All Star Wars Battlefront II Ships and Ground Vehicles

Check out all types of Star Wars Battlefront II vehicles that will be available for you to pilot on the ground in the sky or in space!

Star Wars Battlefront II will allow you to control and pilot a number of vehicles on land as well as in the sky and in space. There will be many returning and new vehicles available, some will be restricted to specific maps, others available everywhere. As opposed to the first Battlefront, here all vehicles will be available via Battle Points, not tied to a Power-Up.

In Battlefront II some of the vehicles will feature a seamless transition instead of directly spawning you in the pilot’s spot, like it used to be in the first Battlefront. The seamless transition will happen to smaller vehicles.

Here is a look at what you can pilot, split into categories for easier navigation.

HERO VEHICLES

Hero ships are a step above the regular class starfighters in Star Wars Battlefront II. They’re tougher, often faster, very well armed, and equipped with special abilities designed to complement their exceptional strengths. Bonus: they’re piloted by some of the most iconic heroes and villains in the galaxy. Every hero ship has a completely unique feel, bringing a different set of abilities to the table. They’re also highly modifiable with Star Cards, so you can outfit your ship in whatever configuration best fits your strategy. Hero ships are unlocked via Battle Points – a new currency in Battlefront II. Check out the Starfighter Assault mode trailer here to get a glimpse of these ships in combat.

Below you will find more information about each one of the Hero Ships.

HAN SOLO’S MILLENNIUM FALCON

• Faction: Rebel Alliance
• Era: Original Trilogy
• Ship length: 34.7m
• Weapons: Quad laser canons, concussion missle tubes, blaster canon, tractor beam projectors

Only the most daring pilots can handle the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy. The Falcon’s legendary speed is only matched by her incredible punch, with powerful overcharged weapons systems and concussion missiles.

Default Abilities:

• Afterburner – Gives the ship an instant speed boost beyond its maximum speed for a long time. The speed boost can be cancelled by the player after a short time
• Specil Modifications – Increases primary weapon damage and prevents overheat for the duration of the ability
• Dual Concussion Missiles – Fires two fast missiles simultaneously which track the locked target and deal moderate damage. Starfighters hit by the missile also suffer a stun effect for a short time

From the Lore Archives:

The Millennium Falcon was a YT-1300 light freighter of the YT-1300f variety. Its basic shape was defined by two convex saucers welded together, a pair of front-facing mandibles and an outrigger-style, side-mounted cockpit with transparisteel viewports. Apart from the shape of its chassis, the Falcon retained very little of its off-the-dock instrumentation. Because its successive owners either upgraded or downgraded every system according to their personal specifications, the freighter ended up becoming a unique ship. These customizations, however, came at the price of reliability, and the Falcon was known to suffer frequent breakdowns in the heat of battle

BOBA FETT’S SLAVE I

• Faction: Empire
• Era: The Prequels / Original Trilogy
• Ship length: 21.5m
• Weapons: twin rotating blaster cannon, laser cannons, proton torpedoes, ion cannon, concussion missile launchers, tractor beam projector, seismic charges

Only the bravest pilots dare to challenge this durable and well-armed ship. The bounty hunter’s iconic ship mounts powerful blasters and disrupts enemies with explosive Seismic Charges.

Default Abilities:

• Ion Cannons – Activates the Ion cannons, which deal low damage and reduce the target’s speed for a short time
• Seismic Charge – Drops a seismic charge behind the ship that deals high area of effect damage. Starfighters hit by the charge also suffer a stun effect for a short time
• Dual Concussion Missiles – Fires two fast missiles simultaneously which track the locked target and deal moderate damage. Starfighters hit by the missile als osuffer a stun effect for a short time

From the Lore Archives:

Slave I was a modified Firespray-31-class patrol and attack craft used by the infamous bounty hunter Jango Fett before the Clone Wars. Jango outfitted the craft with a number of weapons, including laser cannons, projectile launchers, and seismic charges. While under Jango’s ownership, the ship was in a dogfight over Geonosis with the Jedi starfighter piloted by Obi-Wan Kenobi. After Jango’s death during the Battle of Geonosis, the craft came into the possession of his son, Boba Fett, who used it throughout his own bounty hunting career.

