The Outlook Regarding the Continuation of 'Star Wars Battlefront' Game Series
Gamers and die-hard Star Wars enthusiasts are clamoring for another installment of the beloved Star Wars Battlefront series. The surge in popularity is evident in the resurgence of player count for DICE's Battlefront II, with the gaming community eager to capitalize on this revived interest with a worldwide, 24-hour event to bolster numbers and demonstrate the enduring passion of the Battlefront community.
This frenzy was ignited by Star Wars day and Andor's star Muhannad Ben Amor, who added fuel to the fire by requesting a Battlefront III game. The Star Wars universe has seen two phases in the Battlefront series, with the first two games developed during the prequel era by the now-defunct Pandemic Studios, while the latter, more recent games come from Battlefield developer DICE. Regrettably, neither have reached the coveted number three, though one nearly did – a Battlefront III by various developers, including Timesplitters creator Free Radical Design, was in development before Electronic Arts obtained the Star Wars game license from LucasArts.
Plans to reboot the series under the online-only, small-scale multiplayer entry, and a fourth game featuring alternate reality scenarios where Obi-Wan and Luke were Sith Lords, were proposed but never materialized. The support for Battlefront II ceased in 2020, leaving the sub-series absent once again.
Questions concerning the feasibility of a Battlefront III and why it should be revived are intertwined and complicated. The process of creating games for this iconic franchise has been a challenge in the past. Several famous Star Wars games, such as the Boba Fett-starring 1313 and third entries for Knights of the Old Republic and Force Unleashed – sub-series that coexisted with Battlefront – never saw the light of day. Even Electronic Arts stumbled; it abandoned projects from Visceral Games and Motive Studios, and more recently, a Mandalorian-centric first-person shooter in development at Respawn, creators of the critically acclaimed Star Wars Jedi games.
DICE is currently deep into developing the next Battlefield installment, while other Electronic Arts studios focus on supporting various projects. Consequently, a Battlefront re-entry couldn't reasonably be expected from Electronic Arts, let alone imminently. Mats Holm, a former live producer on Battlefront II, shared his thoughts on Reddit, proposing a remaster of the previous game as a starting point before developing a sequel, preferably with key members from the original team on board.
However, the problem lies with Electronic Arts – while the Pandemic-made Battlefront games have been remastered, Electronic Arts can be choosier than other publishers when it comes to which games they remaster or re-release. Since 2019, Star Wars has mostly focused its video game endeavors on single-player titles like the Star Wars Outlaws from Ubisoft and the 2026 Zero Company from Bit Reactor. Apart from the space combat-centered Star Wars Squadrons, Electronic Arts hasn't showing any interest in returning to Star Wars multiplayer.
The controversy surrounding the monetization of Battlefront II's initial release, which was heavily criticized for its disastrous impact, may also play a role in Electronic Arts' hesitation. Additionally, the Star Wars franchise is currently "tangled" in the Epic Games web due to Fortnite's Galactic Battle tie-in event, numerous in-game skins for Star Wars characters, and the plot-significant audio log revealing Palpatine's return for Rise of Skywalker.
Despite the challenges, the hope for a Battlefront III never truly dies. As Star Wars ventures into a new phase of its life, promising more movies and shows, one wonders if it can seamlessly fit into the franchise and whether there will be a team available to develop it in an age where online games are quickly overlooked.
- Io9 and Gizmodo have recently discussed the potential for a Battlefront III game, considering the Star Wars franchise's ongoing resurgence in popularity and the fervor of the gaming community.
- In light of the challenges faced by Electronic Arts in developing Star Wars games, it might be beneficial for them to consider Mats Holm's suggestion of remastering Battlefront II as a starting point for a Battlefront III sequel, with key members from the original team involved.
- As Star Wars embarks on a new phase, with more movies and shows on the horizon, the question remains whether there will be a team available to develop a Battlefront III game, especially since online games tend to be quickly overlooked in the current gaming landscape.
