Star Wars Battlefront 3: What EA need to do next

EA’s Battlefront 2 was launched to an excited audience but had a rocky start. Loot box controversies aside, it was a solid game that improved over time. We’re ready for EA to roll the DICE again and give us Battlefront 3… We need a proper next-gen Star Wars game and Battlefront’s sandbox approach to the Galaxy Far, Far Away is the perfect place to build on the successes of Battlefront 2.

The Hight Republic’s first phase is coming to an end and Star Wars fans have several Disney Plus series to look forward to alongside more comic storylines and a Star Wars game from Ubisoft and Supermassive Entertainment – notably the developers of Far Cry 3, The Division and The Division 2.

We all want to see a sequel to Respawn Entertainment’s Jedi: Fallen Order, but what about Star Wars Battlefront? It feels wrong to think of a gaming landscape without a Battlefront game and here’s why…

A history of the Star Wars Battlefront series – a “brief” history…

For many, the Star Wars Battlefront titles are the best Star Wars games out there.

Originally launching in 2004, Pandemic Studio’s Star Wars Battlefront was a fantastic introduction to the larger-scale conflicts that overshadow the discourse of events in the Star Wars universe.

Then, Battlefront 2 released a year later and improved this with more Locations, more Heroes, more Villains… Just more Battlefront.

Battlefront 2 Coruscant Clone Trooper
Just like the simulations! / Credit: Pandemic

When EA announced that they would be developing a Battlefront title in 2015, following the dissolving of LucasArts and their acquisition of the exclusive rights to the Star War IP, many fans were sceptical, to say the least.

This sceptical outlook to the upcoming title only further rooted itself in people’s minds when it was revealed that Battlefront was only going to focus on the Original Trilogy and Imperial Era.

READ MORE: Star Wars Hunters Coming To Nintendo Switch

Unlike Battlefront 2 (2005), Battlefront (2015) was focused much more on planet-based combat and left many yearning for space-based game modes. The Cruiser-to-Cruiser nature of space battles in Battlefront 2 (2005) is truly the best way to play the game.

Not only this, but many felt that EA’s title was a step in the wrong direction for the series. Of course, we all knew that we weren’t going to get a Pandemic Battlefront again… But it was an alarming reduction in the scale of the title and the content that would be available.

However, Battlefront (2015) was released to moderate success. It was catered to the casual gamer, much like the original releases in the series, but offered a fair array of gameplay options to keep the more involved Star Wars fans satiated.

Supremacy, similar to Battlefield’s Conquest, was back but Walker Assault stole the show. This Attack-and-Defend mode pit the Rebellion against an Imperial AT-AT Walker in a number of locations. The original Battlefront titles were known mainly for the Command Post-focused Supremacy, so this was a fantastic step forward to developing how the series plays and what fans could expect from the future.

Graphically, Star Wars Battlefront (2015) was stunning, too. EA’s meticulous research and development had paid off! A never-before-seen level of detail had been achieved which gave fans the most realistic-looking Star Wars title yet.

From the environment to the sound, everything in Battlefront (2015) screamed Star Wars. The final Expansion Pack brought Jyn Erso, Krennic, and Scarif to the playing field and teased that the Original Trilogy wasn’t the only thing EA could tackle. It left the fans hungry for more.

Battlefront 2015 Scarif Map
Credit: EA

So, what did EA do? They did what everyone wanted and announced another Battlefront title that was then released in 2017.

Battlefront 2 (2017) had a rocky start, we all know that, but the hype around the next Battlefront was there. It promised to bring in the Prequel Era, and the Clone Wars, into play alongside the Age of the Resistance from the latest trilogy.

Starfighter Assault also promised a dedicated “space battle” mode! It was all starting to feel a bit more Battlefront 2 (2005).

EA also brought a Single Player Campaign into the mix, something Battlefront (2015) lacked. This, however significant to the larger in-universe events of Star Wars, was an important step in proving that video games can, and should, be used to add to the new Star Wars canon under Disney’s ownership.

READ MORE: Will Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga be Cross-Platform?

Despite the post-launch content and improvements, Battlefront 2 (2017) has still left a sour taste in many fans’ mouths. Its Single Player Campaign was fun and looked good, but lacked any real substance. That wasn’t to say it was bad, in any respect, but it didn’t bring anything that new to the playing field.