DARTH MAUL’S SCIMITAR

• Faction: Empire
• Era: The Prequels
• Ship length: 26.5m
• Weapons: concealed laser cannons, proton torpedo launcher, minelayer

Few craft inspire the justified terror that Darth Maul’s signature ship evokes when entering the battlefield. The Sith Lord’s cloaking drive allows him to vanish from the sight of enemies, escaping danger and launching surprise attacks.

Default Abilities:

• Dark Apprentice – When activated you cannot lose your current target and time to achieve a missile lock is reduced. Additionally, the target is outlined and receives an extra damage from all sources
• Stealth Drive – Activites the Stealth Drive that temporaraly shrouds the ship from view, breaking and preventing targeting or missile locks for a short period of time. Shots fired receive a damage bonus for a short time but deactivate the Stealth Drive
• Dual Proton Torpedoes – Fires two missiles simultaneously which track the locked target and deal high damage

From the Lore Archives:

The Scimitar, also known as the Sith Infiltrator, was a heavily modified Star Courier and the personal starship of Darth Maul. After his defeat during the Battle of Naboo, the experimental starfighter was appropriated by Maul’s master, Darth Sidious. The Sith Infiltrator featured folding wings around its circular cockpit, and was secretly modified from a Star Courier manufactured by Republic Sienar Systems. The craft featured six laser cannons, a proton torpedo launcher and a minelayer. Along with its deadly armament, the Scimitar was equipped with a cloaking device that allowed it to disappear from view and any pursuing ship’s sensors. Owing to the craft’s experimental ion engines, radiator fins on the ship’s wings were required to be open during flight in order to expel excess heat.

POE DAMERON’S BLACK ONE

• Faction: The Resistance / Republic
• Era: The Force Awakens
• Ship length: 12.5m
• Weapons: laser cannons, proton torpedo launcher, concussion missiles, heavy laser cannon

The best pilot in The Resistance flies the Black One, a starfighter built to match his talents. Poe Dameron, in his custom X-wing, leads the squad into battle and identifies nearby enemies for his fellow pilots, helping them get a jump on the opposition.

Default Abilities:

• BB-8 Repair – Instantly restores a moderate amount of health
• Black Leader – Pulses out to reveal all enemies within targeting distance to allied players. Pulser enemies receive increased damage
• Dual Proton Torpedoes – Fires two missiles simultaneously which track the locked target and deal high damage

From the Lore Archives:

The Black One was a T-70 X-wing fighter that was used by Resistance pilot Poe Dameron. Dameron was always accompanied by his trusty co-pilot, the spherical astromech droid BB-8. Dameron notably used Black One during the Assault on Starkiller Base, where he used it to destroy the First Order’s superweapon, Starkiller Base. The ship was manufactured by Incom-FreiTek company. Like all T-70 X-wing fighters, the Black One was armed with four Taim & Bak KX12 laser cannons.

STARFIGHTERS

Starfighters are split into different classes, based on their performance and role. Each faction pilot has an opportunity to pilot an iconic Star Wars ship. Battlefront II offers 3 classes for the Republic and 3 for the Empire. Below you can take a more in-depth look at each one of them.

T-65-B X-WING

• Faction: Rebel Alliance / Republic
• Era: Original Trilogy
• Ship length: 12.5m
• Weapons: laser cannons, proton torpedo launcher

The iconic ship that won the Battle of Yavin, the Rebel Alliance’s venerable X-wing is a balanced, multi-role fighter. The X-wing can do it all: engage interceptors, take down TIE fighters, interdict bombers, and assault capital ships.

From the Lore Archives: X-wing starfighters were a type of starfighter marked by their distinctive S-foils that resembled an “X” in attack formation.They were heavily armed with four laser cannons on the S-foils and proton torpedo launchers in the fuselage. X-wings were designed for dogfighting and long missions. During the Galactic Civil War, the Rebel Alliance used T-65B X-wing starfighters and T-65C-A2 X-wings in many battles, including the Battle of Yavin and the Battle of Endor. Approximately thirty years later, a different and upgraded variation of X-wing, the T-70, was used by the Resistance, whereas a more advanced model, the T-85, was used by the New Republic Starfleet.

RZ-1 A-WING

• Faction: Rebel Alliance / Republic
• Era: The Prequels
• Ship length: 9.6m
• Weapons: laser cannons, concussion missile launcher

One of the fastest spacecraft ever built, the agile but fragile A-wing flies circles around most starfighters. A-wings are peerless escorts and hunters, getting in, firing, and speeding away, leaving only enemy wreckage behind.

