of gadgets, as outlined by Gizmodo and Io9.
- As the 'Star Wars' franchise continues to evolve in the future, incorporating new films, shows, and exploring different periods in its timeline, the question arises whether a 'Battlefront III' would fit into its grand designs, or if the ongoing shift in the gaming industry may eventually lead to the series' revival.
