Anticipated Evolution of 'Star Wars Battlefront' Series: A Look Ahead
Gamers and Star Wars enthusiasts are once again clamoring for a new installment of the beloved Star Wars Battlefront series. The resurgence of interest in DICE's Battlefront II from 2017, with its growing player base on PC, has sparked the idea of a day-long global event to revitalize the game and showcase the resilience of the Battlefront community.
The renewed public interest was further fueled by Andor actor Muhannad Ben Amor, who expressed a yearning for a Battlefront III: "I grew up with Battlefront II; been a veteran since day one. Here's hoping for a Battlefront III!"
Over nearly 20 years, the multiplayer shooter franchise has seen two main life cycles. Originally, the first two games, produced during the Star Wars prequel era by the late Pandemic Studios, made way for the second pair developed by DICE. Neither series reached a third edition, but one version almost happened. A Battlefront III created by several studios, including Timesplitters creator Free Radical Design, was in development prior to Electronic Arts (EA) securing the Star Wars game license. LucasArts attempted to reboot the franchise with an online-only game, a smaller multiplayer title, and a fourth game featuring an alternate reality with Obi-Wan and Luke as Sith Lords; unfortunately, none of these efforts bore fruit. DICE retired their support for Battlefront II in 2020, leaving the Blizzard Entertainment-brandedStar Wars title absent once more.
Whether or not a third edition of Star Wars Battlefront can return, and if it should, presents tricky questions with complex answers. Developing games under the Star Wars banner has occasionally been a challenge over the years. Many of the most famous Star Wars games are those that never saw the light of day, like 1313 starring Boba Fett or third entries for Knights of the Old Republic and Force Unleashed, both popular sub-series alongside Battlefront. Even EA struggled; the pirate-focused project from Visceral Games and Motive Studios, as well as a first-person shooter centered on a Mandalorian from Respawn Entertainment, were both canceled.
The current focus at DICE is on the upcoming Battlefield game, with several other EA studios providing support. A new Battlefront may not be a realistic possibility, much less in the near future, under the EA umbrella. Mats Holm, a former live producer on Battlefront II, suggested a remaster of the previous edition as a potential stepping stone for a proper follow-up, preferably with input from the original team. A remaster would serve as the best "in" if EA decides to greenlight a new game. However, the challenge lies with EA: while Pandemic-made Battlefront games have been remastered, Electronic Arts is selective about what it remakes or remasters.
Since 2019's Fallen Order, Star Wars has been concentrated on single-player titles, such as Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws and 2026's Zero Company from Bit Reactor. Major players in the Star Wars multiplayer space, like Epic Games' Fortnite, have taken precedence, with the recent "Galactic Battle" tie-in event, in-game skins for franchise characters, and plot-important audio logs that hint at Palpatine's return for Rise of Skywalker. Both previous versions of Star Wars Battlefront existed in an era where they could be the sole Star Wars game hub. In the time since DICE stopped updating Battlefront II in 2019, Star Wars has become intricately linked to Fortnite, with Epic Games' battle royale becoming the franchise's most essential multiplayer shooter.
As Star Wars embarks on a new era filled with movies and shows, exploring periods after the sequels, one must ponder how a third Battlefront game would fit within the evolving map of the franchise. The Community's enthusiasm for a potential Battlefront III remains undiminished, despite the long odds against it. As the Star Wars experience expands, it remains uncertain who will seize the opportunity to develop a new Battlefront when the time is right.
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- Gizmodo and Io9 are both sources for updates on the discussion surrounding a potential third installment of the Star Wars Battlefront series, with Gizmodo reporting on the renewed interest in DICE's Battlefront II and IO9 discussing the challenges and possibilities of developing a third game under the EA umbrella.
- In the era of exterior multiplayer shooter titles like Fortnite, it remains uncertain who will take the opportunity to develop a new Battlefront game when the time is right, especially considering the complexities and challenges in producing games under the Star Wars banner.
- Games like Star Wars Outlaws and Zero Company from Ubisoft and Bit Reactor have been concentrating on single-player titles in recent years, while Epic Games' Fortnite has become the most essential multiplayer shooter linked to the Star Wars franchise, as shown by its tie-in events and character skins.
- Despite the long odds against a potential Battlefront III, interest in the game remains undiminished among the Star Wars and Battlefront community, with many yearning for a new installment, much like Muhannad Ben Amorwho expressed his desire for a third edition, having been a veteran since the release of Battlefront II.