From the Lore Archives: The RZ-1 A-wing starfighter was a quick, powerful strike fighter manufactured by Kuat Systems Engineering. Influenced by the designs of the Republic starfighters flown during the Clone Wars, the A-wing was wedge-shaped with dual sublight engines mounted on the stern and came equipped with a hyperdrive. The fighters were armed with two laser cannons and twelve concussion missiles. During the early rebellion against the Galactic Empire, a variant A-wing, called the RZ-1T trainer, was developed and used to train aspiring rebel pilots. In addition to the pilot seat, the model also featured a seat for an instructor. A-wings were modified for use by the Alliance to favor raw speed over power or protection. The Alliance’s modified A-wings consisted of a stock model stripped of its shields, armor, and heavy weapons. As a result, the ship was faster than the Empire’s variant, the TIE/IN interceptor.

BTL-A4 Y-WING

• Faction: Rebel Alliance / Republic
• Era: Original Trilogy
• Ship length: 23.4m
• Weapons: laser cannons, ion cannons, proton torpedo launchers, proton bombs

Slow but heavily armed, Y-wings utilize torpedoes, blasters, and an ion-cannon turret to attack from every direction. Tough shields, an arsenal of onboard weapon systems, and a helpful astromech droid for quick repairs make the longstanding Y-wing one of the most reliable starfighters.

Default Abilities:

• Astromech Repair – Instantly restores a small amount of lost health
• Ion Cannon Turret – Activates the Ion Turret which fires at the locked target causing low damage whilst reducing the target’s speed for a short time
• Dual Proton Torpedoes – Fires two missiles simultaneously which track the target and deal high damage

From the Lore Archives:

BTL-A4 Y-wing assault starfighter/bombers used during the Clone Wars were crewed by a single pilot, protected by a transparisteel canopy, and a gunner inside a domed turret positioned behind the cockpit. Located behind the turret was an astromech droid slot. The wedge-shaped cockpit was placed on the front of the craft, with the central spar extending behind it. Two Koensayr R200 ion jet engines were attached to either side of the spar. The engines had exhaust nacelles and support pylons, and had sensor array domes that contained Fabritech ANx-y sensor arrays on the front of the nacelles. The R300-H hyperdrive was at the rear of the spar. Squadron markings were placed on the cockpit and the forward tips of the engine nacelles.

TIE FIGHTER (TIE/LN)

• Faction: Empire
• Era: Original Trilogy
• Ship length: 8.8m
• Weapons: laser cannons, proton torpedo launcher

The TIE Fighter is the galaxy’s most ubiquitous starfighter – a fast, deadly, and omnipresent reminder of the Empire’s might. The TIE/ln is equally adept at discouraging enemy interceptors, taking down X-wings, and spoiling a Rebel bombing run.

Default Abilities:

• Afterburner – Gives the ship an instant speed boost beyond its maximum seed for a long time. The speed boost can be cancelled by the player after a short time.
• Laser Barrage – Charges up a rapid fire burst of shots which deal high damage
• Proton Torped – Fires a missile that tracks the locked target and deals high damage

From the Lore Archives:

The TIE/ln space superiority starfighter (TIE/ln and alternatively stylized as the TIE/LN) commonly known as the TIE fighter, was the signature starfighter of the Galactic Empire and de facto symbol of Imperial space superiority. Its official name was the Twin Ion Engine “line edition” space superiority starfighter. Instantly recognizable from the roar of its engines, the TIE/ln exuded Imperial power and prestige across the galaxy, seeing use throughout the Empire’s political existence. A TIE fighter’s twin ion engines provided thrust and boosters capable of quickly adjusting the ship’s direction. The TIE/ln featured vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities owing to repulsorlift cyclers in its wing struts—reducing its already small mass to negligible weight—and micropositioning thrusts from the twin ion engines. Furthermore, the lack of a hyperdrive and resultant navigational systems alongside extended life support and fuel combined to cut down the TIE’s total mass.

TIE FIGHTER INTERCEPTOR (TIE/IN)

• Faction: Empire
• Era: Original Trilogy
• Ship length: 9.6m
• Weapons: laser cannons, blaster cannons, warhead launchers

Wickedly quick and heavily armed, the TIE Interceptor closes with an enemy in the blink of an eye. The TIE Interceptor rushes ahead and clears paths for allies, takes down bombers, and ties up enemy fighters.

