Star Wars: Battlefront 2 has had one heck of a journey. Launched in 2017 by DICE and EA, it stumbled hard out of the gate with that whole loot box fiasco, but after years of updates, it turned into a multiplayer favorite for Star Wars fans. Fast forward to 2025, and the game’s seeing a wild comeback, with players flooding back in droves. Now, one former developer is getting fans pumped by saying he and his old team want to “get the band back together” for Star Wars: Battlefront 3. Here’s the scoop on why the devs are itching to return, what’s driving the game’s resurgence, and whether this dream sequel might actually blast into reality.
A Galactic Comeback
Battlefront 2 is having a moment, and it’s not just nostalgia. In May 2025, Steam player counts spiked to over 9,000, close to the game’s peak of 10,489 from 2021. Some chatter on X even claims a crazy 160,000 concurrent players across platforms, though that’s not fully verified. What’s fueling this? A mix of Star Wars hype from Andor Season 2, May the 4th buzz, and even Fortnite’s Galactic Battle mode has fans diving back into the Battlefront vibe. Social media is lit up with players on Reddit and TikTok begging for a Battlefront 3. Even Andor actor Muhannad Ben Amor, who plays Wilmon Paak, got in on it, posting on Instagram about his 469 hours in Battlefront 2 and pleading, “Star Wars gotta give us Battlefront 3 ASAP.”
Devs Ready to Rock
The big spark came from Mats Helge Holm, a former DICE developer who worked on both the 2015 Battlefront reboot and Battlefront 2 as a quality assurance analyst and later associate producer on the Celebration Edition. In a Reddit thread hyping the game’s revival, Holm dropped a bombshell: “Me, and having heard around my group of ex-colleagues, we want to get the gang back together.” He’s not just reminiscing—Holm says “many” ex-Battlefront devs are down to reunite for a third game. His plan? Remaster Battlefront 2 for next-gen consoles (like the PS6 or next Xbox) around 2027-28 to rebuild the community and tweak the engine, then go all-in on Battlefront 3.
Holm’s got big ideas, including stuff that didn’t make it into Battlefront 2: cross-play, day-night cycles, weather effects, a 1v1 mode, and more community-driven features. He even name-dropped creative director Dennis Brännvall as someone he’d love to bring back, though he admitted it’d be tricky since Brännvall’s off doing other things “up north.” These ideas could take the chaotic, Star Wars-flavored battles fans love to the next level.
Why No Battlefront 3 Yet?
So, why hasn’t Battlefront 3 happened? The series has a rough track record with third games. Back in the 2000s, Pandemic Studios’ Battlefront 3 got canned by LucasArts after a rushed development. Free Radical Design’s version was reportedly 95% done in 2008 before it bit the dust. EA’s reboot series had its own struggles—2015’s Battlefront felt thin, and Battlefront 2’s launch was a mess with microtransactions that locked heroes like Vader behind grindy paywalls. EA fixed it, ditching the microtransactions and dropping the Celebration Edition with all content unlocked, but the early backlash left scars.
By 2020, EA stopped supporting Battlefront 2 to focus on Battlefield 2042. A 2021 pitch for Battlefront 3 from DICE reportedly got shot down because Star Wars licensing costs were too steep, needing 20% more sales to match other franchises’ profits. With DICE now working on Battlefield 6 and EA prioritizing games like Apex Legends, Battlefront’s been on the back burner. Plus, EA’s exclusive Star Wars license expired, letting studios like Respawn and Ubisoft Massive take on other Star Wars projects, which might stretch resources.
Is There Hope?
Even with the challenges, there’s a spark of ascended. The Battlefront 2 boom, with thousands of players jumping back in, shows the fanbase is alive and kicking. X posts with hashtags like #MakeBattlefront3 are amplifying the hype, and Holm’s comments suggest the devs are listening. He’s cautious, saying no announcement’s coming soon, but the buzz could light a fire under EA or Lucasfilm Games. Andor’s gritty vibe could inspire new content—Holm noted an Andor pack would take six months, but the scattered dev team makes it tough.
What Could Battlefront 3 Be?
If the devs pull it off, Battlefront 3 could be a beast. Fans want the massive battles of DICE’s games mixed with the charm of Pandemic’s originals—no paywalls, just pure Star Wars action with blasters, lightsabers, and starfighters. Holm’s ideas like cross-play and dynamic maps could add flair, and seamless ground-to-space combat (something Free Radical almost nailed) would be a dream. Picture fighting on Scarif as a Rebel, dueling as Ahsoka, or piloting a TIE fighter in a storm—all tied to Andor’s intense vibe or The Mandalorian’s epic scope.
The Force Is Calling
The thought of the Battlefront 2 crew reuniting for Battlefront 3 feels like a Rebel victory cry. Mats Helge Holm and his DICE buddies are ready, the fans are screaming for it, and the game’s resurgence is proof the demand’s real. But EA’s focus on other projects and those pricey Star Wars licenses are big hurdles. For now, fans are keeping the faith, hopping into Battlefront 2 (on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and backward-compatible consoles) and pushing for more. A remaster could pave the way, and with Star Wars riding high on Andor and new movies, the galaxy’s ripe for a comeback. Here’s hoping the Force brings this band back together.
Source: wccftech