Pondering Over the Potential Prospects of 'Star Wars Battlefront' Continuation
Let's Dish the Lowdown on That Star Wars Battlefront III Hypothetical
'Tis the season for gamers and Star Wars fanatics alike to be clamoring for another installment of the classic Star Wars Battlefront series. Battlefront II from 2017 is back in the spotlight, boasting a growing player base on PC, and the community is riding this wave by organizing a day-long global event to pump up the numbers and celebrate the game's enduring fandom.
All this hype kicked off on Star Wars Day 2022, and Andor star Muhannad Ben Amor, who played Wilmon, jumped on the bandwagon by expressing his desire for another Battlefront entry.
The multiplayer shooter series has had two lives, with its first iterations rocking the prequel era, courtesy of Pandemic Studios, and the later editions, the babies of Battlefield developers DICE. Neither made it to number three, but a Battlefront III for the original series nearly bore fruit, with Free Radical Design among the developers in the mix. Alas, Electronic Arts swooped in to claim the Star Wars game license just as LucasArts was reviving the franchise with online-only, smaller-scale multiplayer, and an alternate reality game featuring Sith Lord protagonists.
So, is a new Star Wars Battlefront in the cards? And if so, why would we even want it? These questions are tangled up, and the answers can be slippery. Developing games for the Star Wars universe hasn't always been a walk in the park, as evidenced by numerous fan-favorite titles that never came to fruition, such as a Boba Fett-starring 1313 or sequels for Knights of the Old Republic and Force Unleashed. Even EA had its share of pastry-killers; it nixed a pirate-themed project from Visceral Games and Motive Studios, and more recently axed a Mandalorian first-person shooter from Respawn, the powerhouse behind the much-lauded Star Wars Jedi games.
These days, DICE is deep in the trenches with the next Battlefield game, while other EA studios rally in support. This puts another Battlefront squarely out of the question, and the chances of a new installment blasting its way onto screens anytime soon are looking slimmer than Han Solo's odds in the Mos Eisley cantina.
Mats Holm, a former live producer on Battlefront II, took to Reddit to express his doubts about a new game, instead suggesting that a remaster of the previous game might be the best way to rekindle interest before moving on to a proper sequel. Ideally, Holm would love for key members from the original team to be on board for the project. A remaster could certainly serve as the ideal icebreaker, but the question lies with EA: while the Pandemic-made Battlefront games have received the remaster treatment, Electronic Arts might take a more selective stance when choosing which titles to revive or reinvent.
Since Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order hit the scene in 2019, the galaxy far, far away has focused its video game energies on single-player titles, with Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws and 2026's Zero Company from Bit Reactor being notable additions. Other than Star Wars Squadrons, EA hasn't recommitted to multiplayer games, possibly due to the lingering controversy over Battlefront II's initial monetization, which received plenty of flak and basically put EA on the naughty game publisher list with Santa. With Fortnite making waves among franchises thanks to its ongoing tie-in events, numerous character skins, and a plot-significant audio log in Rise of Skywalker, it's the pocket-sized Jabba the Hutt of multiplayer shooters these days.
Both incarnations of Star Wars Battlefront were created in a time when they reigned supreme as the go-to hub for all things Star Wars. Battlefront II was marketed as a unification point for all three sagas, and the game's rehabilitation efforts saw DICE shelling out the big bucks to add maps, weapons, and characters from the sequels and prequels, Rogue One, and Solo. Since DICE wrapped up support for the game in 2019, Star Wars hasn't maintained a consistent streak that would warrant a Battlefront III hitting the scene.
By 2026, expect a Fortnite crossover with The Mandalorian & Grogu, and the Disney+ series Maul: Shadow Lord and Starfighter movie to follow suit. Star Wars has become ensnared in the web of Epic Games, and it's doubtful Disney will release the character anytime soon. As we journey through the next phase of Star Wars, one can't help but wonder if a Battlefront III fits in the grand scheme of things. We'll just have to cross our fingers and hope that the Force remains strong with the fans, because who knows what the future holds.
Stay tuned for the latest updates on upcoming Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Doctor Who releases, plus everything you need to know about the future of the DC Universe on film and TV. May the (gaming) Force be with you!
[1] The Resurgence of Star Wars: Battlefront II
[2] Ex-Developers Discuss the Idea of a Star Wars Battlefront III
[3] Star Wars Battlefront III "Alpha" Mod by Fans
[4] Former Live Producer of Battlefront II Sheds Light on a Potential New Game
[5] EA's Patchy History with Star Wars Games
- Gizmodo, io9, and technology enthusiasts have been discussing the potential for a Star Wars Battlefront III game, given the renewed interest in the Star Wars Battlefront II remaster and the community's ongoing fervor for the franchise.
- In the realm of entertainment, sports, games, and technology, io9 and Gizmodo have reported on the wishes of Muhannad Ben Amor, star of the Star Wars series Andor, for a new Battlefront game.
- The future of the Star Wars gaming landscape remains unclear, with Electronic Arts (EA) focusing on single-player titles like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and avoiding multiplayer games like Battlefront, due in part to the lingering controversy over Battlefront II's initial monetization.
- Freelance journalist Jordan Minor, writing for Kotaku, voiced his perspective on the future of Star Wars games, suggesting that a Star Wars Battlefront III could be a worthwhile endeavor, given the successes of Star Wars Outlaws by Ubisoft and Zero Company by Bit Reactor in the realm of single-player games.