The Multiplayer Modes launched with a disappointing amount of content and the Loot Box mechanic implemented early on proved horrendously off-putting for many. Characters like Dengar, Greedo, Nien Nunb, and Jyn Erso, were missing and locations like Sullust were dropped.

All was not lost, though. Over the next two years, EA fought back against the negative feedback and, through a series of Title Updates and free content additions, they improved Battlefront 2 (2017) so much it is now regarded as one of the better Star Wars titles. It may not live up to the nostalgia-influenced opinions on Battlefront 2 (2005), but it’s damn good.

Then came April 2020: The Death of Battlefront 2 (2017).

It was a sad day for many. In April 2020, EA announced they were ending regular support for Battlefront 2 (2017). The Battle of Scarif Update was to be the last content addition made to the game.

It added re-used Scarif maps to the game alongside The Rise of Skywalker-inspired cosmetics for Rey, Kylo Ren, and The Emperor. There were also some behind-the-scenes tweaks like always and adapted several existing maps for Supremacy and Instant Action.

It wasn’t a bad update by any account, but when you consider the fact that Battlefront (2015) also got Jyn and Krennic, fans felt a little disappointed.

Battlefront 2 (2017) had its support ended to allow the developers, DICE, to focus on the upcoming Battlefield title.

READ MORE: Will The New Lego Star Wars Game Have Split-Screen?

It makes sense, especially given the fact that all of the post-launch content was free, but it was a bitter pill to swallow. Then, Dennis Brannvall, the Creative Director of Battlefront 2 (2017), left DICE in November 2020. This cemented what many fans already knew… Battlefront 2 (2017) was finished.

Thank you all. May the Force be with you, always.

Dennis Brannvall, November 2020

But, that doesn’t mean the series is done. Much like the New Republic formed in the ashes of the Galactic Civil War, Lucasfilm Games rose from the storm surrounding EA’s use of the Star Wars IP and promised a new era of games based on their properties.

On January 12 2021, Bethesda announced that they would be developing an Indiana Jones title in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. Then, on January 13 2021, Ubisoft announced that they are developing a Star Wars title.

With several other announcements promised to fans, the internet looked to EA for a response.

The below Tweet is what we got…

They love Star Wars. They are continuing their partnership with Lucasfilm Games. They’re making more Star Wars games. BD-1 is adorable.

It’s everything the fans wanted to hear. Despite the criticism faced amongst the slew of cancelled titles, EA makes a good Star Wars game. But, can they make a great one? Can they right the wrongs of Battlefront 2 (2017)?

As you might imagine, fans are flocking to EA once more in hope of news about a Jedi: Fallen Order sequel and Battlefront 3. Considering the instant success of Jedi: Fallen Order and the eventual praise Battlefront 2 (2017) received, it seems foolish for them not to at least toy with the idea… Right?

Looking back, many are fearful that EA’s Battlefront series will follow in the footsteps of Pandemic’s Battlefront series.

Originally, a sequel to Battlefront 2 (2005) was planned. However, despite being in development since 2006, Battlefront 3 was cancelled in 2008 due to a failure to meet deadlines. This, on top of EA’s track record of cancelling Star Wars titles mid-development, has many fans worried.

” Always two, there are. No more. No less. A Master, and an apprentice.”

Master Yoda

That doesn’t mean we should be, though. EA has given fans something, a light at the end of the tunnel… Hope. It may be a vague Tweet, but it’s something.

Star Wars Yoda
There is another… / Credit: Lucasfilm

Below, we’re going to discuss what Battlefront 3 could and maybe should bring to the series. With the power of the next generation of consoles at their fingertips, surely they can’t repel an opportunity of that magnitude.

READ MORE: EA Play March 2021 Bringing Star Wars Games To The Service

Before we delve more into the realms of speculation, however, we need to discuss the broken promises of Battlefront 2 (2017). More specifically, the broken promise of additional Female Heroes and the evidence of their existence.

Battlefront 3 MUST Make Up For This

Star Wars has always been a champion of female heroes. In an era defined by the stand-out success of Roger Moore’s James Bond, George Lucas introduced a fantastical space opera that was defined by the strength of Princess Leia.

