Star Wars Battlefront II is a 2017 action shooter video game created by DICE and published by Electronic Arts. It is part of the Star Wars: Battlefront series and follows the 2015 version of the series. The game includes both single-player and multiplayer modes and has more content than the previous game. The single-player story takes place between the movies Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. It follows a new character named Iden Versio, who leads a special Imperial military group called Inferno Squad. Most of the story happens in the fictional galaxy during the last year of the Galactic Civil War, before the Empire loses the Battle of Jakku.
The game was released worldwide on November 17, 2017, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. Critics gave mixed reviews, praising the multiplayer, gameplay, balance, graphics, and variety of activities. However, they criticized the single-player story, microtransactions, and progression system. The game also faced criticism for loot boxes, which are virtual items that can be bought with real money and sometimes give players advantages. In response, Electronic Arts removed microtransactions from the game.
After its release, the game received many free updates to improve its quality and attract more players. These updates stopped on April 29, 2020, after Electronic Arts said the game had reached its target number of players and had improved significantly. A special version of the game called the Celebration Edition, which includes all in-game cosmetic items, was released on December 5, 2019.
Gameplay
Star Wars Battlefront II is a video game that includes both single-player and multiplayer modes. Players can choose to fight on the ground as soldiers or in space as starfighters. The game features three different time periods from the Star Wars story: the Clone Wars, where the Galactic Republic fights the Confederacy of Independent Systems; the Galactic Civil War, where the Rebel Alliance battles the Galactic Empire; and a later war between the Resistance and the First Order. Each group has unique soldiers, such as clone troopers for the Republic, battle droids for the Confederacy, and stormtroopers for the Empire and First Order. Soldiers use the same controls but look different, while starfighters have special abilities that change how players play.
Battles happen on many maps, which vary depending on the era. When the game was first released, it included 15 locations from the Star Wars universe, such as Kamino, Naboo, Hoth, and the Death Star II, as well as space-only areas like Ryloth and the Unknown Regions. Later, eight more maps were added, including Crait, Geonosis, and D'Qar. Some maps are only used in certain game modes.
The game uses a class-based system. All factions have four soldier classes—Assault, Heavy, Officer, and Specialist—and three starfighter classes—Fighter, Interceptor, and Bomber (except the Resistance and First Order, who do not have Bombers). Ground battles also include special Reinforcement classes, which players unlock by earning "battle points" through defeating enemies or completing objectives. All factions have three soldier Reinforcements (Enforcer, Aerial, and Infiltrator) and two vehicle Reinforcements (Speeder and Armor). The four standard soldier classes do not require battle points. Some factions, like the Republic, CIS, Rebels, Empire, and First Order, have an extra Reinforcement class called Artillery, which is only available in specific maps for the Galactic Assault mode.
Players can level up all classes except Artillery. When they reach a new level, they earn a Skill Point to upgrade or unlock a Star Card. Star Cards are the main way to improve in the game. They can be equipped on a class to boost stats, like health or damage, or to replace abilities. Some Star Cards require reaching a certain level to unlock. Up to three Star Cards can be used at the same time for each class. Most Star Cards are specific to a class, but a few, like extra health, are available for all.
Players can customize their soldier classes by buying new appearances or unlocking new weapons through milestones. While weapon choices are limited, each weapon has unique features. Players can also add attachments to weapons to change their performance, like range or fire rate. Reinforcement classes can be leveled up and customized, but their weapons and abilities cannot be changed.
In addition to regular classes, players can play as heroes or villains based on famous Star Wars characters. Unlike in previous games, heroes are a full class that can be leveled up and customized. In multiplayer, heroes are only available in Galactic Assault and Supremacy modes and are unlocked by earning 4000 "battle points." In Galactic Assault, players can choose any hero, while Supremacy limits players to era-specific heroes. Each side can have up to two heroes in Supremacy and three in Galactic Assault. Other modes, like Heroes Vs Villains and Hero Showdown, allow players to use only heroes without restrictions.
Synopsis
Iden Versio (Janina Gavankar), leader of the Galactic Empire's elite special forces unit, Inferno Squad, is captured aboard the Invincible Faith, a Rebel Alliance Star Cruiser. Iden orders her ID10 droid, Dio, to free her from her cell before she deletes an Imperial message explaining the Emperor's plan to attack the rebels on Endor. After escaping through the airlock into space, Iden is rescued by the Corvus, Inferno Squad's ship, where she reports the mission's success to her squadmates, Del Meeko (T. J. Ramini) and Gideon Hask (Paul Blackthorne).
