EA and DICE’s Star Wars Battlefront 2 just wrapped up a week of being free on the Epic Game Store, and it seems that a lot of people downloaded it. There were so many, in fact, that the Battlefront 2 servers couldn’t handle the load.

However, the game has the reputation of having one of the worst video game launches in recent memory, yet it also has one of the best redemption stories. Because of a number of changes made to the game over the years, Star Wars Battlefront 2 is simply a much different game.

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Loot Boxes No More

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Star Wars Battlefront 2’s disastrous launch was in large part due to the game’s approach to loot boxes and microtransactions, leading many to hate the game even before it launched. EA and developer DICE did fix the pay-to-win part right before the game’s actual release, but the fundamental lack of a progression and unlock system still had to be addressed.

But the changes did come, and now Battlefront 2 has a much more standardized progression and unlock system that one would expect from a multiplayer shooter. Many skipped the game over the very principle of the game not having a skill-based progression system and a heavy emphasis on loot boxes and microtransactions, and rightfully so, but all of these issues have since been completely fixed. Microtransactions can only be used now to unlock cosmetic skins, like in Apex Legends or Overwatch, and that is only in the base game. All skins are already unlocked and microtransactions are disabled in the Celebration Edition of the game, which is the version that was given away for free on the Epic Game Store. The Celebration Edition retails for $39.99 and is also available as a cheaper upgrade to those who had purchased the base game prior.

Another lambasted element of the game was that the ability to play as many of the heroes and villains of Star Wars, one of the most advertised parts of the game, often cost either 40 hours or real-world money, just to unlock Darth Vader in one case. But this issue has also been fixed. Back in 2018, DICE unlocked all heroes, villains, and all of the special ships like Boba Fett’s Slave I and Luke’s X-Wing for all players, so this past critique is now completely moot. Had the base game launched in the state that it is in now, it seems safe to say that the game's reception would have been totally different.

Did someone say Clone Wars?

One of the most beloved parts of Star Wars outside of the original trilogy is the Clone Wars cartoon. The series, created by George Lucas and Dave Filoni, told incredibly rich stories about the clone troopers from the prequel era, as well as introduced fan-favorite character Ahsoka Tano. And while Ahsoka was never added into Battlefront 2, a massive amount of stuff pulled straight from the Clone Wars cartoon was. Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Count Dooku, General Grievous, droidekas, commando droids, and over 100 unique appearances for different clone troopers are all available now in Star Wars Battlefront 2. The variety of clone skins and other Clone Wars-era skins like General Kenobi’s armor and pajama-wearing count Dooku are all pre-unlocked in the Celebration Edition of the game.

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And it’s not just Clone Wars content that’s been added. A map and mode based on the events of Solo: A Star Wars Story was also added, alongside content for the Rise of Skywalker and Rogue One. Battlefront 2 features content from all 9 Star Wars movies, both theatrical spin-offs, and the Clone Wars cartoon. Even the Star Wars comics get some play, like with the look Leia dons in the single-player campaign.

The Single-Player Campaign is Canon

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The single-player of Star Wars Battlefront 2 tells the story of Imperial Stormtrooper Iden Versio and her team of top operatives in Inferno Squadron after the death of Emperor Palpatine and the destruction of the second Death Star. While the campaign is by no means exceptional, it is a short fun tour of the Star Wars universe with an interesting perspective. It also serves to show what the heroes of the original trilogy are up to post-Return of the Jedi with some fun cameos.

The story of Battlefront 2 became much more important, however, when the events of the story were referenced in the second season of The Mandalorian on Disney Plus. Spoilers follow. In season 2, episode 7, Bill Burr reprises his role from season 1 as Migs Mayfeld, an ex-Imperial sharpshooter. Mayfeld mentions Operation Cinder, the final dying order of Emperor Palpatine to destroy multiple worlds without discrimination. Both Iden Versio and Migs Mayfeld defected after the Empire destroyed their homeworlds and killed their fellow Imperials.

What’s more is that it sounds like Inferno Squadron may have their story continue it seems. Just last week, two actors from Battlefront 2’s campaign were confirmed to recently be working together again and Iden Versio actress Janina Gavankar recently posted online about working in a motion capture suit again. It could be that these characters might be making a return in a potential Battlefront 3 or another Star Wars game, though, of course, this remains to be seen.

The Mods Are Strong With This One

Another reason to check out Battlefront 2 now is to check out the mods the game has to offer for the PC version. The page for Battleftont 2 on NexusMods has almost 4,000 mods available for the game, ranging from minor things like lighting and music changes to giving Boba Fett an updated appearance based on his look in Season 2 of the Mandalorian.

Some of these mods even go as far to replace sound effects and voice lines to make it feel like a whole new character was added, like this mod that turns BB-8 into Baby Yoda. Other mods include adding Ahsoka Tano, Sabine Wren from the Rebels cartoon, Moff Gideon from The Mandalorian, Padme Amidala, robot legs Darth Maul from the cartoons, and more into the game.

It seems like the massive amount of Battlefront 2 downloads on the Epic Game Store this week indicates that EA’s Battlefront series may still have some life in it, and that EA and Lucasfilm may consider making a Battlefront 3 after all. It could very well be that this free giveaway was testing the waters for more Battlefront. EA says it is going to continue to make Star Wars games like Jedi: Fallen Order 2, despite the announcement that other publishers like Ubisoft are going to start making Star Wars games as well. So perhaps if enough people pick up Battlefront 2, a sequel could happen.

Star Wars Battlefront 2 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

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