With the release of Star Wars: Battlefront II‘s The Battle on Scarif update tomorrow, EA DICE says it will no longer provide major updates to the game as it moves its focus to a 2021 Battlefield entry. Creative director Dennis Brännvall published a blog post and video announcing the studio shift today, marking the end of years of content for the Star Wars multiplayer game.
The Battle on Scarif will be Star Wars: Battlefront II’s 26th and final free content update. In a statement to IGN, DICE added that server maintenance, in-game challenges, and other smaller support updates will continue for the foreseeable future. Long-term, “the studio is focused on the future of Battlefield that we’ll be bringing to players in 2021.” Before now, EA only revealed plans to launch a new Battlefield game sometime between 2021 and 2022.
Star Wars: Battlefront II saw an infamously tumultuous launch back in 2017 after many criticized its loot box implementation. However, updates since have cultivated a dedicated fan base, resulting in one of the more impressive gaming revitalizations in recent memory.
Brännvall offered his final thoughts on DICE’s journey: “Developing characters, worlds, and experiences set in this amazing galaxy that is Star Wars is an honor, and it has continued to be a remarkable, challenging, and ultimately rewarding journey for the entire team. Knowing that we have a passionate community of millions of players and Star Wars fans – just like ourselves – along on the ride, is the greatest inspiration we could ever have.”
The Battle on Scarif will add Hoth, Tatooine, Yavin 4, the Death Star II, and Rogue One’s Scarif to Supremacy and Instant Action. Coming with the map changes are new The Rise of Skywalker-themed looks for Star Wars: Battlefront II’s heroes and villains — plus a special Old Master look for Darth Maul — and an offline solo version of the co-op experience. These, as well as all of the changes made to the game throughout the last few months, have given EA and DICE’s Star Wars game an appropriate send-off.
The Escapist’s Elijah Beahm has followed Star Wars: Battlefront II closely, having given his thoughts on the Age of Rebellion and the game’s well-imagined heroes.
DICE is hopping right back in the saddle to work on the next Battlefield, though there are no concrete details about it. EA has taken the series in a direction that focuses on historical events instead of creating modern military shooter experiences, but it remains to be seen what form the franchise will take moving forward.
