Star Wars Battlefront first details revealed: Darth Vader & Boba Fett playable

UPDATE: Here's the game's first full trailer...

Two new images have been released and added half-way through and at the foot of the original story.

ORIGINAL STORY: The first details of EA and DICE's Star Wars Battlefront have been revealed ahead of the game's official launch later today (17 April - this story will be updated then) thanks to Associated Press breaking the embargo and publishing their in-depth article early.

Confirmed as a new gen (PS4 & Xbox One) and PC only release, Battlefront will be based largely on conflicts from the original trilogy and is scheduled for release on 17 November, one month before the release of the seventh film The Force Awakens.

Battlefront will support up to 40 players representing either the Rebel Alliance or Galactic Empire with the ability to play as iconic characters and use iconic vehicles across the game's many battlefields. Hoth, Endor, Tattooine and Sullust – a planet referenced in Return of the Jedi - are all confirmed locations.

The action can also switch from third and first person perspectives easily.

Players will also be able to play as characters such as Darth Vader and Boba Fett if they show enough skill. These are the only two characters revealed so far, but the good guys will need a few if they're going to compete.

"You can storm in as the Dark Lord himself," said DICE's design director Niklas Fegraeus. "You can wield a lightsaber. You can Force choke the rebel scum, which is fun. Basically, you are the boss of the battle. This means that you, as Vader, can lead your team to victory - if you play well."

Ariel fights will also take place with players able to pilot X-Wings, TIE Fighters and the Millennium Falcon (presumably another unlockable) but the developers, according to AP, were being "coy" about whether battles would venture from the ground out into space.

A level set on a new planet being introduced in The Force Awakens called Jakku will also be included as a free downloadable available from 8 December. It is described as a "battle-scarred planet" where battles took place between the New Republic and Imperials. People who pre-order the game will be able to play it from 1 December.

"You never get to see it in the new movie, so it was this brilliant opportunity to recreate the Battle of Jakku, which you only see the remnants of in the movie," said Bach. "In the game, you actually get to play the Battle of Jakku. It's the same place from the new movie but 30 years earlier."

The Battlefront series has been absent for ten years, but fans never forgot about it. When LucasArts was closed and the Star Wars rights went to EA, Battlefront was the first game announced – with development given to the creators of Battlefield, a perfect marriage if ever there was one.

Star Wars: Battlefront will be released on 17 November for PS4, Xbox One and PC.