A stunning revival of interest in 2017 game Star Wars Battlefront II Developer dice and publisher EA should take a well -worthy victory lap. But when developers in the dice hopes that there is a feeling of pride in love and interest in the 8-year-old game-its sudden success has put a shadow on EA’s business strategy?
The question is relevant because on June 22, 2025, the game saw a record number of concurrent users on steam, Topping at 35,000 In January 2021, concurrent users log in in an 8 -year -old game compared to the previous peak of 10,000 players.
The increase of surprise was not an overnight incident. About a decade, a stable stream of Battlefront 2 The players have nurtured a healthy interest in the game, keeping it humming at about 2,000 to 3,000 ccu on steam. Material creators like Fleshy And Thstarbazar Played an important role here, and when a new batch of players picked up the game for $ 5 on Star Wars sale on 4 May Star Wars, they and other community groups like Kabar Was ready to congratulate him.
“Star Wars always renewed in the fourth May, but I think this year Fortnite Star Wars event a full season and acquisitions realized that they still have a longing for a multiplayer star Wars shooter, “Bombing (real name Andrew Shelley) visited.”Fortnite There is not much scratch that itching. ,
According to Shelley, it was actually born, which was “known as the community -known community known as” known as “.Revival day“A bid for publicly campaigning to make a fictional Star Wars Battlefront 3Disney+ Star shows interest in wars andor- and A public support Regeneration Day by Cast Member Muhanad Bhiyar also played a role, but the homestone was a community community Rideonium He Explosion When all friction hit the air.
May 24 came and went with around 18,000 players logging on steam. The players got stuck all around, eventually reached the peak of 22 June. More material manufacturer is moving for the game, new guides are going up and yet – what has EA said about Serge?
Nothing. EA Star Wars And Dice Social media accounts are silent. Choose through East and you will get promotion for sales of May 4 and posts promoting updates for free-to-play mobile games Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes As well as upcoming Star Wars: Zero CompanySearch the latter, and you will get a mixture of 2042 clips Battlefield 2042 And fuck about the upcoming game.
After a one -year launch after the player’s enthusiasm, there will be a win for almost any game developer. But it’s unfortunate for EA Another worrying signal Flaws in its business model – one that operates Record trimming Can run across your game studio and developer in an expensive disaster.
New Battlefront II Material is unlikely
EA is caught on flat-foot Battlefront II For this reason, its successful series and the number of studios have been shrinking for the last decade: its top-down management style puts developers in unmanned conditions where they cannot respond to industry change and player’s enthusiasm.
That strategy has put the dice in an unqualified position. This can not swing in action in response Battlefront IIThe popularity of because it is head-down on the next battlefield game, Working with several other EA subsidiaries to resume the chain As a live service powerhouse (ARS Technica Has reported That project is passing through a rocky patch in development). If everyone descends into the battlefield, there is no one to return double on the battlefront.
Creating new materials would also be technically difficult as it ended development 5 years ago. Not only will it be out of the tooling, but shipping on modern console may have severe technical debt and flaws. Creating new star wars content may also require to re -organize your license with copyright holder Disney. This is unlikely, given that CEO Andrew Wilson has repeatedly said that the company is Get away from licensed games,
Image via EA/dice.
It just leaves the question of a fictional sequel. Simon Carles, the founder (and former game developer publisher) of Gamediscoverco, does not think that this player boom is enough to make EA another star Wars Battlefront game. Based on his company’s data, he estimated that the game has earned “about $ 5 million” in gross revenue from May 1, which is out of the total of “about $ 32 million” for its entire lifetime on steam (Battlefront II It was launched on steam only in 2020. It was earlier available on the original app of EA).
“While it is true that its concurrent users are now spacious, it is all through one-closed purchase,” Carles said. “We will imagine whether EA sees it as good catalog revenue, but can not see it as a reason to create a new game in the series.” A new game will cost at least $ 60, and who will buy players Battlefront II Some can take a nap on an expensive successor for some dollars.
They are the realities of sports development in 2025. But thanks to reporting and statements from former developers, we can see how the shifting environment of EA online failed, all because it was laser-centered on financial growth at all costs.
Battlefront II of Mudrikaran scheme was originally a disaster
Focus-at-all-cost was noted at that laser focus Battlefront II First launched in 2017. $ 60 game Robbery box Was so unpopular that EA 75 percent lower pricesShortly thereafter, the then-Hawai State Legislature Representative Chris Lee called for a law to ban the loot boxes, referring to Battlefront II In the form of “Star Wars-Themes with online casino”. Even if you do not subscribe to that principle Loot boxes are a form of gamblingIt is appropriate to say that there was an additional cash (or 40-hour in-game plattem) to unlock the characters from films.
Change Battlefront IIThe Mudrikaran model may have affected the EA’s estimated revenue for the game, possibly not only reduced the company’s enthusiasm for the game, but the Star Wars License as a whole.
Fiyesko abolished the development of time dice and post -EA launch content in 2020. The official server of the game ended development by fitting the decades-dice trading strategy of the pass Pass Pass Pass. since 2011 Battlefield 3The series has been sold with a post-launch material support of about two years as a premium product that can expand the sale after the launch. This model was also employed for dice Star Wars Battlefront And Star Wars Battlefront II,
It left unprotected for disintegration by companies that could provide equal quality levels without developing expensive sequels. That year Battlefield Furious legislative bhub, bluhol issued Playerunknown’s battlegrounds (Known as today Pubg battleground), To increase the financial model for live service games. Bluehole was very much experienced by making a large-scale multiplayer online roll-playing game, which was not designed around an indispensable sunsetting to te-up a large-judge sequel.
The problem is clear: EA has chosen flexibility and surprise hit opportunities for the last decade. Reporting on EA-its mandate to convert that bioware to its in-development dragon edge sequel An online multiplayer gameTo Anthem‘S Disturbed development cycleThe next battlefield game shown a repetitive pattern: EA tasking teams have not been experienced in specific styles, which have not been experienced in specific styles with a short-term support for long-term support for long-term support.
This problem is not specially forced by the studio to these meat grinders. EA motive Star Wars squadron And remake dead Space With just three years between them, while support on projects is also gifted Like Next battlefield single-Khiladi campaign. (And Battlefront IISingle-Player Campaign!) Its in-development iron man game seems safe for this time, but CEO Andrew Wilson repeatedly urge that the company is moving away from licensed games (and cancellation of the company’s black panther game and shut down developer clifer games) putting a constant pressure on that game.
Bioware Austin placed Star Wars: The Old Republic Also humming (even if it never kills the heights of other mmorpgs world of Warcraft Or Final Fantasy XIV), Creating an intensive knowledge basis for live services and online games could have been tapped into the studio. BUT to EA The development of that game has moved For external studio broadword.
Meanwhile, Wilson recently noted Apex legend Revenue is “Declining“, Whereas Pubg battleground And Fortnite Continue together. “We believe that there will be a time where we need to update more meaningful Apex As a comprehensive sports experience, “he said – but only by saying that the next battlefield will be after the launch of the game. It will be” updated “that how many will be difficult Developers in Respon Entertainment This year the company stopped.
The entire business model of EA has chased new big budget maghits in an era, where tomorrow’s big budget megling is still at the top of the chart. For any other company, tens of thousands of players spontaneously sent the developers and community managers bursting in their 8-year game to do something-to celebrate anything-to celebrate their enthusiasm.
But in EA, it seems that if it does not develop, it is not worth a single post on social media.
