Back in June, we previewed the Star Wars:Battlefront gameplay that was shown at E3 2015. It looked exquisite and seemed like there wouldn’t be a dull moment with up to 40 players per match. That video temporarily scratched an itch that Star Wars fans have had since the first rumors of a next gen Battlefront game first began. Fans were excited by the game-play, but when would we get to actually play the game ourselves. It seemed we would all have to wait until the release date of November 17th.
Today EA announced that they will be releasing a Beta for the game on all platforms (Xbox One, PS4, PC) early next month. Unfortunately no exact date was given nor did they say how we would be able to access the Beta, only that more information would be announced in the weeks ahead. However, they did put out some exciting information on what will be included in the Beta.
Three game modes will be included in the Beta: Walker Assault on Hoth, Survival on Tatooine, and Drop Zone.
In Walker Assault, teams of 20 Empire soldiers will compete against 20 Rebels. The Empire’s job is to escort (and sometimes control) a squad of AT-ATs (aka “Walkers”) to the Rebel base. The Rebels will attempt to take over Up-link Stations in order to call down Y Wing bomber runs and weaken the Walkers, making them susceptible to small arms fire or the classic Snow Speeder tow cable take down.
Survival mode will be familiar to players of Left 4 Dead and Call of Duty. In Survival, the player will take on wave after wave (up to 15 waves) of increasingly challenging enemies. Survival can either be played solo or with a friend, including split-screen for Xbox One and PS4 players.
Drop Zone is not a mode that has been described by EA yet, but they promise more information in the following weeks.
In addition to the three game modes announced, EA will be offering a companion strategic card game (presumably online) called Base Command that will allow the player to earn points and unlock new gear in Star Wars: Battlefront.
The upcoming Beta looks to be packed with enough features to hold fans over the month until the actual game releases.
Empire of Rebel: What side will you be on?
Billy is a freelance writer living in Indianapolis with his dog, BoJack. He enjoys TED talks, video games, sunny days, football, and the salty tears of his enemies.
