The sequel to 2015’s multiplayer Star Wars shooter is almost here. Here we round up the rumours surrounding Star Wars Battlefront 2.
It’s official, Battlefront 2 is coming in November. The game was revealed at the Star Wars Celebration in Orlando, Florida on 15 April. It’s one of the most anticipated games of 2017, and the sequel to the immensely popular (but opinion-dividing) Battlefront.
Below we’ve listed everything we know about Battlefront 2 so far, but we should get new details next week at Gamescom. EA will be presenting at 5.30pm on Monday 21 August – see how to watch EA’s Gamescom live stream .
The amazing trailer from E3 2017 is above.
First announced almost a year ago at E3 2016, Battlefront 2 will come out on PC, PS4, and Xbox One on 17 November 2017 .
November still seems ages away, so if you’re after a Star Wars fix you can buy the first Battlefront for just £16. If you have PlayStation VR, be sure to get the X-wing VR Mission which is a free download for Battlefront on the PS4. Rogue One, of course, is the most recent Star Wars film, and the VR DLC is a tie-in.
As is typical for a major AAA game release these days, there are both multiple versions of Star Wars: Battlefront II available, and bonus content for anyone who pre-orders the game.
The pre-order bonus is tied to the upcoming film The Last Jedi, and includes alternate outfits and additional abilities for Kylo Ren and Rey, presumably based on what they get up to in Episode VIII. Anyone who pre-orders can get The Last Jedi Heroes, but it’s not clear yet if it will also be able to buy after the game is out later this year.
As for different versions, you can pre-order the base game for £54.99 on console or £49.99 on PC from Game in the UK, or $59.99 for any platform from Best Buy in the US.
If you don’t mind spending a bit more, the Trooper Deluxe Edition includes the Elite Officer, Heavy Metal, Armored Assault, and Master Specialist upgrade packs, which include new weapon modifications and epic abilities. It will also let you play the game as much as three days early.
That version of the game is available in the UK for £79.99 from Game, or in the US for $79.99 from Best Buy, though right now it looks to be console-only.
Announced in early July, the Star Wars Battlefront 2 multiplayer beta is headed to PS4, Xbox One and Origin (for PC users) on 4 October 2017 for those that pre-order the game. What if you didn’t pre-order the game? Don’t worry as the beta will open up to the public two days later on 6 October 2017, and will end on 9 October 2017.
Gamers will take part in large-scale 20v20 Galactic Assault matches on the Theed map, from the prequel trilogy’s Naboo, along with Starfighter Assault battles where gamers can jump in the cockpit of some of the best ships from the Star Wars franchise on the Fondor: Imperial Shipyard map.
All those that take part will get bonus content in the final game including Yoda’s Epic Lightsaber Mastery Star Card.
EA revealed the game and its first trailer (see above) during the ‘ The Galaxywide Premiere of Star Wars Battlefront II’ panel at this year’s Star Wars Celebration event in the US on 15 April.
The biggest reveal was that Battlefront 2 will feature characters, units, and missions from all three Star Wars film eras: the original trilogy, the prequels, and the new trilogy that launched with The Force Awakens. That means Luke and Darth Vader will be joined by the likes of Rey, Yoda, Darth Maul, Kylo Ren and more when the game launches later this year.
Those heroes will also be customisable, with new abilities to unlock, as will be the base troopers. Those standard troopers have also had a bit of an overhaul: not only are there more varieties (including battle droids!) but they can also unlock new heroic abilities.
Vehicle combat has reportedly been improved too, with better handling and more varieties, including animals like tauntauns. There will also be massive space battles, so you won’t always be stuck near the ground.
Those space battles will be the focus of the Battlefront II presentation at Gamescom, where EA has said it will show off a new trailer along with a live gameplay demo of the new Starfighter Assault mode, which it promises will include “vastly improved starfighter combat, with superior controls, deeper customization, and role-based team play featuring an all new class-based system.”
Player progression will be handled partly through loot crate drops – similar to Overwatch – which will also be where microtransactions fit in.
Loot crates can be bought either with in-game Credits or real-world money, and you’ll also get one free daily crate each day. They contain Star Cards that you use to customise your abilities, gear, and vehicles.
Crates may also contain crafting elements which you can use to upgrade your Star Cards, and any duplicates will automatically be converted to crafting components.
Thanks to a closed alpha that EA has been running for the game, we now have a list of heroes that will playable – via Reddit .
Unlike the first Battlefront, this game features a full single-player campaign mode. You’ll play as Iden Versio, an Empire trooper and leader of the elite Inferno Squad, and the game’s campaign will follow her from the destruction of the second Death Star up to the era of The Force Awakens.
She vows to destroy the Rebellion and avenge the Emperor after the Death Star explodes, so it looks like for one of the first times, players will get to step into the shoes of an Imperial soldier trying to kill the good guys – though we’d hazard a guess that she switches sides before the end of the story.
Those interested in finding out the backstory of Iden Versio can head over to the EA website as the company recently posted a blog post detailing the life of Versio, weaving her into the events of previous Star Wars films and giving her story more credibility in the Star Wars universe.
” She was in pursuit of a fleeing Rebel starfighter when Luke Skywalker’s X-wing fired the shots that blew the Emperor’s superweapon apart. Iden managed to escape to a nearby moon of Yavin and eventually back to Imperial forces.
