Star Wars Battlefront 2: All you need to know about PS4, Xbox One and PC shooter sequel

Just five years ago Star Wars existed under the radar, fostering a young audience through the classic films, cartoons and the odd video game. Now, thanks to Disney buying LucasFilm and bringing the series back to the big screen, it is EVERYWHERE.

In 2015 The Force Awakens hit cinemas, going on to become the third-highest grossing film of all time. Alongside it EA released the first game under a new licensing deal agreed after the House of Mouse closed LucasArts: Star Wars Battlefront.

Developed by Battlefield studio EA DICE, Battlefront is a resurgence of the early-00s series that focused on large scale multiplayer battles in the Star Wars universe.

It was a match made in heaven and buoyed by Star Wars mania, the game's relatively family-friendly tone and its own strengths as a game, Battlefront became an instant success.

When will Star Wars Battlefront 2 be released?

DICE's sequel will be released at the tail-end of 2017 alongside Star Wars: The Last Jedi – follow-up to The Force Awakens. That film will be released in December, with Battlefront 2 likely to land in November. For reference, the first game was released on 19 November 2015.

When will it be officially revealed?

EA DICE will be in attendance at the Star Wars Celebration fan convention next month, which makes Battlefront 2's official announcement and reveal likely for one of the panels held during the event, which runs 13-16 April.

What do we know about the sequel?

Star Wars Battlefront 2 was announced in May 2016 during an EA investor call by EA's chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen. At the time, he said the game would feature "bigger and better worlds" and be set during the new series of films.

DICE's first game encompassed maps, vehicles and characters from the original trilogy of films and, in its fourth expansion pack, shortly before the original trilogy to tie into 2016 prequel Star Wars: Rogue One.

Then, in February, EA CEO Andrew Wilson revealed that the game would feature "heroes and characters across multiple Star Wars eras". Confirmation of a single player campaign was also confirmed.

What to expect from Star Wars Battlefront 2

First and foremost fans can expect Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron and other new characters of the current Star Wars trilogy to appear, as well as locations including Starkiller Base, Takodana (where Maz Kanata's bar is) and Jakku (which was seen in the original game, but not during the same period).

Locations and characters from The Last Jedi are to be expected too, including an older Luke Skywalker and, we hope, General Leia as well, not to mention characters we're yet to see.

The lack of a single player campaign was a contentious issue that surrounded the 2015 game and ruined it for some. We weren't as aggrieved by this as some because it was a game designed for multiplayer and the original Pandemic titles only featured single player because online gaming hadn't quite entered the mainstream yet.

However, we're in the minority. Even John Boyega, who plays Finn in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, famously asked EA last year if fans would be getting a "full-on offline story mode".

So a single player campaign will be present in Battlefront 2, but the shape it'll take is uncertain. It's unlikely to be a traditional shooter campaign in the Call of Duty mode, that's for sure. What EA DICE will probably do is use its multiplayer maps to craft scenarios similar to the game modes added to the first game through its expansions which strung maps together - including an assault on the Death Star.

Where to pre-order Star Wars Battlefront 2

Amazon UK

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