Right from the start, in A New Hope, Carrie Fisher’s performance was a ground-breaking example of how cinema should include and represent female characters. We see Darth Vader choke someone, effortlessly step over Rebel bodies, and then she stands up to him?

We all know what happens next and, thankfully, throughout the Prequel Era and Sequel Era, we have continually been treated to fantastic female heroes in a Galaxy, Far, Far Away…

So, that means Battlefront 2 (2017) is going to be full of awesome female characters right? Well…

Battlefront 2 (2017) has, after numerous post-launch updates, 22 heroes for players to choose from. In terms of female hero characters, though…

Rey, Princess Leia, Captain Phasma, and Iden Versio.

Battlefront 2 Leia Bouush Appearance
Leia does have some great character skins though. / Credit: EA

Four out of twenty-two, or 18%, is not exactly the even split people were expecting and wanted. What makes this realisation worse is that Captain Phasma was the only post-launch female hero to be added! Rey, Leia, and Iden were all included in the base version of the title.

So, where are the women?

Star Wars is full of fantastic female characters that deserve representation in the series. Battlefront 2 (2017) included a re-used Scarif map which, when originally added to Battlefront (2015), was added alongside Jyn Erso. Then, if you look to The Clone Wars and the Prequel Era, you have Padme Amidala and Ahsoka Tano right there!

It’s a question that many fans have had and, eventually, one of them got an answer.

In 2018, Twitter User @ AitorAmatriain asked Brannvall, then-Creative Director of Battlefront 2 (2017) about the female representation in the game. Below, albeit a largely baseless comment, is what we got…

Dennis Brannvall DICE Star Wars Tweet
Credit: Twitter

Later, in 2019, Brannvall addressed this comment and apologised for the fact that the Battlefront 2 (2017) development team “didn’t get to the female heroes part” and the game’s Hero Designer Guillaume Mroz stated that the “saddest part” about the whole thing was not being able to add Ahsoka.

To make matters worse, since release many fans have found references to Ahsoka and Padme in-game through un-released voice lines and interactions. For example, if you look in the video below at around the 8:00 mark…

It goes without saying then, that if EA is going to make a Battlefront 3 title… Ahsoka, at the very least, should be included. She has only continued to grow in popularity since the release of Battlefront 2 (2017), with appearances in The Clone Wars Season 7 and The Mandalorian Season Two.

But, in an effort to further explore what Battlefront 3 could include… We’re going to move on to a broader discussion on Heroes Battlefront 3 Should Include.

Who Should Ahsoka Join in Battlefront 3?

It goes without saying that Ahsoka Tano should be included in Battlefront 3. But, that doesn’t mean she should be the only new face to grace the Battlefront series. Below, we’ve selected a few more characters that should get a place in the Battlefront 3 hero roster and why they deserve it.

Firstly, let’s talk about Star Wars Rebels.

Rebels is yet another piece of Star Wars content that focuses on the period between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. It may be an over-saturated era in terms of content, but there’s a good reason for it. There are a lot of stories to explore and a lot of characters to focus on. Rebels is no difference.

Ezra Bridger, especially over the last year, is the only character anyone can talk about.

His disappearance at the end of Rebels is one Star Wars mystery almost every fan wants to solve. Then, with Ahsoka’s mention of Thrawn in The Mandalorian suggesting that we may get some clues in the future, fans are even more invested in the Lothalian’s story.

Battlefront 3 Ezra Bridger Star Wars Rebels
Credit: Disney

Ezra Bridger would be a fantastic character to introduce to Battlefront 3, especially in his earlier iterations. One thing that makes Ezra unique is his inventive nature. He isn’t too disciplined, despite Kanan Jarrus’ attempts to train him so, but this works in his favour.

It’s arguably captured perfectly in the creation of his first Lightsaber. Ezra builds a Stun Gun into his Lightsaber Hilt and this alone would make him an interesting hero to play as.

In Battlefront 2 (2017) there isn’t one Lightsaber Hero that has a blaster-based attack, despite the fact that most of them use blasters at some point. Adding Ezra, and exploring this multi-faceted gameplay could make for an additional degree of strategy that the Battlefront series desperately needs.

Ezra isn’t the only Rebels character that deserves a spot, though.

Sabine Wren is another character that would offer a lot of options.