From the Lore Archives:

The TIE/IN starfighter, simply known as TIE Interceptor or T/I, was a TIE Series starfighter used by the Galactic Empire. The TIE Interceptor was identifiable by its arrow-shaped solar collection panels, a distinct difference from the hexagonal solar arrays of its predecessor, the TIE Fighter. The Interceptor was one of the fastest starfighters in the galaxy at its prime, nearly rivaling the Alliance’s RZ-1 A-wing interceptor. Due to their speed, distinct shape, and narrow profile in comparison to the TIE/ln starfighter (which was nicknamed “eyeball”), TIE Interceptors came to be referred to occasionally as “squints” by enemy pilots.

TIE BOMBER (TIE/SA)

• Faction: Empire
• Era: Original Trilogy
• Ship length: 7.9m
• Weapons: laser cannons, concussion missiles, thermal detonators, proton torpedoes, orbital mines

The TIE Bomber’s long-range, hard hitting weapons make it a perfect missile boat to bombard distant enemies and large targets.

From the Lore Archives: The TIE/sa bomber was specifically designed by Sienar Fleet Systems for use in the military of the Galactic Empire. A model of light bomber, it was part of the TIE line of starfighters, distinguished by their twin ion engines and solar collector panels. The bomber measured 7.9 meters long, 10.6 meters wide, and 5.4 meters high. In keeping with the Empire’s preference for muted colors, it was painted a bluish gray. Like the TIE Advanced x1 prototype, the TIE/sa bomber had inclined wings, which maximized its speed and maneuverability while carrying mass of heavy ordnance. Unlike the other models in the TIE line, the bomber had not one, but two central pods: a starboard cockpit for the pilot, and a portside ordnance bay for the munitions. The cockpit featured two forward-mounted laser cannons, the standard transparisteel viewport, and an ejector seat in case a pilot on a distant bombing run needed to abandon ship.

ATMOSPHERIC VEHICLES

ARMORED ASSAULT TANK (AAT-1)

• Faction: Separatist
• Era: The Prequels
• Length: 9.2m
• Weapons: heavy laser cannons, energy shell projectile launchers

The AAT isn’t a subtle instrument. Its powerful weapons wreak havoc on anyone foolish enough to stand in its way.

From the Lore Archives: The Armored Assault Tank, also known as the AAT battle tank or the AAT-1 Hover Tank, was an artillery vehicle used by the Trade Federation and later donated to the Confederacy of Independent Systems where it served as one of its backbone infantry defenses. General Lok Durd modified one of these into the Defoliator Deployment Tank. After the Clone Wars, dozens of these units fell into the hands of the Alliance to Restore the Republic where they were modified extensively in order to accommodate organic crews. The Galactic Empire manufactured their own version of the AAT on Cymoon 1’s Weapons Factory Alpha, which also participated in defending the base from a Rebel assault.

AT-RT

• Faction: Clone Troopers / Republic
• Era: The Prequels
• Length: 2.9m | Height 3.45m
• Weapons: laser cannons, mortar launcher

Though lightly armored, the AT-RT is extremely maneuverable and packs quite a punch, making it a perfect hit-and-run vehicle.

Default Abilities:

• Motion Scan – Detects and highlights enemy soldiers while active
• Ion Charge – Apply an Ion Charge to your regular ammunition for a short time. Highly effective against vehicles
• Repair – Repair the vehicle on the spot. Manually initiate maintenance systems, increasing hull integrity over a short period of time

From the Lore Archives:

The All Terrain Recon Transport (AT-RT), also known as the Republic scout walker, was a model of recon walker used mainly during the Clone Wars by Advanced Recon Force troopers. During the Galactic Civil War, these walkers were adopted by both the Galactic Empire, who used Scout troopers to man the vehicles, and the Alliance to Restore the Republic, who upgraded them to compete with the advancements of the Empire. The AT-RT’s were usually used for a variety of missions including ground support, police support, civil defense, and post-battle cleanup efforts. They occasionally took up position on the front lines of ground battles when difficult terrain prevented the use of larger vehicles.

VULTURE DROID

• Faction: Separatist
• Era: The Prequels
• Length: 6.96m | 6Height: 87m
• Weapons: twin blaster cannons, energy torpedo launchers, buzz droid missile launcher

Skilled at both dogfighting and ground attacks, the adaptable Vulture Droid is a capable combatant in almost any situation. A speeding Vulture Droid is a welcome sight for Separatist allies.

