After years of speculation and fan campaigns — and a major surge in interest in all things Star Wars Battlefront after Andor season 2’s success — Star Wars fans finally got some fantastic news: Star Wars Battlefront 3 exists.
Although the news came shortly after the sad announcement that legendary RPG studio BioWare would be shut down, EA president and chief studio officer Cam Weber also revealed that Respawn and DICE would collaborate to bring Star Wars Battlefront 3 to life.
It’s been nearly a decade since DICE released Star Wars Battlefront 2. While its launch was far from rosy because of pay-to-win mechanics that DICE and EA quickly revamped after widespread backlash, the multiplayer game eventually became a well-loved addition to the Star Wars video game universe. Speaking strictly for myself, I’m pumped to see where Respawn and DICE take Battlefront 3.
That said, we do have opinions. Specifically, where we hope EA and the Battlefront 3 developers take the action-shooter next: The High Republic.
Which era could Star Wars Battlefront 3 explore?
Image: EA
Playing fan-favorite characters in familiar settings is central to the Battlefront series. But EA also needs to avoid retreading old ground, and we believe the best way to do that is to explore the High Republic era.
Now, the idea of Respawn and DICE exploring the High Republic does come with some caveats. For one thing, one of the Star Wars Battlefront franchise’s biggest draws is its epic scale. In both the 2015 and 2017 games, players could join monumental battles spanning eras from The Clone Wars to the Rise of the First Order. They could also play as iconic heroes and villains from across the series, from Obi-Wan Kenobi to Darth Vader.
The High Republic era isn’t as well defined or as well known among fans who mostly consume live-action Star Wars through films or TV. We did get a taste of that era in The Acolyte, but only at the very tail end, when the Jedi’s standing with the Galactic Republic was at an all-time low — hardly the best material to show off the era’s virtues.
Though the era of the High Republic (set roughly between 300 and 100 BBY) is often called the “golden age of peace” for the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order, it’s wrong to think there was no conflict at all. The Jedi’s ongoing conflict with the pirate-marauders known as the Nihil ranged from small skirmishes to the occupation of entire planets like Naboo and Eriadu.
Image: EA
Furthermore, the Nihil are unlike your average Stormtrooper or droid. Though mostly scattered, they can rival a small army when power-hungry leaders like Marchion Ro organize them. When the Nihil gain control of ferocious Force-consuming creatures known as the Nameless from Planet X, even the Jedi are helpless against the pirates.
The High Republic is easily the era with the most room to explore, giving Respawn and DICE plenty of opportunity to let their imaginations run wild with gameplay and storytelling. What abilities could set a Nihil marauder apart from a Republic soldier? What stories of war and conflict might unfold during a time of relative peace? If these questions don’t provide enough scope for multiplayer, Respawn and DICE could still explore them in an optional single-player campaign, as Star Wars Battlefront 2 did with Imperial soldier-turned-Rebel leader Iden Versio.
Image: EA
Strictly speaking, there are also many ways to introduce the High Republic era without making it the main event. In Battlefront 2, Iden’s story had numerous time skips, and the point of view often shifted between characters. A similar approach in Battlefront 3 would let Respawn and DICE explore this period while still appealing to fans who do want to revisit familiar territory.
What makes us at least somewhat optimistic that Battlefront 3 will acknowledge the High Republic era is that Respawn already did so in Jedi: Survivor, with Cal Kestis discovering a former High Republic Jedi, Dagan Gera, during his adventures. Respawn also explored the era through several flashbacks and other optional lore drops Kestis could discover. It wouldn’t be too big a swing for Respawn to combine their High Republic know-how with DICE’s experience making some of the most beloved Star Wars games of the modern era.
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With Battlefront 3 in active development — and no confirmed timeline for when we can expect to see it — it’s hard to predict where Respawn and DICE will take the franchise. In our humble opinion though, an era as rich as the High Republic is probably the best bet.