With rumours that Sabine Wren will be joining Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka in the Disney+ Ahsoka series, Battlefront 3 would be the perfect place to bring Sabine Wren into a triple-A video game. The technology afforded by her Mandalorian Armour opens her character up to a number of exciting gameplay possibilities.

Firstly, she has a jetpack. This would make Sabine Wren the perfect balance/counter to Boba Fett, the only hero in Battlefront 2 (2017) with a jetpack. His verticality is currently unrivalled and leaves him a little unbalanced in-game.

Sabine Wren was also once the owner of the infamous Darksaber. Although she doesn’t have it at the moment canonically, there is nothing saying she could not be given this weapon as an ability or even her primary weapon.

A melee-based jetpack hero has never appeared in a Battlefront title previously and could, again, open up a unique gameplay experience for the character. This, combined with Sabine’s self-professed and proven expertise with explosives could make for an interesting combination.

Sabine Wren Star Wars Rebels
Credit: Disney

Rebels isn’t the only place to find new heroes though, The Clone Wars is an obvious source of fantastic characters.

It goes without saying that The Clone Wars is full of fantastic characters. Battlefront 2 (2017) introduced TCW-inspired appearances for Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Count Dooku, and the Clone troopers themselves. But, what about introducing a new hero or two?

If there’s one thing that The Clone Wars does well it’s Bounty Hunters, and there’s no Bounty Hunter quite like Cad Bane.

Cad Bane oozes cool. He’s charismatic, unrivalled in his ability, and he wears a wicked hat. He’s regarded as the best Bounty Hunter of the era, after Jango Fett’s demise, and specialises in killing Jedi. It almost sounds too obvious that he should be included in Battlefront 3, right?

Despite the fact quite a few Star Wars characters dual-wield blasters, there aren’t many heroes in Battlefront 2 (2017) that exhibit this. The favourable gameplay of both the Arc Trooper and ISB Agent are proof that dual-pistols work in-game and Cad Bane is the perfect hero character to bring into the mix to showcase this.

Now let’s talk about how his abilities would work.

Cad Bane is as capable as they come. He has stolen Mandalorian Vambraces that allow him to utilise stunning attacks and flamethrowers, both of which would fit well into the current gameplay Battlefront 2 (2017) showcases. Furthermore, his Rocket Boots could offer his character a unique traversal system similar to that of a force-wielder.

Other than Boba Fett and Bossk, Blaster Heroes in Battlefront 2 (2017) don’t have fantastic mobility at all and Cad Bane would be the perfect place to introduce a combination of the two factors.

Battlefront 3 Cad Bane Clone Wars Star Wars
Credit: Disney
Other than Ahsoka, an obvious choice to include in Battlefront 3, we have Asajj Ventress.

A Battlefront 2 (2005) alumni, Ventress is one of the most complicated villainous characters in The Clone Wars and rightfully deserves more attention.

As a Dathomirian Nightsister, Ventress has a deep connection with the Force that has shaped her throughout her journey. She is a Jedi Padawan-turned-Sith Assassin that is exceptionally skilled with a Lightsaber and has an “immense willpower” that makes her a fearsome force-wielder. Ventress’ inclusion in Battlefront 3 would open up a number of exciting gameplay opportunities that would perfectly counterbalance Ahsoka Tano’s inclusion.

Ventress, much like Ahsoka, is often seen using two Lightsabers in combat. This is something largely unexplored in Battlefront 2 (2017), other than General Grievous, and seems like an area of Lightsaber combat that needs to be explored further in order to freshen up the hero-based gameplay of the series.

In The Clone Wars, Ventress even goes as far as using both her Lightsabers with both her hands tied behind her back, literally! Visually, she would undoubtedly be an exciting addition to the series and could be used to revolutionise the current state of Battlefront 2 (2017) Lightsaber combat.

Battlefront 3 Star Wars Clone Wars Asajj Ventress
Credit: Disney

But what about the Sequel Era, we hear you ask?

Well… Battlefront 2 (2017) has given us quite a few good Sequel Era characters. Rey, Finn, and BB-8 are counter-posed by Kylo Ren, Captain Phasma, and BB-9E to give players a good and varied array of characters from the period.

However, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t include a couple more…

Jannah would bring unique gameplay opportunities to the roster and deserves to have more of the limelight.

