Electronic Arts’ Battlefront II, the successor to the previous Battlefront iteration, made headlines after becoming one of the most controversial games of the modern gaming era. While it had all the potential to be endless amounts of fun, many felt that the way EA integrated microtransactions made the game a chore to play, and awarded those that spent the most money.
With a “pay-2-win” system that saw some of the rarer abilities up for sale to whoever could afford them, there was a time when Battlefront II was built to favour those with the buying power. Large backlash from the gaming community, and even some government officials calling their practices out as gambling, similar to online pokies, EA decided to pull much of the microtransaction systems from the game, and as of yet, the game remains much more friendly to newcomers than it once was.
Despite the controversy, Battlefront II was still largely a commercial success, and building on that success, EA has announced the roadmap for the upcoming DLC content: Clone Wars. Rumours of a Battlefront III game remain unsubstantiated at the moment.
What To Expect From Clone Wars
The roadmap, which has since been added to EA’s main website, outlines and describes the plans they have for the new DLC. Among some of the highlights that have been announced, fans can expect the debut of the infamous General Grievous as a playable hero, as well as Count Dooku and Obi-Wan Kenobi. A new Squad System will also be implemented, which comes with a new Galactic Assault Map under the name Geonosis.
EA, in a recent statement, explained that Geonosis is a theatre of major conflict in the Clone Wars, and that three new vehicles will be made available on the map, including the STAP, the BARC Speeder, and the AT-TE.
The Squad System
EA went on further to explain how the new Squad System is intended to work, and that it will be released sometime in September. According to EA, it will provide the ability for players to spawn on squad members, no matter where they are on the map. The system will be available on all Galactic Assault, Blast, and Strike modes, and the main focus of the system is to encourage team play.
September will also see the debut of the 91st Mobile Reconnaissance Corps, as well as the 104th Wolfpack Battalion in the game.
During October and November, players can expect many more updates, including the introduction of General Grievous, Count Dooku, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the new Geonosis Map. The Large Scale Mode, which EA describes as a “non-linear Star Wars sandbox experience. In this mode two teams battle for capture points and to ultimately bring down capital ships.”
Along with the other heroes, a light-side version of Anakin Skywalker will be made available later in the year, allowing players to pit Darth Vader against his previous self on the rare occasions where both heroes appear during a match.