Speculating About the Upcoming Direction of 'Star Wars Battlefront' Game Series
Peek into the Gaming World: A Resurgence of Star Wars Battlefront Fever
Gamers and Star Wars enthusiasts are buzzing with eager whispers about a potential new addition to the Star Wars Battlefront series. The recent surge in popularity of Star Wars Battlefront II (2017) has ignited a fire among fans, leading to a global day-long event to boost its player count and showcase the fervor of the Battlefront community.
The flames of anticipation were kindled by Star Wars' May the 4th holiday and the recent encouragement from Andor actor Muhannad Ben Amor. With a long-standing history as a Battlefront II fan, Ben Amor expressed his hopes for a third installment on social media.
Spanning over two decades, the multiplayer shooter series has only produced two iterations. Its first two games, produced by the defunct Pandemic Studios during the Star Wars prequel era, contrast sharply with the more recent pair from Battlefield developers DICE. Despite never making it to number three, a Battlefront III for the original series came close to becoming a reality; several developers, including Timesplitters creator Free Radical Design, were involved in its development before Electronic Arts (EA) took over the Star Wars game license.
Alas, several attempts to revive the sub-series fell through, such as an online-only reboot, a smaller scale multiplayer game, and an adventure that envisioned Obi-Wan and Luke as Sith Lords. Once DICE halted support for Battlefront II in 2020, the Battlefront sub-series was absent once more.
The question of whether a Star Wars Battlefront IV is feasible, let alone advisable, is complicated. Developing games based on the Star Wars property has not always been a smooth journey, with many promising titles never coming to fruition, such as the Boba Fett-focused 1313 or third entries for Knights of the Old Republic and Force Unleashed. Even EA's own undertakings have faced obstacles—they cancelled a pirate-centric project from Visceral Games and Motive Studios, and more recently, a first-person shooter focused on a Mandalorian that was in the works at Respawn, creators of the critically acclaimed Star Wars Jedi games.
DICE is currently fully engrossed in the development of the next Battlefield game, while other EA studios are offering assistance. Given these circumstances, it seems unlikely another Battlefront game could emerge from EA, especially not in the near future. Former live producer for Battlefront II, Mats Holm, recently expressed this sentiment on Reddit, instead suggesting a potential remaster of the previous game as a stepping stone before developing a sequel, preferably with input from members of the original team.
Remastering the previous game could provide a solid foundation, but the problem lies with EA—while the Pandemic-created Battlefront games have been remastered, Electronic Arts is somewhat selective when choosing titles for remastering or remakes. Since Fallen Order in 2019, Star Wars has primarily focused on solo titles, such as Star Wars Outlaws from Ubisoft and 2026's Zero Company from Bit Reactor. Though EA has yet to re-commit to Star Wars multiplayer, the controversial monetization controversy in Battlefront II's early days and the success of the Star Wars x Fortnite crossover events have likely played a role in their cautious approach.
Battlefront II could potentially provide a shared space for the entire Star Wars universe during its heyday. As part of the game's rehabilitation efforts, DICE poured resources into post-launch updates that incorporated characters and elements from all the trilogies, Solo, and Rogue One. However, since DICE ended its support for the game in 2019, Star Wars has found itself increasingly intertwined with Fortnite, with numerous character skins and plot-important in-game events.
As Star Wars forges ahead into a new era, promising more movies and shows exploring the time during and after the sequels, fans are left wondering if a Star Wars Battlefront IV would align with the franchise's goals and who would be on board at a time when online games, regardless of size, are often tossed aside.
For more io9 news, check out the latest updates on upcoming Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, developments within the DC Universe on film and television, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Fact Bits:- Star Wars Battlefront (2015) and Star Wars Battlefront II (2017) together sold over 33 million copies[5].- Recent fan interest in a third Star Wars Battlefront game may be driven by the success of the Andor TV series and May the 4th Star Wars celebrations[5].- Former DICE developer Mats Holm has expressed skepticism about an imminent announcement, citing difficulties in resuming the original development team and licensing costs[5].- Rumors suggest that EA rejected a pitch for a third game partly due to high licensing costs[5].- Fans have created fan-made mods, such as an "alpha" version of a hypothetical Star Wars Battlefront III, to scratch their itch while waiting for official news[2].- Holm has proposed a potential path forward, suggesting a remaster of Battlefront II for future consoles, which could pave the way for a sequel if successful[5].
- The growing excitement for a potential new installment of the Star Wars Battlefront series is fueled not only by gamers and Star Wars fans, but also by industry voices like Muhannad Ben Amor from Gizmodo.
- With over 33 million copies sold since its initial release in 2015, the Star Wars Battlefront series, particularly the popular Star Wars Battlefront II (2017), has proven its lasting impact on the gaming world.
- Io9 and other technology enthusiasts are keeping a close eye on the future of sports-related games, as the increasing intertwining of Star Wars and Fortnite could have significant implications for the gaming landscape.
- As developers jostle for the coveted Star Wars game license, Gadgets magazine speculates about the potential challenges Electronic Arts may face in reviving the Star Wars Battlefront sub-series, particularly in terms of licensing costs and the feasibility of bringing back the original development team.
