Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017) guide – Beta start date, playable characters, release date and gameplay
Everything we know about the upcoming Star Wars Battlefront 2.
In just over a week from now the Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017) beta will begin, giving those who have preordered the game a chance to dive in and see what Dice has cooked up for the sequel to 2015’s original blockbuster. Even if you didn’t pre-order, you’ll still be able to take part in a smaller part of the beta taking place over the final weekend.
When does the Battlefront 2 beta start and end though? What characters are in the game and will there be a proper single-player campaign this time around? To help you get up to speed with the answers for these and many other questions, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide which should contain everything you need to know.
We’ll be getting stuck into the beta alongside everyone else next week, and will be bringing you guides to mastering every aspect of the competitive side of the game. Keep this page bookmarked, as we’ll be slotting in our guide content as and when it’s published. We’ll also make a note of any updates we make right at the top here, so you know what the latest additions are!
UPDATE #1: Almost immediately after we published the first edition of this guide, EA released a new trailer – narrated by actor John Boyega – which spilled the beans on a huge amount of previously secret game details. Map names, class details, and featured heroes were all on show, and we’ve added the extra detail to the relevant sections of this guide.
Here’s that trailer if you want to just watch it for yourself!
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017): Beta – start date and end date
Whether you’ve pre-ordered the game or not, you’ll be able to take part in a limited beta period for Battlefront 2.
The Battlefront 2 beta begins for those who have preordered on Wednesday October 4th 2017. It becomes available for everyone to mess around with starting on Friday October 6th 2017.
The beta will end for all participants on Monday October 9th 2017.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017): Single player campaign
Unlike 2015’s Star Wars Battlefront, the 2017 sequel will actually have a single-player campaign for you to work your way through. This brings it much more in line with the offering of the original pair of games, which appeared on the PC, PlayStation 2 and original Xbox platforms more than ten years ago.
The single-player campaign will have you embark on a story as Iden Version, the core protagonist of the sequel. We expect the story to be set around the events that lead into the first of the trilogy of rebooted films, The Force Awakens.
Although Iden is the core character for this aspect of Battlefront 2, it has been confirmed that you will also be able to take control of popular figures from the franchise including Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren.
The official blurb for the story goes as follows:
“Star Wars Battlefront 2 debuts an untold story bridging the events from Return of the Jedi to The Force Awakens. As Iden – a Special Forces soldier – you fight for the future of the empire, with the galaxy breaking apart. With a few familiar faces along the way, it’s up to you to rise as a new Star Wars hero.”
The following locations are exclusive to the single-player story:
- Sullust
- Pillio
- Vardos
- Bespin
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017): Multiplayer
In order to prevent the competitive playerbase becoming fragmented – as happened in the previous game – all content updates will be provided free of charge to every player.
The team believes this will also ensure that the playerbase remains active for longer, ensuring a healthy population for matchmaking.
Although hard information is a little thin on the ground right now, you can get a look at the multiplayer combat in action in the video below. This trailer was released by EA at E3 2017.
The following locations have recently been confirmed as multiplayer maps:
- Death Star 2
- Kashyyyk
- Ryloth
- Jakku
- Endor
- Hoth
- Kamino
- Mos Eisley
- Naboo
- Yavin 4
- Fondor
- Takodana
- Starkiller Base
- Tatooine
Online Multiplayer Modes:
There will be five online multiplayer modes in total:
- Starfighter Assault – Intense dogfights across high atmosphere and space
- Galactic Assault – Epic 20 vs 20 all out warfare
- Blast – Fast paced, close-quarters combat
- Strike – Strategic objective based battles
- Heroes vs Villains – Iconic Star Wars characters go head to head.
Offline Multiplayer Modes:
If you’re not quite ready to do battle online, you can kick back and earn rewards with your friends by playing split-screen co-op, versus or solo.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017): Release Date
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017) will be released on all platforms (Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC) on Friday 17th November 2017.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017): Characters and classes
We know from official information that the following heroes will be available to play in the multiplayer component of Battlefront 2:
- Boba Fett
- Captain Phasma
- Darth Maul
- Finn
- Han Solo
- Kylo Ren
- Luke Skywalker
- Rey
- Yoda
Note that Captain Phasma and Finn will not be available at launch. They will instead both be released as part of the DLC plans, along with a new planet Crait.
Here are some other tidbits of information we’ve been able to find out about the class component of the game:
- In the previous game you were able to mix and match weapon type and character attributes. You will not be able to do so in the sequel.
- There will instead be a Battlefield-style class system, which should be familiar to fans of the original series of Battlefront games.
- Classes highlighted were the Officer (acting as a medic or support class), an Assault Trooper (general purpose soldier), and the Specialist who uses sniper rifles and other sneaky tricks of the trade.
The following new information was released by EA on 26th September 2017, and outlines all of the classes coming to the game:
- Assault: Equipped with Medium Ranged Weapons and Explosives
- Heavy: Powerful Blasters and Shields
- Specialist: Lays Traps and Takes out enemies from a distance
- Officer: Commands the Battlefield and deploys offensive turrets
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017): Season Pass plans
Unlike the previous game, there will be no paid downloadable content (DLC) with the release of Battlefront 2.
Instead, EA intends to release a series of free DLC drops to every player that owns a free EA account. It has been stated that these free updates will feel similar to the system used by recent titles like Overwatch.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017): Space battles
Space battles are very much back in Battlefront after too long a wait! We’re still waiting for more details to emerge about how much of this delicious dog-fighting you’ll be able to participate in, but here’s a look at one slice of the action:
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017): Platforms
Star Wars Battlefront 2 will be released on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC platforms.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017): Developer details
Star Wars Battlefront 2 is being developed by EA DICE, and in partnership with Criterion Games and Motive Studios.