From the Lore Archives: The Variable Geometry Self-Propelled Battle Droid, Mark I, also known as the Vulture-class starfighter or more simply as the vulture droid, was an unmanned model of droid starfighter utilized by the Trade Federation and later the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Constructed in the cathedral factories of Xi Char, their creation through precision manufacturing was considered an act of religious worship.

N-1 STARFIGHTER

• Faction: Republic
• Era: The Prequels
• Length: 11m
• Weapons: blaster cannons, proton torpedo launchers

Armed with blasters and torpedoes and equipped with its own astromech, the N-1 can punch hard at ground targets and atmospheric craft.

From the Lore Archives: The Naboo N-1 starfighter, also called the Naboo starfighter, was a single-seat patrol craft developed by the Theed Palace Space Vessel Engineering Corps and used by the Royal Naboo Security Forces for duties such as defense, patrol, and escorting. The N-1 starfighter was a sleek single-pilot craft used by the Naboo and demonstrated the marriage of art and function present in Naboo technology. Buffed chromium finishes on the craft’s forward surfaces glinted in the sun for fly-bys and parades, and represented the royalty of Naboo, complementing the Royal Starship. The N-1’s chromium stood in stark contrast to its overall yellow finish.

V-WING STARFIGHTER

• Faction: Republic / Clone Troopers
• Era: The Prequels
• Length: 7.9m
• Weapons: rapid-fire laser cannons

This prequel-era atmospheric and space fighter can hold its own against all comers thanks to lightning-fast maneuverability. Speed boosts, rapid-fire blasters, and heat sinks combine to make the V-wing an unparalleled ship-killer.

Default Abilities:

• Afterburner – Gives the ship an instant speed boost beyond its maximum speed for a long time. The speed boost can be cancelled by the player after a short time
• Laser Barrage – Charges up a rapid fire burst of shots which deal high damage
• Heat Sink – The primary weapon cannot overheat for a short time

From the Lore Archives:

The Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighter, also known as the Alpha-3 Nimbus or V-wing starfighter, was a starfighter model manufactured by Kuat Systems Engineering. They were first deployed by the Galactic Republic in the final days of the Clone Wars—serving in the Battle of Coruscant against the Confederacy of Independent Systems—and continued to see use under the Galactic Empire. V-wings were also utilized as escort fighters for Darth Sidious’s personal Theta-class T-2c shuttle. In the following years, V-wings were gradually replaced by TIE/ln space superiority starfighters. The Alpha-3 Nimbus was little more than a single pilot fuselage pod sitting on vertically stacked ion engines flanked by deployable, heat radiating, stability foils. The V-wing was designed for speed and agility, at the expense of a reliable life support system or hyperdrive. The pilot instead relied on a sealed flight suit in case of ejection.

MULTI-TROOP TRANSPORT (MTT)

• Faction: Separatists
• Era: The Prequels
• Length: 35.94m | Height: 10.54m
• Weapons: twin blaster cannons

The MTT is at the heart of the Separatist attack on Theed. Armored, shielded, and heavily armed, only a coordinated attack can bring it down. If the MTT can reach the doors of the Royal Palace on Theed, the defenses stand no chance against its powerful cannons.

From the Lore Archives:

The Multi-Troop Transport (MTT) was a heavily armored repulsorlift transport vehicle used by both the Trade Federation and the Confederacy of Independent Systems to transport B1 battle droids before and during the Clone Wars. During the Clone Wars, it was also used to transport B2 super battle droids. Manufactured by Baktoid Armor Workshop, the Multi-Troop Transport had the capacity to deliver B1 battle droids and B2 super battle droids into combat. The vehicle featured a bulbous front end that opened to allow an articulated deployment rack to extend out of the interior. Hydraulically-powered, the rack could carry one hundred and twelve B1 battle droids in their stowed configuration, or twelve B2 super battle droids. The MTT was armed with two sets of twin blaster cannons situated below the bulbous nose, and stood at over ten meters in height and almost thirty-six in length. The Multi-Troop Transport (MTT) was a heavily armored repulsorlift transport vehicle used by both the Trade Federation and the Confederacy of Independent Systems to transport B1 battle droids before and during the Clone Wars. During the Clone Wars, it was also used to transport B2 super battle droids. Manufactured by Baktoid Armor Workshop, the Multi-Troop Transport had the capacity to deliver B1 battle droids and B2 super battle droids into combat. The vehicle featured a bulbous front end that opened to allow an articulated deployment rack to extend out of the interior. Hydraulically-powered, the rack could carry one hundred and twelve B1 battle droids in their stowed configuration, or twelve B2 super battle droids. The MTT was armed with two sets of twin blaster cannons situated below the bulbous nose, and stood at over ten meters in height and almost thirty-six in length.

