The Next Steps for 'Star Wars Battlefront' - A Look Ahead
Amidst a resurgence of interest, the prospect of a third installment in the Star Wars Battlefront series has emerged as a topic of discussion among gamers and fans. The renewed popularity of DICE's Battlefront II from 2017, with increasing player counts on PC, has prompted the game's community to organize a day-long global event to celebrate the game and attract more players.
This revival can be attributed to the annual Star Wars holiday on May 4 and recent calls from Andor actor Muhannad Ben Amor for another entry in the series.
Originally, the Battlefront series had two distinct lives. The first two games were developed during the Star Wars prequel era by Pandemic Studios, while the more recent editions were created by DICE, developers of the Battlefield series. Regrettably, neither of these versions made it to a third game, although a Battlefront III for the original series was under development by several teams, including Free Radical Design, creators of Timesplitters.
However, efforts to restart the games met with little success. LucasArts considered online-only entries, smaller-scale multiplayer games, and an alternate-reality title where Obi-Wan and Luke were Sith Lords, but none of these projects materialized. Once DICE stopped supporting its Battlefront II in 2020, the series was absent once more.
The question of whether Star Wars Battlefront will make a comeback and whether it should, unsurprisingly, go hand in hand. The challenges of developing games for the Star Wars property are not unknown, as evidenced by numerous projects that were never realized, such as the 1313 starring Boba Fett, the third entries for Knights of the Old Republic and Force Unleashed, and even projects canceled by EA, such as a pirate-focused game from Visceral Games and Motive Studios and a first-person shooter centered on a Mandalorian from Respawn.
Currently, DICE is fully focused on the next Battlefield game, with other EA studios providing support. This situation suggests that another Battlefront game from EA is unlikely, if not impossible, in the near future. Mats Holm, a former live producer on Battlefront II, has suggested a potential remaster of the previous game as a stepping stone before developing a sequel, preferably with members of the previous team.
While the Pandemic-made Battlefront games have been remastered, Electronic Arts may not choose to remaster or remake every game in its catalog. As such, the prospects of a Battlefront III are currently slim, with no official announcements or credible rumors to suggest otherwise.
Star Wars, having found success in single-player titles with 2019's Fallen Order and upcoming titles like Star Wars Outlaws from Ubisoft, may continue to focus on this format. However, with the popularity of Fortnite and its numerous tie-ins with Star Wars, the franchises have become increasingly intertwined. The upcoming Disney+ series The Mandalorian & Grogu and Maul: Shadow Lord, as well as the 2027 Starfighter film, are likely to receive Fortnite tie-ins, further strengthening this connection.
For now, fans can only hold onto hope that a new studio might take up the Battlefront mantle in the future, but such announcements remain elusive. In the meantime, the community continues to celebrate the enduring spirit of Battlefront through events like the upcoming global day of play.
- The ongoing discussions among gamers and fans about a potential third installment of the Star Wars Battlefront series have been fueled by the renewed interest in Star Wars and the calls from actor Muhannad Ben Amor.
- Despite the efforts to revive the games, DICE's focus on the next Battlefield game and Electronic Arts' reluctance to remaster or remake every game in its catalog have made the prospects of a Battlefront III slim.
- As Star Wars has found success in single-player titles and collaborations with popular games like Fortnite, it is likely that future Disney+ series like The Mandalorian & Grogu and Maul: Shadow Lord, and the 2027 Starfighter film, will also receive Fortnite tie-ins.
- A potential remaster of the previous Battlefront game, proposed by former live producer Mats Holm, could serve as a stepping stone for the development of a sequel, assuming members of the previous team are involved.
- In the absence of any official announcements about a new studio taking up the Battlefront mantle, the global day of play organized by the game's community serves as a celebration of the enduring spirit of Battlefront among fans.