First and foremost, Jannah’s primary weapon in The Rise of Skywalker is an Energy Bow. Like the Cycler Rifle, the Energy Bow seems both antiquated, distanced from the lasers and Lightsabers of Star Wars, and entirely fitting in the universe that’s been created.

In terms of gameplay, the Ewok reinforcement in Battlefront 2 (2017) has given us a glimpse at what a Bow is capable of and Jannah would be the perfect inclusion to explore how this weapon would differ from a blaster.

Adding to this, Jannah is continually showcasing leadership skills that are often overlooked in the larger context of the movie; She’s in the perfect position to have an ability set-up that is built more around supporting her team than attacking specific opponents.

In a way, she would best operate with an ability set similar to Finn’s in Battlefront 2 (2017).

Jannah would, though, offer a different core gameplay experience and could easily include different abilities to her Resistance counter-part. If EA is feeling really adventurous, they could even explore her horse-riding as a part of her character set-up.

This would offer her a unique traversal mechanic and height-advantage that could prove pivotal in a number of combat situations. Heroes and Vehicles don’t often mix in the Battlefront series, but maybe that should change.

Battlefront 3 Rise of Skywalker Finn Jannah Star Wars
Okay, they aren’t exactly horses. But… Horse-like. / Credit: Disney

The question remains though, who should stand opposite Jannah?

Well, we think General Hux would make a fantastic addition to the Battlefront 3 hero roster.

The inclusion of Orson Krennic in Battlefront (2015) is a testament to the game developer’s ability to make an Imperial Officer that doesn’t really see combat in other media an interesting character to play as in Battlefront.

With this as inspiration, we believe that General Hux would be the perfect Sequel Era addition to the roster.

In the current Battlefront 2 (2017) roster, the “Villains” don’t really have many ( if any ) supporting characters. BB-9E, the most recent addition, would be the one character you could claim as a supporting “Villain”. Although, it is hard to compare BB-9E’s abilities to Finn’s, for example.

Now, while you’re thinking about that… Think about how General Hux could be used to change this.

His fierce loyalty to The First Order under Snoke is just one facet of his fragile ego which would perfectly be exemplified in a rallying cry ability. We also know, from his appearance in written media and graphic novels, that Hux is more than capable of handling a blaster when he needs to be. He also dispatches with two First Order troopers effortlessly in The Rise of Skywalker.

His primary weapon, the SE-44C blaster pistol, already features in Battlefront 2 (2017) in some variety and would easily be adaptable for this character. The Last Jedi’s Visual Dictionary also confirms that Hux is shown to be carrying a Monomolecular Dagger. So, much like Captain Phasma has the Staff Strikes ability, General Hux could have a melee-based ability in his set-up.

Battlefront 3 General Hux Star Wars
Credit: Disney

We could go on forever listing characters that deserve a spot on the Hero Roster of Battlefront 3, but there’s still so much to discuss. So, now… Let’s move on to some of the locations that we deserve to see in Battlefront 3.

Where Should Battlefront 3 Take Us Next?

At this point, Star Wars is as famous for its’ incredible locations as it is for its’ incredible characters. Tattooine’s twin suns are arguably as picturesque as it gets, right?

We think it’s safe to say that locations like Hoth, Tatooine, and Naboo will be represented in some form or another in Battlefront 3. To their credit, as some of the most iconic locations in the series, they probably should! However, there’s so much more to the Star Wars galaxy that the Battlefront series needs to explore further.

In an effort to bring some order to the chaos, we’ll be going through our suggestions as chronologically as possible. We know planets like Tatooine appear throughout, though… So, bear with us.

The first planet that needs to appear in Battlefront 3 is Utapau.

This planet featured on Battlefront 2 (2005), so fans of the series will know it well.

Why should Utapau show up in Battlefront 3 though? We are so glad you’re asking.

The maps in Battlefront 2 (2017) often include multi-level gameplay but do little to push this to its extreme. There are, of course, exceptions to this; Endor maps do have tree-top Ewok Villages to explore, after all.

However, on the whole, this is a concept that should be explored further and the best way to do it would be through an Utapau-based map.

A five-level Conquest map, with a Command Post on each floor, would bring a fresh in-game experience to the tried and tested game mode.

