Two years on, the game that nearly obliterated EA's credibility along with a well-loved franchise is still trucking along Rather surprisingly, a bevy of news was released by EA at their Gamescom event, revealing a calendar that maps forthcoming updates and events planned into year's end.
Star Wars: Battlefront II has already been privileged with a host of major enhancements since its release, most important being the erasure of pay-to-win mechanics and loot boxes. Some of the more recent changes include Yoda's ability to block with his lightsaber and the addition of fan-favorite characters, such as Obi-Wan, Count Dooku, and Anakin Skywalker.
Along with the Gamescom announcement, EA also dropped a message on their community board detailing the various updates and changes players can expect. The list discloses all-new multiplayer maps, including Venator, Dreadnaught, and Felucia, the new addition of a Clone Commando and B1 droid, as well as a multitude of new appearances, reinforcements, and features.
Anticipated most among the new additions is the large scale single-player mode coined Instant Action, which in of itself describes the experience quite plainly. As EA states in their community post:
"[Instant Action] will take the Supremacy element of Capital Supremacy (the planetary phase) and allow you to play through it on your own."
Expect myriad dying and position readjustments, as flanking targets and finding optimal firing locations will be far more intelligent than going gung-ho in all matches. Playing solo against an immense amount of troopers sounds rather daunting, but it will be extremely entertaining and tempting for those who aren't accustomed to normal online multiplayer in Battlefront.
More fall content includes a sweet new Co-Op PvE mode, which will pit squads of four against each other, playing as either the Galactic Republic or the Separatist Alliance. Then, heading on into October and December, EA is promising far more awesome Battlefront II enhancements. During the holiday season, an intriguing secret event is scheduled, along with all-new The Rise of Skywalker content.
Very little has been added on what these final two content drops might look like. It oculd possibly be adding characters and locations from the upcoming movie, in addition to features like the contextual spawning being added this month. It's anyone's guess, but what's clear is that EA has not forgotten Star Wars. Though they have a plenitude of other information to announce at Gamescom on topics like FIFA, Madden, and Fallen Order, EA still finds the time not only to inform the community on their upcoming DLCs, but also to keep a 2-year-old game as fresh as is possible.
When one gazes behind the scenes at the amount of effort and time put into simple things, specifically the in-game creation and animations for Anakin, it becomes even clearer that EA has seen the error in its past and wants to rekindle its business in a morally sound way. Just look at how they're targeting online toxicity in gaming. The backlash caused by the complicated loot boxes and pay-to-win mechanics inherent in the game's initial release was enough for the publisher to alter tactics. At least, for now.
Expect many and more exciting updates for the future, one that we all hope isn't too far, far away.