Another entry in the Star Wars: Battlefront series may not be necessary, but it would make a lot of sense. It has been four years since the release of Star Wars: Battlefront 2, a troubled game in terms of reception, but a successful one in terms of sales. Since then, many have wondered if Star Wars: Battlefront 3 will be next in line. The game would likely be another hit, but EA and DICE have yet to confirm another multiplayer online shooter.
There have been plenty of rumors about the development of Star Wars: Battlefront 3, and EA is likely feeling the pressure to release another solid Star Wars title. Even with E3 coming to a close and no Battlefront 3 announcement in sight, the stars in a galaxy far far away could align just right for Battlefront 3 to be released in the near future. That being said, the game would need to be done right if it were to be released.
The Star Wars: Battlefront Games Are Commercial Successes
One of the biggest reasons that Star Wars: Battlefront 3 makes sense is a financial one. The Battlefront titles are some of the best-selling Star Wars games. The Battlefront series started in 2004, and its sequel launched in 2005. After a ten-year hiatus, the games returned with Star Wars: Battlefront in 2015 and Star Wars: Battlefront 2 two years after. Those four games are all in the top ten highest-selling Star Wars titles since 1995, with the 2015 and 2017 games taking the number one and three spots respectively.
If sales are high, clearly fans have enjoyed the series as well. Even though Battlefront 2 failed to meet expectations, plenty of Star Wars enthusiasts picked up the game. Battlefront 2 unfortunately disappointed thanks to its pay-to-win nature/microtransaction mismanagement and design flaws, but there has been a player base still intact. Additionally, there is an opportunity to build off of what has been put in place over the past few years.
There have been whispers that Battlefront 3 is in the works, but that has yet to be confirmed. Those rumors built up a lot of excitement because there are a plethora of fans for this multiplayer series. Even if Battlefront 2 had hiccups, many see Battlefront 3 as an opportunity to address the concerns, start fresh, and create a quality Star Wars multiplayer experience.
EA Should Continue To Provide Quality Star Wars Content
The fact that EA lost its Star Wars exclusivity means the publisher has to work harder to put out quality content. After almost a decade of being the sole publisher for the beloved IP, EA only came up with four core video games. Two of those titles were in the Star Wars: Battlefront series. The others were Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, the singleplayer game from Respawn Entertainment, and Star Wars: Squadrons.
When Star Wars: Battlefront returned in 2015, it was well-received, even if a bit barebones. So when 2017's Star Wars: Battlefront 2 was announced and released, there was a lot of built-up excitement behind it. The end result was shaky, but another shot at the series could fix many flaws, as well as advance the franchise with fresh ideas. Meanwhile, Respawn Entertainment's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order 2 has not yet been confirmed to be in development, but it feels like a sure thing. Star Wars: Battlefront 3 does not feel too far behind it.
Even once the exclusivity deal is up, EA can still make games under the Star Wars umbrella. That being said, EA could end the Star Wars deal strong even before the deal is completely over with a great sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and a solid Star Wars: Battlefront game. With that, it could make up for how it bungled some of the previous years.
How Battlefront 3 Could Innovate and Succeed
If Star Wars Battlefront: 3 were to be revealed and released, it would need to tackle a few issues from previous games and innovate in intriguing ways. This newest game will want to remember what made the past games special while avoiding the controversies of Battlefront 2. The bottom line is that Battlefront 3 needs to be different from Battlefront 2.
Battlefront 3 will need to avoid all pay-to-win controversies. With a lot of added revenue coming from additional content, often cosmetic, EA and DICE will need to make rational decisions. It is possible to implement an intelligent microtransaction setup for the game, but the team will need to tread carefully around the topic altogether. Things like progression will need to be entirely tied to skill and playtime, not how much money someone is willing to dump into the game.
In terms of further innovation, Battlefront 3 could take everything that Motive Studios learned from the relatively well-received Star Wars: Squadrons and create a more fleshed-out space dogfighting experience than ever. In some ways, the dogfights and space battles from Battlefront 2 from 2005 was more advanced than the 2017 version. Players were able to take down Imperial Star Destroyers in various ways, including even hijacking them from the inside, running through the craft on foot, and attacking the inside of the ship.
EA and DICE could think big and have dogfights and missions in space while teams duke it out on the planets below at the same time. It would be amazing if battles took place in real-time both in space and on planets, while those conflicts affected one another. Imagine teams on ground level working towards removing the shields of an Imperial Star Destroyer above, which would make the mission for one team a bit easier.
There are plenty of possibilities for innovation and change with the next Battlefront. The series has been among the most successful ever for the Star Wars IP, so there is little doubt that it will come back eventually. It would not be a surprise if the next game was not a numbered title and EA attempted to make it a true game as a service style game, although not all games can be a live service game. If done right, Star Wars: Battlefront 3 could be a special and welcome addition to the series.
Star Wars: Battlefront 3 is rumored to be in development.