LOW ATTITUDE ASSAULT TRANSPORT GUNSHIP (LAAT)

• Faction: Republic / Clone Troopers
• Era: The Prequels
• Length: 617.69m | Height: 6.94m
• Weapons: laser cannon turrets, rocket launchers

The Low Assault Attitude Transport (LAAT) is a gunship used byu the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. Its primary role is to offer air-to-ground support for the Republic against the Serparatists

Default Abilities:

• Repair – Repair the vehicle on the spot. Manually initiate maintenance systems, increasing hull integrity over a short period of time
• Missile Guidance Disruptor – Anty missile countermeasures disrupt ground-to-air missile guidance systems
• Heat Sink – The primary weapon cannot overheat for a short time

From the Lore Archives:

The Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry, also known as the Low Altitude Assault Transport, Republic attack gunship or Assault Gunship, was a gunship used by the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. Its role was to transport troopers as well as offering air-to-ground and air-to-air support for the Republic against the Separatists. After the formation of the Galactic Empire, the remaining LAAT/is were absorbed into the Imperial Navy. During the Galactic Civil War, LAAT/is were used by the Alliance to Restore the Republic against Imperial garrisons.

► Sources: star wars wiki, the game’s official website, video trailers and early beta gameplay demos

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Star Wars Battlefront 2 Review (2019)

Almost since the beginning, Star Wars has been a story of redemption from darkness. So, in an ironic sort of way, Battlefront 2 is a better Star Wars game because of its initial fall to the dark side and subsequent journey back to the light. After over two years of updates and changes, EA and DICE have redeemed this gorgeous shooter and turned it into one of the best multiplayer adaptations of the Star Wars universe to date.

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Taking in all Battlefront 2 now has to offer at once is honestly a bit overwhelming. Setting aside the overly safe, short, and disappointing single-player story, there’s a wealth of wave-based co-operative maps and a litany of online competitive multiplayer modes. Most of them play wonderfully and they all ooze that classic Star Wars look and feel on an unrivaled scale. Whether you’re fighting on the ground with a blaster in your hands, cutting down troops with a lightsaber, or dogfighting in space, Battlefront 2 is an immensely entertaining ride through a galaxy far, far away.

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Crucially, DICE absolutely nailed the basics. Take the mechanics of firing a blaster: It feels just a bit chunky, as it should, with that signature sound bursting with each shot. And even though every weapon shoots similar-looking bolts, they all feel extremely distinct out of the box and can be customized further.

Crucially, DICE absolutely nailed the basics.

For ground troops, the four main classes are Assault, Heavy, Officer, and Specialist. They feel about as distinct as any other classes in a multiplayer shooter, although none of them have a dedicated secondary gun to swap too. Since there are no ammo counts, just cool downs, it changes the dynamic a bit and definitely feels unique.

I gravitated towards the Heavy troopers because of their powerful LMG-style weapon, mobile shield, grenade, and a special that let me shoot continuously like a minigun without overheating. It’s excellent for suppressing fire, especially if you’re on the defending end of the final phase in Capital Supremacy and need to keep the enemy back at all costs. In between the main classes and the big hero units are specialty units like Arc Troopers that get electric mines and dual pistols, or rolling Droidekas with heavy armor and deployable shield domes. Coordinating attacks between the practicality of the standard troops and flashiness of heroes is a lot fun and makes Battlefront 2 feel special.

Microtransaction Reaction

Shortly before Battlefront 2 officially launched in 2017 it was filled with egregious microtransactions that were not only greedy, but disruptive to the game as a whole. If you didn’t want to grind for hours to unlock playable heroes then you had to pay actual money. Star Card upgrades were locked behind similar time-sinks and pay walls that made multiplayer feel like more of a chore than a game. Thankfully, EA listened to feedback and removed those just ahead of launch, but the grindy progression remained. Fast forward a couple of years, though, and, all of that’s now been removed as well.

