Recent rumors suggest that developer DICE is preparing to work on another new Battlefield game, leaving many wondering what that means for a potential Star Wars Battlefront sequel. DICE and EA's tenure with the Star Wars license has proven controversial, especially when it comes to the Battlefront titles. 2015’s Star Wars Battlefront kicked off the rebooted series with a muted bang, with many lamenting the lack of multiplayer modes, planets from the Star Wars universe to explore, and a non-existent single-player story. Despite capturing the aesthetic of the Star Wars films handily, DICE’s first Battlefront game just didn’t have enough to keep fans engaged for a long time, making it a disappointment to many.
When it was first announced, Star Wars Battlefront 2 looked like it would be a marked improvement over the first Battlefront, boasting a completely original campaign, more multiplayer modes to engage in that would include space battles, a host of free downloadable content, and deeper nods to the constantly evolving lore of the Star Wars universe. The final product ended up being even more controversial, though, with Battlefront 2's inclusion of loot boxes meeting widespread backlash at launch. DICE ended up retooling the entire progression system in response, but there were still other notable criticisms of Battlefront 2, including its single-player story.
In the months following Battlefront 2's release, DICE did a lot to make the game worthy of the Star Wars license, adding a ton of content like classic game modes from the original Battlefront series, popular characters from the Star Wars movies like Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, as well as free expansions that introduced content from The Clone Wars animated series and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Some would even say that today, Star Wars Battlefront 2 is well worth playing - so much so that many players reacted with dismay when DICE announced updates for the game would end in 2020 - which is a far cry from the overwhelmingly negative reception the game received in 2017. However, despite Battlefront 2's remarkable recovery, it looks as though a third installment in the series won't be happening anytime soon.
Recently, rumors began circulating regarding what Battlefield 2042 developers DICE and Criterion will be working on going forward. VGC writer Tom Henderson reported that Criterion would be transitioning back to the newest entry in the Need for Speed franchise, while DICE would be moving on to its unannounced next title. Possibly to the disappointment of many Star Wars fans, Henderson stated that DICE’s upcoming title would be another entry in the Battlefield series, as opposed to a return to Star Wars Battlefront.
This news leaves the future of the Battlefront franchise in a state of uncertainty, and there’s even a possibility that EA could be completely done with the series. It’s been rumored that EA isn’t particularly keen to jump into publishing a third Star Wars Battlefront after everything that happened with the last game, and the widespread acclaim of Respawn’s story-driven Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order may have provided further encouragement for EA to limit its involvement in the Star Wars IP to just single-player offerings. If that is the case, then letting DICE focus on developing a new entry in the ever-popular Battlefield could be a smarter play.
It’s not fair to completely close the door on a return to a Battlefront sequel though, and EA may have plans for another game in the semi-distant future. The development of a Battlefront 3 would be some time down the road, considering DICE will likely have its full attention on the next Battlefield after the buggy launch of Battlefield 2042. However, this would allow both EA and DICE to put more distance in between the release of a potential third Battlefront and the previous two entries, and develop a more comprehensive Star Wars sequel. Only time will tell what the future of the Star Wars Battlefront franchise holds, but hopefully EA and DICE will return to the series after the next Battlefield.
Source: Tom Henderson/Twitter
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