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‘Star Wars: Battlefront II’ Release Date, Pre-Order Bonuses Confirmed — And Everything Else You Need To Know

By Asma M
Published on: 13:56 PST, Apr 16, 2017

At Star Wars Celebration 2017, EA confirmed Star Wars: Battlefront II is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Origin on November 17, 2017. The announcement and worldwide release date reveal came just a few days after the teaser trailer was leaked on streaming service Vimeo. Now that the official video has made its debut, you can watch it in full below.

Battlefront II Includes Single-Player Story

Perhaps the biggest Star Wars: Battlefront II news is the inclusion of a story-driven, single-player campaign, an experience not found in its predecessor. Motive Studios and Criterion Games have joined DICE on the game’s development. Together, they have consulted with Lucasfilm on the creation of a brand new Star Wars story centering around the Imperial side of the conflict, as seen through the eyes of Inferno Squad Commander Iden Versio (played by Sleepy Hollow actress Janina Gavankar).

Fans interested in learning more about Iden and the Inferno Squad before the game’s release can dive into her backstory through the upcoming Star Wars novel Inferno Squad. The book serves as a prequel to Battlefront II and is set to hit store shelves on July 25 from Del Rey Books. Both stories are canon.

Offline Couch Co-Op Only On Consoles

The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 version of the game is going to be equipped with a split-screen co-operative game mode designed for two players to enjoy the game together while in the same room, rather than online. When playing co-op offline, players can customize their heroes and troopers before taking them into battle, where they can earn additional rewards that can be used in the online multiplayer mode.

Pre-Order Bonuses And Deluxe Edition Detailed

With Star Wars: Battlefront II confirmed to release in a matter of months, EA is giving fans several perks for reserving the game. Those who pre-order get “The Last Jedi Heroes” content, which grants them an upgrade for the Millennium Falcon and a new ship from the First Order. They also get multiplayer ability upgrades and exclusive skins for Kylo Ren and Rey inspired by the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi movie.

The only other way to get Rey and Kylo Ren with these bonuses is to pick up the Star Wars Battlefront II: Elite Trooper Deluxe Edition. Included in this special edition are the following bonuses:

  • 3-Day early access to begin playing on November 14
  • Upgraded trooper classes, i.e. Officer, Assault, Heavy, and Specialist
  • Four epic ability upgrades (one to go with each trooper class)
  • Weapon unlocks and modifications that are instantly available for each trooper class
Star Wars Battlefront 2 Screens
Troopers rise in ‘Star Wars: Battlefront II.’ [Image by EA]

Battlefront II May Not Have A Season Pass

When speaking with Mashable, DICE Creative Director Bernd Diemer explains that DLC for Star Wars: Battlefront II may stray from the Season Pass standard. According to Diemer, the Battlefront sequel might not go the Season Pass route because they “don’t want to segment [the] community,” a concern that has surfaced with the relaunch of the Battlefront franchise.

Although interest in Star Wars: Battlefront is clear since it has sold over 4 million copies on Xbox One, and more than double that number on PS4, the game’s experience has evolved through the four expansions that have come along since its release in 2015. As is typical of DLC, not everyone who owns the base game may choose to indulge in the extra content. Those without the Season Pass add-on have to pay an extra $15 per expansion pack to gain access to the new maps and game modes.

When describing the state of the current community, Diemer says it is “falling apart because there are simply not many people playing the different modes.” Taking this data into account, the development team is potentially considering an alternative.

“When we looked at the way Battlefront had evolved over its lifetime, with the DLC and everything, we decided, ‘You know what? For this type of game, season passes are not the best thing. We need to [take it apart] and come up with something better.”

While Diemer’s comments indicate there has been internal discussion about how to best deliver supplemental content to players, EA has yet to confirm the specifics. The official word from the publisher is as follows, per Mashable.

“While we’re not ready to confirm any live service plans just yet, what we can say is this we heard the feedback from our Battlefront community loud and clear. We know they want more depth, more progression, and more content. So we’re focused on delivering that in every dimension of Star Wars Battlefront II. We’ll have more to share about our plans soon.”

Considering the November release is only months from now, details on DLC are likely not far, far away.

[Featured Image by EA]

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