Without sightlines, players would be blind travelling between Command Posts. This would force them to make hasty risk-reward judgements and offer up more opportunities for the balance of the game to shift.

A key characteristic of what makes Utapau unique in the Star Wars universe, and how it is built, are the sinkholes. These wide openings could also make for an interesting exploration into a circular map design with the opening in the middle an effective No Man’s Land.

Battlefront 3 Star Wars Revenge of the Sith Utapau
Credit: Disney

Battlefront 3 is the perfect time for EA to push map design to its limits and reflect the chaotic, surreal, unique locations Star Wars has to offer.

With that in mind, the second map location we’d like to see in the upcoming title is Umbara.

This planet features in one of the best Clone Wars story arcs and offers fantastic opportunities to explore the different ways Battlefront games can be played.

Umbara is a fairly unique location in the Star Wars universe as it is one of the only planets we have seen that has no natural light on its’ surface. With Ewok Hunt in Battlefront 2 (2017) highlighting that night-mode maps can add a unique gameplay experience, we think it’s time EA takes it one step further…

A completely dark map would be visually stunning.

With newer technology pushing Ray-Tracing features to their limits, what better place to showcase them than a planet without natural light! With this in mind, the battlefield ahead of you would be sparsely lit; Sparse bioluminescence, artificial light instalments, and blaster fire the only thing to light your way.

This would push players to weigh up how often they fire, as they would be at risk of revealing their location, and force dangerous rushing tactics to the forefront of gameplay. We know that titles in the Battlefront series are famously arcade-y, but that doesn’t mean strategy can’t be implemented to shake up the way it plays.

Battlefront 3 Clone Wars Star Wars Umbara
Credit: Disney

Looking at the Imperial Era, there are more than enough locations that could and should be included in Battlefront 3. The Galactic Civil War was galaxy-wide and left no planet unaffected. With that in mind, we have two locations that would perfectly highlight the weight of an Imperial presence on people’s lives.

Firstly, let’s talk about Lothal. Ezra Bridger’s homeworld and one of the first planets liberated from the tight grip of The Empire.

As a location, it is somewhat similar to Naboo or Tatooine. Through various media we see all Lothal has to offer; there are the wide-open grassy plains, smaller isolated villages, and built-up settlements. It paints a diverse picture which, including Imperial instalments, could make for a number of interesting locations.

In Battlefront 2 (2017), there aren’t many maps that offer up the stark contrast in environments that Lothal showcases. There are sightlines, sure, but nothing that you could quite constitute as truly open space. This is where Lothal could shine. If EA managed to implement a C-Shaped map that is connected by a completely open field, it would offer the perfect risk-reward scenario that Battlefront maps are often missing. For example, say a player needed to travel between Command Posts located at both ends of the “C”. Across the gap would be quicker, but wholly exposed. Alternatively, travelling through the tightly-packed streets of Lothal would offer more protection but the dangers of close-quarters combat.

For all it’s enjoyable features, Battlefront 2 (2017) lacks strategy and Battlefront 3 could change that.

Battlefront 3 Star Wars Rebels Lothal
Credit: Disney
The second location which we think deserves some attention is one that some of you might not know about… Akiva.

A once-Confederate planet, Akiva is a humid Outer-Rim location that offers a wide range of terrain opportunities that Battlefront 3 should explore.

That’s what makes Akiva special, really, aside from its significance in the dying days of The Empire. Of the locations explored in various Star Wars media, Akiva is one of the few that has a catacomb network explored. This, when coupled with its’ densely packed multi-level capital city, Myrra, could make for a fantastic Battlefront 3 map.

With half of a prospective map in the catacombs underneath the city, hit-and-run tactics would be key. It would be dark, chaotic, and thrilling.

Meanwhile, above the surface, a battle across the rooftops would offer long sight-lines and an equally nerve-wracking experience. Both the Abandoned Droid Factory underground and the Satrap’s Palace aboveground would make for thrilling set-piece locations for smaller game modes and notable firefights amongst the chaotic middle-ground.

Battlefront 3 Aftermath Akiva
Credit: Connor Reese, Pintrest

Without a cinematic appearance, Akiva would be the perfect planet for EA’s team to tackle and mould into their own. But, now let’s talk about a few places the Resistance could take the fight back to The First Order…

Firstly, it goes without saying that Exegol was a breathtaking cinematic finale to the Skywalker Saga.