Today, the only things you can buy are cosmetics like new outfits and emotes, so there’s no hint of pay-to-win in play. Star Cards are completely gone, leveling is now based on linear XP gains, and all heroes are open from the beginning.

Alternatively, you can earn these cosmetics through loot boxes you can’t pay for. It’s a good, fair system, and thankfully entirely separate from progression – that makes these boxes exciting to open because the cosmetics don’t come at the cost of character upgrades and unlocks. Or, if you buy or upgrade to the Celebration Edition of Battlefront 2, every paid cosmetic, emote, and victory pose is unlocked from the very beginning.

What’s great about Battlefront 2 is that it lets you play with all of its toys, no questions asked. Every character class and playable hero is available from the start, and the tedious unlocking grind from launch has been completely removed. Luke, Vader, Boba Fett, Rey – you name them, they’re all here.

As you level up you unlock new ability cards with passive upgrades such as increased health regeneration speed or a bigger grenade blast radius. They’re designed as ways to refine your playstyle, rather than make you dramatically stronger, and it’s a fulfilling system that rewards sticking with a class without forcing you to.

You’ll spend most of your time as Battlefront’s basic soldier classes, but as you play you earn in-match points that you can eventually spend to spawn as a hero. That can seriously turn the tide. These iconic characters are absolute killing machines, and when you clash with another hero it’s extremely memorable. The list has been growing since launch and now includes everybody from Obi-Wan and his Force push to lesser favorites like General Grievous, including his ridiculous saber windmill attack. Pitting original trilogy Darth Vader against the prequel trilogy Anakin Skywalker hero is far more entertaining than it should be.

These fights can be truly the stuff of Star Wars “What If?” fan-fiction, brought to life on screen.

These fights can be truly the stuff of Star Wars “What If?” fan-fiction, brought to life on screen. During a Heroes v Villains match – a team deathmatch mode where everybody plays as a hero the entire time – I was playing as Boba Fett on the rainy planet Kamino and ran into an enemy player controlling Obi-Wan. It quickly felt like a reenactment of the Jedi Knight’s fight against Jango Fett in Episode II. In this version, Obi-Wan leapt through the air while I shot at him with my blasters, then he Force-pushed me and knocked me down before charging in for the kill with his lightsaber. Then, in a dramatic twist, none other than Darth Vader himself jumped in at the last second and Force-choked him before he could strike. My teammate then lifted Obi-Wan into the air for me to finish him off. It was a fantastic and memorable moment.

It doesn’t feel like an exaggeration to say that, in terms of scope and breadth, EA and DICE have released just as much new, free content for the multiplayer side of Battlefront 2 as it already had at launch. They’ve dished out new maps like Felucia and Geonosis, exciting new game modes, a litany of heroes and villains, new ships for aerial combat, and dozens of cosmetic skins.

Battlefront 2’s maps now feel like a Greatest Hits selection of the entire Star Wars galaxy, pulling from all three movie trilogies plus one-offs and the cartoons. The dense greenery of Felucia is a great contrast to the brown wastelands of Geonosis, and fighting across the Cloud City in Bespin is a blast. Naboo’s capital city, Theed, is one of my favorites, since it’s an outdoor urban setting, unlike most of the other battles, and is full of buildings that make it a great stage in the larger 40-player game modes. Every mode has an extreme level of map variety, and that makes it easy to fall into that “just one more game” mentality because you’ll see something new every time for a long while.

Every Planet and Location in Star Wars Battlefront 2’s Multiplayer

The catch is that finding a match is hit or miss depending on the game mode and time of day. It’s not very difficult to queue up for the main modes like Capital Supremacy and Galactic Assault, especially on PS4. But smaller modes, like Hero Showdown and Hero Starfighters, can take a few minutes of waiting before you can enjoy them, which is a shame. They’re not the main attraction by any means but I’ve had some good fun with them.

In Hero Showdown, two teams of two heroes each face off without respawns for multiple rounds. It’s a bit like Gun Fight in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, but instead of guns and knives it’s blasters and lightsabers. Similarly, Hero Starfighters pits two teams of four hero ships against each other, but this time dying brings you back as a standard starfighter until one team has lost all their hero ships. Letting you immediately take control of these recognizable characters is awesome, putting a fun spin on the standard modes, but they don’t seem to command the same amount of popularity. Having so many different modes to choose from seems to have split the player base thinly across the best ones.

