"Contemplating the Future Prospects of 'Star Wars Battlefront' Games"
Gamers and Star Wars enthusiasts are buzzing about the notion of another installment in the Star Wars Battlefront series. The resurging popularity of DICE's Battlefront II from 2017, with its growing player count on PC, has fueled the community's ambition to capitalize on the trend with a global event to boost numbers and showcase the Battlefront community's enduring spirit. The stir has been amplified by Star Wars actor Muhannad Ben Amor, who played Wilmon in Andor, urging fans to hope for a Battlefront III.
The Battlefront series has seen two lifetimes over nearly 20 years, with the first two games developed during the Star Wars prequel era by Pandemic Studios, and the subsequent pair hailing from DICE. Neither has reached a third entry, although one version nearly materialized; a Battlefront III developed by several studios, including Timesplitters creator Free Radical Design, once lurked in development. LucasArts attempted to breathe new life into the franchise with an online-only entry, a smaller scale multiplayer version, and a fourth game set in an alternate reality where Obi-Wan and Luke were Sith Lords, but these endeavors bore no fruit. Once DICE stopped supporting Battlefront II in 2020, the series was absent once more.
Whether a new Star Wars Battlefront game can resurface and why it should return are interrelated questions, proving challenging to answer. Developing games set within the Star Wars universe has often been a daunting prospect over the years. Some of the most renowned Star Wars games never came to fruition, such as the Boba Fett-starring 1313 or third entries for Knights of the Old Republic and Force Unleashed, two sub-series that coexisted with Battlefront. Even EA struggled; it canceled a pirate-centric project from Visceral Games and Motive Studios, and more recently, a first-person shooter centered on a Mandalorian was nixed by Respawn, creators of the acclaimed Star Wars Jedi games.
Currently, DICE is wholly committed to the development of the next Battlefield game, while additional EA studios provide support. This means that another Battlefront installment can't realistically originate from EA, let alone in the near future. Mats Holm, a former live producer on Battlefront II, echoed this sentiment on Reddit. He suggested that a remaster of the previous game could serve as a stepping stone before creating a proper sequel, ideally involving members of the original team who might be inclined to participate. The conundrum then lies with EA: while the Pandemic-crafted Battlefront games have been remastered, the publisher tends to be choosier with remasters compared to other companies.
Apart from 2019's Fallen Order, Star Wars has primarily centered on single-player titles since, featuring Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws and 2026's Zero Company from Bit Reactor, in addition to the space combat-focused Star Wars Squadrons. Although EA hasn't re-engaged with Star Wars multiplayer, the franchise's ties to Fortnite have grown stronger due to various collaborations, such as the "Galactic Battle" tie-in event and the introduction of numerous in-game skins for franchise characters, as well as the plot-crucial audio log unveiling Palpatine's return in Rise of Skywalker. With Star Wars media like the Andor series and May 4 events stoking player interest, it's no surprise that fans continue to call for a new Battlefront III.
However, industry insiders and internal EA strategies indicate that the likelihood of a new Battlefront game is remote at best. Sources suggest that the next possible step might be a remaster of Battlefront II for future consoles (expected around 2027-2028), which could incorporate enhancements like cross-play, dynamic weather, and new gameplay modes. If the remaster proves successful, a Battlefront 3 could potentially become an option further down the line, a potential 5-6 year timeline from now. In the meantime, any new Battlefront game remains a long-term prospect rather than an imminent reality.
The resurgance of Battlefront II's popularity and Muhannad Ben Amor's urging for a Battlefront III have sparked questions about the future of the Star Wars Battlefront series. While DICE is currently focusing on the next Battlefield game, industry insiders suggest that a remaster of Battlefront II might be the next step, predicted around 2027-2028, with potential additions like cross-play, dynamic weather, and new gameplay modes. If the remaster is successful, a Battlefront 3 could possibly be in the pipeline, around five to six years later.
