A new Star Wars Battlefront could be in the works at the talks stage, according to an unconfirmed rumor. The rumor column in a new issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly claims Lucasfilm is looking for a studio to make a follow-up, with EA DICE and Destiny developer Bungie named as the two contenders. No game has been announced, and Lucasfilm, Electronic Arts and Bungie have not commented on the rumor, Insider Gaming reports.
The item comes from the magazine’s long-running rumor column and appears in its 265th issue, a new print issue produced through the EGM Compendium Kickstarter. Reporter Jeff Grubb, a new EGM contributor, read it aloud on Giant Bomb’s Game Mess Mornings on Monday, Polygon reports.
What the rumor says
“The suits at Lucasfilm have been aggressively deploying probe droids looking for a development partner to take on the task of creating a follow-up,” the column reads, as Grubb read it on the show. “So far, no one has fully stepped up, but yours truly is hearing two major game studios are circling the project like a couple of snow speeders, led by the completely unsurprising EA DICE.” The column adds that if the project does not go to DICE, “it could land at none other than Halo, Destiny, and Marathon developer Bungie.”
Grubb was careful about how far the claim goes. “It doesn’t sound like the game is in the works yet, but it does sound like there are conversations at the very least about who should take it on,” he said, according to Polygon. Insider Gaming also covered the claim and said any talks are probably early enough that no real work is being done on a game yet.
Why DICE and Bungie
DICE made the last two Battlefront games for Electronic Arts: Star Wars Battlefront in 2015 and Star Wars Battlefront 2 in 2017. Polygon notes that EA’s exclusive license to make Star Wars games ended in 2023, which leaves Lucasfilm free to look at other studios. EA is still making a new Star Wars Jedi game with Respawn Entertainment.
Bungie would be the surprise pick. The Sony-owned studio has spent more than a decade on Destiny and Marathon, according to Insider Gaming. Polygon points out that Bungie has worked with Star Wars before through Renegades, a Star Wars-themed Destiny 2 expansion released last December. Polygon also notes that both studios have plenty on their plates, with DICE supporting Battlefield 6 and Bungie busy with Marathon and Destiny 2.
For now this is a rumor from a single magazine column, repeated by the outlets that reported it.
