The Impending Prospects for 'Star Wars Battlefront' Series
Gamers and Star Wars fanatics can't stop raving about the prospect of a new Star Wars Battlefront game, with Battlefront II from 2017 witnessing a spike in attention recently. The community is eager to exploit the renewed popularity and organize a global event to boost its playerbase and showcase the determination of the Battlefront community. This frenzy has been ignited by the May 4 holiday and Star Wars actor Muhannad Ben Amor (who played Wilmon in Andor) urging for a new entry.
While the multiplayer shooter series has only had two lives, hopes are high for a third installment following the success of the first two games developed by Pandemic Studios during the Star Wars prequel era. However, the two recent pairs of games come from Battlefield developer DICE, and neither of them made it to number three. One version of Battlefront III almost happened—it was developed by several studios, including Timesplitters creator Free Radical Design. But EA's takeover of the Star Wars game license squashed those plans.
LucasArts attempted to revive the games with an online-only entry, a smaller multiplayer entry, and a fourth game set in an alternate reality where Obi-Wan and Luke were Sith Lords, but none of these efforts bore fruit. Post-2020, Battlefront II slipped into obscurity again.
Deciding whether Star Wars Battlefront deserves another chance and why is a tricky question. Creating games for the Star Wars property can be a tough nut to crack, with many promising games that never made it off the drawing board. Some of the most iconic Star Wars games are the ones that never saw the light of day, such as the Boba Fett-starring 1313 or third entries for Knights of the Old Republic and Force Unleashed. Even EA faced its troubles—it canceled a pirate-focused project from Visceral Games and Motive Studios, and more recently, a first-person shooter centered on a Mandalorian developed by Respawn was scrapped.
Currently, DICE is fully devoted to the next Battlefield game, and several other EA studios are providing support. This leaves little room for another Battlefront to emerge from EA, much less anytime soon. Mats Holm, a former live producer on Battlefront II, suggested on Reddit that a remaster of the previous game could be a clever first step before developing a proper sequel, preferably with members from the original team on board. However, Electronic Arts has a history of being selective about remakes, so this possibility remains uncertain.
Star Wars has primarily focused on single-player titles since 2019's Fallen Order, with the likes of Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws and 2026's Zero Company from Bit Reactor on the horizon. With the exception of the space combat-focused Star Wars Squadrons, EA hasn't shown much interest in Star Wars multiplayer recently. This reluctance may be due to the backlash surrounding Battlefront II's initial monetization that was so heated and criticized, earning it infamy and causing EA to lose the exclusive license to make Star Wars games. The popularity of Fortnite, with its numerous crossover events, Star Wars skins, and significant plot developments like Palpatine's return in Rise of Skywalker, has further cemented its position as the epitome of the Star Wars multiplayer shooter.
In the past, both incarnations of Star Wars Battlefront thrived as the sole entities of the Star Wars universe. Battlefront II was marketed as a unifying point for all three trilogies and, as part of the game's rehabilitation efforts, DICE diligently added maps, weapons, and characters from the sequels and prequels, as well as Rogue One and Solo. But since DICE stopped supporting Battlefront II in 2019, Star Wars hasn't managed to achieve consistent momentum that would justify a true Battlefront III.
By 2026, The Mandalorian and Grogu and the Disney+ series Maul: Shadow Lord may venture into the Fortnite arena, as could the 2027 Starfighter film. Star Wars is now deeply intertwined with the web of Epic Games, and it's unlikely Disney will sever that connection anytime soon. The potential for a Battlefront III is still a flickering hope, but with EA's current strategic focus and studio closures, its emergence seems remote. Fans can only hope for a Battlefront 2 remaster on upcoming consoles around 2027-2028, but even that remains speculative.
Don't miss out on other exciting developments in the Star Wars universe, including upcoming Marvel, Star Trek, and DC releases, as well as the latest on Doctor Who.
- Gizmodo reported on the ongoing excitement among gamers and Star Wars enthusiasts about the potential of a new Star Wars Battlefront game, with some suggesting a remaster of Battlefront II could be a good first step towards a proper sequel.
- Io9 discussed the challenges of creating successful Star Wars games, citing the cancellation of several promising titles like a third entry for Knights of the Old Republic and Force Unleashed, and even EA's own struggles with projects like a pirate-focused game and a first-person shooter centered on a Mandalorian.
- As the Star Wars franchise continues to explore multiplayer opportunities in games like Star Wars Outlaws and 2026's Zero Company, technology enthusiasts at Gadgets remain hopeful for a potential Battlefront III, despite the current strategic focus of Electronic Arts and the remote possibility of its emergence.
