Star Wars Battlefront II (2017 video game)

Star Wars Battlefront II (2017 video game)
Title	Star Wars Battlefront II
Developer	DICE
Publisher	Electronic Arts
Director	Oskar Gabrielson
Producer	Graham Hudson
Designer	Dennis Brännvall
Composer	Stephen Barton
Series	Star Wars: Battlefront
Platforms	Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release	2017
Genre	first-person shooter, third-person shooter
Modes	Single-player, Multiplayer

Star Wars Battlefront II (2017 video game) is a shooter developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts set in the Star Wars universe. The title follows the legacy of Battlefront (2015) while adding a narrative campaign and a variety of multiplayer modes featuring characters, vehicles, and locations from across A New Hope through The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. Its release sparked discussions involving game monetization, loot box systems, and consumer protection debates, influencing industry-wide policy and regulatory responses.

Gameplay

The game combines first-person shooter and third-person shooter perspectives with large-scale battles featuring infantry, vehicles, and capital ships across canonical locations such as Endor, Hoth, and Naboo. Players assume roles as infantry classes, heroes, or pilots with progression tied to skill trees and unlock systems influenced by The Clone Wars era units and Galactic Empire-era equipment. Multiplayer integrates vehicles like TIE Fighter, X-wing, and walkers such as the AT-AT in modes inspired by Battle of Hoth set pieces, while objective-based engagements recall conflicts like Battle of Yavin and Battle of Endor. Heroes and villains—portrayed after actors from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and prequel-era appearances—use unique abilities reflecting traits from Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Kylo Ren. Progression uses an in-game currency, crafting parts, and crates tied to rewards systems previously compared to mechanics in FIFA and Overwatch.

Single-player Campaign

The single-player campaign follows Imperial gunship commander Iden Versio and the squad Inferno Squad during events surrounding Return of the Jedi and its aftermath, intersecting with characters such as Emperor Palpatine and Leia Organa. Campaign missions traverse environments including space combat around Endor and ground operations on Vardos and Jakku, linking narrative beats to larger saga events like the destruction of the second Death Star and the rise of the First Order. Storytelling employs cinematic presentation influenced by Star Wars: Rogue One and narrative design techniques seen in Mass Effect 2 and Spec Ops: The Line, mixing stealth, vehicle combat, and hero encounters. The campaign also explores themes of loyalty and redemption through Iden's arc, paralleling character journeys from Anakin Skywalker to other trilogy protagonists.

Multiplayer and Modes

Multiplayer features large-scale combined arms battles in modes such as Galactic Assault, Starfighter Assault, and Heroes vs. Villains, with maps inspired by battles from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Return of the Jedi, and The Phantom Menace. Modes incorporate squad mechanics reminiscent of Battlefield and objective sequencing similar to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Seasonal content introduced themed events tied to The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, while cross-era hero rosters allowed matchups between icons like Darth Maul and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Starfighter Assault echoed aerial combat from Star Wars: TIE Fighter and Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, with capital ship objectives evoking large-scale encounters such as the Battle of Endor.

Development and Release

Development was led by DICE with collaboration from Criterion Games and Motive Studios, under the publishing oversight of Electronic Arts. The project leveraged the Frostbite engine to render cinematic lighting and large multiplayer environments, drawing technical inspiration from Battlefield 1 and Battlefield 4. Marketing included trailers shown alongside Star Wars Celebration panels and E3 showcases, with released editions featuring pre-order bonuses linked to Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens nostalgia. Release timing coincided with Rian Johnson's work on The Last Jedi and precipitated cross-promotional strategies with Lucasfilm.

Reception and Controversy

Critics praised visuals, audio design, and the single-player campaign’s cinematic elements, comparing its presentation to films such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. However, controversy focused on the implementation of microtransactions and a loot box progression system considered pay-to-win, prompting investigations by authorities in jurisdictions including Belgium, United Kingdom, and several European Union member states into gambling-like mechanics. Consumer backlash included social media campaigns and commentary from figures associated with IGN, GameSpot, and Polygon, leading Electronic Arts to temporarily remove microtransactions. Industry responses involved policy discussions at bodies like the Entertainment Software Association and influenced design decisions in later titles from Ubisoft and Activision Blizzard.

Post-release Support and Updates

Following backlash, Electronic Arts and DICE reworked progression, replacing paid loot crates with earnable progression systems and introducing free seasonal content tied to Star Wars: The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. Ongoing updates added heroes such as Yoda and Boba Fett, maps based on The Mandalorian-era aesthetics, and balance patches informed by community input from forums including Reddit and fan sites. The game's post-launch lifecycle included collaborations with Lucasfilm Games and retrospective analysis in discussions about microtransaction ethics in titles like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and other Electronic Arts franchises.

Category:2017 video games Category:Star Wars video games