Even with what we saw, it remains both an exciting and mysterious location that Battlefront 3 could explore in a number of ways. Below, we’ve discussed two of the possible uses of Exegol…

Firstly, a map on “Crashing Star Destroyers” would be a fantastically cinematic experience full of dangers and exciting gameplay opportunities.

In the final act of The Rise of Skywalker, we see Finn, Rose, and Jannah lead the Resistance Ground Assault team into a fight on top of a Star Destroyer. It’s something we haven’t seen in Star Wars before and, frankly speaking, it was insane.

A smaller multiplayer map on the surface of a Star Destroyer would be fantastic. But… What about across two? Having two Star Destroyers crashing against one another would not only expand the playable space for a map, but it could add verticality and environmental dangers to the experience. Who doesn’t like additional danger?

Secondly, an “alternate reality” version of Exegol could be presented which would have the Resistance Ground Assault team successfully land by the Sith Navigation Tower on the planet’s surface.

In The Rise of Skywalker, we don’t see a lot of Exegol’s surface other than the interior of Palpatine’s “hideout”. This would offer Level Designers a lot of freedom to explore the minute details and structures scattered across Exegol’s barren surface. An ethereal fog could be added to reduce visibility across open plains and make for a simple, yet exciting, battlefield to play on. Either way, a location as thematically important as Exegol deserves some representation in Battlefront 3.

Battlefront 3 Rise of Skywalker Exogol Star Wars
Credit: Disney
Kef Bir, home to what’s left of the Second Death Star, could make for an exciting location for a number of reasons.

First things first, the “Mission to Kef Bir” in The Rise of Skywalker highlighted a number of rarely-seen things in the Star Wars universe. Most notably, we got to see a Star Wars version of mounted cavalry, using actual animals instead of Speeders or smaller Walkers.

Other than Tusken Raiders on Bantha, and the Tauntaun on Hoth, it’s hard to think of another notable appearance of this.

In addition to mounted cavalry, we also saw a boat. It sounds mundane, but there have actually been very few appearances of traditional boats in Star Wars. If EA were to use Kef Bir, it could open up the possibility to include new gameplay features as well as a dramatic setting for traditional combat.

The appearance of Jakku in both Battlefront (2015) and Battlefront 2 (2017) is a testament to how exciting decaying Imperial structures are to play amongst. The ruins of the Second Death Star on Kef Bir would only build on these experiences and could be used to provide a truly memorable environment.

With improvements in the power of console hardware and continual developments in the quality of the games being made, including a dynamic environment that captures the stormy waters of Kef Bir is definitely possible. Whether this could randomly make some areas of the map unplayable, or just involve the occasional spray of seafoam, it would make for an exciting location that reflects the intensity of Battlefront’s gameplay.

In addition to this, much like Speeders and Walkers are included in Battlefront 2 (2017), boats could be brought into the Battlefront series through Kef Bir.

Vehicles are surprisingly balanced in Battlefront 2 (2017), but that doesn’t mean they are perfect. There are a lot of issues with how the Speeders play. They are clunky and difficult to aim with and at. With a new title, built possibly with a new engine, this could be the perfect time to re-evaluate and rebuild this mechanic.

Death Star Wreckage Star Wars Rise of Skywalker
Credit: Disney

Speaking of different units and gameplay mechanics in Battlefront games… We think Battlefront 3 is the perfect platform for EA to change-up the way they work and lean more into the extremes.

Battlefront 3 Needs To Take Things To The Extreme

Firstly, we just want to say that the Reinforcement / Unit system in Battlefront 2 is pretty great. It’s isn’t too difficult to mix up your standard gameplay with exciting new units and they’re fairly well balanced given the fact that you’d expect a Droideka or a Wookie to dominate the discourse of battle in reality.

That being said, they are a little… Safe.

With the Star Wars universe being so rich and diverse, we want to see EA take this to the limit and really push the boat out on its special units and reinforcements in the next title.

We want to see special units/reinforcements really make a difference to the discourse of each game as a whole, rather than just allowing one player to dominate the leaderboard’s eliminations.

