Star Wars: Battlefront 3 reportedly in the works at DICE and Respawn

A third Star Wars: Battlefront game is reportedly in development at EA’s DICE and Respawn studios. Variety cites multiple sources for the claim, which came out after EA told staff this week that the two studios are collaborating on “a future project”.

EA’s memo did not name the game. According to Variety’s sources, the project is Star Wars: Battlefront 3 for Lucasfilm. GamesRadar+ quotes the memo as saying EA is “bringing together our Respawn and DICE studios to collaborate on a future project”.

The memo came with significant cuts. Eurogamer reports that EA is laying off 400 workers, closing BioWare and cancelling several projects. In the same memo, from EA executives Cam Weber and David Tinson, the company said it would keep investing heavily in Respawn’s Apex Legends over the next few years. It also said it is committed to Marvel’s Iron Man and the next Star Wars Jedi game, which it calls its “two huge launches coming up”.

The Battlefront report follows earlier rumors. Electronic Gaming Monthly reported that Lucasfilm was talking to studios, DICE among them, about greenlighting a third game. Eurogamer adds that the magazine’s rumor, relayed by Giant Bomb, named DICE and Bungie as possible developers, and that Wardogs studio head Joe Brammer then said on X that DICE and Respawn were working together on it.

Why it matters

Battlefront 2 launched in 2017 to a mixed reception, largely because of loot boxes that tied random chance to earning characters and powers. Eurogamer says the backlash helped trigger legislation worldwide that treats loot boxes as gambling mechanics. DICE later overhauled those systems, removed loot boxes entirely and supported the game until its final major update in 2020.

Eurogamer also notes that EA reportedly cancelled several Star Wars projects in 2022, including a follow-up to Battlefront 2. A third game would be the first in the series published by EA under its new ownership. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners acquired EA in the summer in a $55bn leveraged buyout, according to Eurogamer.

What we don’t know yet

Neither EA nor Lucasfilm has announced the game. No release date, platforms or gameplay details have been reported, and the Battlefront 3 identification rests on Variety’s anonymous sources rather than an EA statement.