The least popular modes, like the capture-based Jetpack Cargo or Blast (which is just team deathmatch), are often complete dead zones with no players at all – they were never as thrilling as the larger-scale battles, but I don’t always want to spend 30-40 minutes in a single match, so having something quicker and faster-paced available would have been nice. I was never left unable to play, though, because the Quick Play option is a reliable fallback that will always drop you into what’s hot if you aren’t picky. That said, the limited choice queues cause can occasionally be disappointing all the same. It’s also a bummer when the only active mode is something you don’t want to play at all, like Ewok Hunt or one of the Starfighter battles for the third time in a row.

Capital Supremacy mode is both one of the busiest and one of the best.

Thankfully, the recently added Capital Supremacy mode is both one of the busiest and one of the best. It’s similar to the traditional Galactic Assault mode, in that they’re both large-scale battles with 40 players fighting over control points, but there are some big differences. Here, holding control points in the first phase earns you AI reinforcements, and then the winning team boards transport shuttles to try to take over the other team’s capital ship. If they fail, the first phase starts over. It creates an epic tug-of-war, pushing and pulling across space and the planet’s surface and can easily take upwards of 30 minutes to finish a single match. The settings and power dynamic are all extremely reminiscent of both the Clone Wars and the massive battles in DICE’s Battlefield series.

Galactic Assault evokes a similarly grandiose feeling, but instead of changing maps partway through depending on progress, the levels are more multifaceted from the beginning. In Galactic Assault, all three types of warfare are happening at the same time: aerial fighters, ground vehicles, and foot soldiers. The objectives vary depending on the map, but usually involve capturing points, escorting large ground units like walkers, overriding systems, or planting bombs.

Galactic Assault can take a while, but it’s the only game mode that spans all three eras.

Matches of Galactic Assault can take a while, but it’s the only game mode that spans all three eras across over a dozen different maps, so I really felt like I was reenacting actual movie moments. For example, trying to take out a TIE Fighter with a rocket launcher or strafing across a planet’s surface in an X-Wing while blowing up Storm Troopers is enormous fun.

Note that while Capital Supremacy currently only covers Clone Wars locations, it’s getting updated in early 2020 to include sequel trilogy content in addition to other Rise of Skywalker-related updates coming to Battlefront 2. The fact that EA continues to push out updates for a game that’s over two years old, especially after such a rocky launch, is extremely commendable. We haven’t seen that new content yet, but if it’s of similar caliber to past updates then it will only serve to make Battlefront 2 even better.

A Lackluster Campaign

The campaign in Battlefront 2 is unchanged since our original review, other than the addition of a new epilogue chapter, titled Resurrection. Unfortunately, this doesn’t add much more than an extra two hours to bridge the gap between the main campaign and the sequel trilogy of films. Overall, it’s no better nor worse other than being slightly longer. Everything else Tom Marks said in his original review about the campaign rings true to this day:

“It mostly follows the story of Imperial Special Forces commander Iden Versio – a fierce leader who still manages to express compassion from her position within the Empire – from the final moments of Return of the Jedi into the era of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Despite its darker choice of perspective (we haven’t seen much from the Imperial soldier point of view since 1994’s TIE Fighter), the plot moves forward in a fairly unimaginative fashion from there.

It’s a shame Iden doesn’t get more time to develop as a character because Battlefront 2 does a decent job of introducing her (outside of some stilted dialogue in the opening scene) as a competent, sympathetic person. But Battlefront 2’s campaign doesn’t really have much of a cohesive story to speak of in which for her to complete a believable arc. Instead, it feels more like a series of barely connected missions across a smattering of recognizable locations, featuring the major characters you’d expect. It’s essentially digital Star Wars tourism tied around the loose concept of Iden’s battles in the final days of the Galactic Civil War. Not enough time is devoted to Iden and her relationships to give her pivotal decisions the context they need.”

Verdict

Whether you’re brand new to the battlefield or picking your blaster back up after a long hiatus, Star Wars Battlefront 2 is a redemption story worthy of the Skywalker saga. It’s a big, broad, beautiful shooter that nails the Star Wars atmosphere almost everywhere. The campaign is still a bit of a snore, and occasionally long queue times in matchmaking and a handful of forgettable game modes give the multiplayer a couple of caveats, but highlights like Capital Supremacy and Galactic Assault make it stand out and the progression system is fair and rewarding. Overall, it’s a great package now that serves as one of the best and most thrilling ways to have an authentic Star Wars gaming experience.