This means we want an Enforcer unit who really felt like he could punch a hole in the enemy’s defensive lines. An Infiltrator who could really infiltrate.

For example, a Super Battle Droid that was beefier and healthier. Someone the Clone Troopers would have to focus their attention on.

Star Wars Resistance Super Battle Droids
The Supers in Star Wars Resistance DO look scary, right? / Credit: Disney

We won’t list every possibility for this, but you get the idea. EA could use this same approach to bring stealth back into the Battlefront series in a huge way and they could make support units actually support their team.

Battlefront 2’s selection of units is fantastic, but it is hard to weigh up the actual benefit of playing as an Ovissian Gunner over a Heavy Trooper, for example. Both shoot a lot and the Gunner isn’t powerful enough to justify the points spent when you could be saving for a hero character.

Heroes in Battlefront games are perhaps the greatest part about it, but this shouldn’t take away from the core of the series and the fact that it should focus on everyone who’s taken to the front lines in a Star Wars battle.

The One Thing EA’s Battlefront Is Missing Is True Space Battles

Let me take a moment to look back to Battlefront 2 (2005), again.

If there is one thing that those games did better than the newer EA titles it is the space battles. Capital Ship to Capital Ship combat is something Battlefront 2 is missing and with the newer technology going into the development of Battlefront 3, they have to include it.

Battlefront 2’s Starfighter Assault mode is pretty great all things considered. Every map feels different and there are enough objectives going on to make each game a fair balance between playing for points and playing for kills.

Star Wars Battlefront 2 Coruscant Space Battle
Oh, to be in that cockpit again… / Credit: VidGames

In addition to this, the newer Supremacy mode almost captures the gravity and intensity of the push-and-pull gameplay of a Battlefront 2 (2005) space battle. However, there’s just that little something missing.

When you reach a Capital Ship in Supremacy, the objectives are simple and linear. Then, if you fail it’s a long loading screen back down to a game of conquest.

In addition to this, on other modes, there are instances of both infantry and starship combat in the same space but they hardly reflect the fluidity of the gameplay in 2005’s title.

Each X-Wing, Vulture Droid, or LAAT Gunship is a unit you spawn in as. This means you spawn in the air and if you get out it spawns you on the ground with your most recently played class.

In addition to this, you spawn in as a vehicle but when you get out of one they seem to sort of just start exploding. We understand this is being done in an effort to preserve the arcade-like feel of the shooter and keep the gameplay flowing, but Battlefront 3 needs to make vehicles actually vehicles again.

Battlefront 2 2017 AAT Naboo
We did get the return of this absolute beast in 2017’s Battlefront though. / Credit: XfactorGaming

In EA’s Star Wars, all the ideas and features of a fantastic space battle mode are there. They just need to be mashed together.

With Battlefield 6 promising to be the biggest title of the series yet, EA DICE could take what they have learned here and how they have managed to harness the power of the newer technology and apply it to Battlefront 3 to bring an unprecedented scale to the series.

Both The High And The Old Republic Offer Exciting Opportunities

EA’s Battlefront series has pretty much done the Age of Rebellion to death.

The first title in the revamped releases only featured characters and heroes from the Original Trilogy and there was still a content bias when it came to these eras in Battlefront 2.

We all love Chewbacca but he isn’t exactly a good substitute for another Prequel Era hero, right?

With Star Wars fans always hungry for more Old Republic content and the newly-released High Republic literature… Could EA really include these in the next Battlefront title?

In an ideal world, we would say 100% yes. It would be incredible to have a Battlefront experience that spans five eras of the Star Wars universe. However, in reality, this does seem a little unlikely.

That being said, it wouldn’t be impossible. The High Republic is a fresh take on Star Wars which, with enough effort, could easily become a mainstream favourite.

The High Republic Star Wars Cast Light of the Jedi
Avar Kriss playable character when? / Credit: Lucasfilm Publishing

Furthermore, after the KOTOR series… Anything Old Republic-related is pretty much guaranteed to be a success amongst fans.

Even if EA don’t decide to utilise anything from these eras in Battlefront 3, there is still a lot they could do to make Battlefront 3 the single greatest Star Wars game out there.

Here’s hoping for a big finish for the trilogy, right? What would you like to see show up in EA’s Battlefront 3?

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