During the Battle of Endor, Inferno Squad attacks a rebel patrol guarding the Death Star II's destroyed shield generator. They then witness the destruction of the Death Star in Endor's sky. The squad escapes the moon before being surrounded by rebels and lands on the Star Destroyer Eviscerator, commanded by Iden's father, Admiral Garrick Versio (Anthony Skordi). The Admiral tells Iden about the Emperor's death, while a messenger droid delivers the Emperor's final order to begin Operation: Cinder. Admiral Versio sends Iden and Hask to an Imperial shipyard near Fondor to protect the Star Destroyer Dauntless, which holds experimental satellites critical to Operation: Cinder. Meanwhile, Del travels to Pillio to destroy one of the Emperor's hidden vaults, where he meets Luke Skywalker (Matthew Mercer). The two work together to fight local wildlife and access the vault, which contains the Emperor's stolen treasures. Luke takes one item before they part ways, and Del begins to question the Empire's goals.
Inferno Squad's next mission is to rescue Imperial Protectorate Gleb on Vardos, Iden's home planet, as Operation: Cinder begins. As the operation's satellites damage Vardos with storms, Iden and Del abandon the mission to save civilians, causing Hask to betray them. The pair escapes to the Corvus and becomes enemies with the Empire. They seek out the Rebellion and meet General Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), who offers them a choice: help stop Operation: Cinder or leave to start new lives. They choose to help and assist Princess Leia Organa (Misty Lee) in defending Naboo, destroying Cinder's satellites, and restoring the planet's defenses. After Naboo is saved, Iden and Del officially join the New Republic.
Months later, the new Inferno Squad—Iden, Del, and rebel agent Shriv Suurgav (Dan Donohue)—goes to Takodana to find General Han Solo (John Armstrong), who disappeared during a mission to retrieve data from an Imperial defector. After Han and the defector escape a stormtrooper squad and reach the Millennium Falcon, Inferno Squad helps them leave the planet. The data shows Admiral Versio is leading Imperial forces on Bespin and Sullust. On Bespin, Iden and Del try to capture Admiral Versio but are tricked by Hask. They escape, destroying a Star Destroyer fueling station. On Sullust, Lando and Shriv destroy a secret Imperial weapons factory. With these operations failing, the Imperial fleet fights a final battle at Jakku. During the battle, Iden shoots down Hask and boards the Eviscerator to rescue her father. Admiral Versio chooses to die with his ship, urging Iden to live a new life. Iden escapes in an escape pod and reunites with Del and Shriv. Iden and Del share a moment of affection as the battle ends the Galactic Empire.
Three decades later, Del is captured on Pillio by Gleb, who hands him to Kylo Ren (Matthew Wood) and the First Order. Kylo questions Del about the location of Luke Skywalker before leaving him with Hask, now a First Order officer. Hask criticizes Del for starting a family with Iden instead of staying a soldier, then kills him. Hask tells Gleb to leave the Corvus on Pillio to lure Iden out of hiding.
Shriv, now a Resistance agent, finds the abandoned Corvus and tells Iden and her daughter Zay (Brittany Volcy) that Del had been helping the Resistance investigate disappearances linked to "Project Resurrection." They go to Athulla, where Del was last seen, and are attacked by a Jinata Security fleet, which they destroy. Survivors admit they kidnapped children for the First Order and that Project Resurrection has moved to Vardos.
Iden and Shriv search Vardos' ruins, leaving Zay on the Corvus, and are captured by Hask, who reveals he killed Gleb and Del and that the First Order used Starkiller Base to destroy the New Republic. Hask orders his ship, the Retribution, to destroy the Corvus, but Zay escapes in an escape pod. Jinata Security attacks Hask's forces, and Iden and Shriv rescue Zay.
Deciding to help the Resistance, Iden, Shriv, and Zay steal TIE fighters to board the Retribution. They discover Project Resurrection involves the First Order kidnapping children to train them as stormtroopers and building a massive fleet to retake the galaxy. Shriv searches for an escape ship while Iden and Zay destroy the Retribution's hyperspace generators, forcing it to exit hyperspace near Starkiller Base, where the Resistance destroys it. Hask attacks them, shooting Iden before she pushes him to his death. Iden dies from her injury, telling Zay to escape with the Dreadnought plans. Zay reunites with Shriv, escapes the Retribution, and joins the Resistance. They send the plans to General Leia Organa, who offers her condolences, then orders them to travel to the Outer Rim to find more allies.
Post-launch content
During EA Play 2017, it was announced that Star Wars: Battlefront II would not include a Season Pass. Instead, all downloadable content was provided through free title updates, divided into several "seasons."
As of April 29, 2020, Electronic Arts (EA) decided the game had reached its target number of players and had improved significantly since its initial release. At this time, the game no longer received updates for new content.
The first season, based on the 2017 movie Star Wars: The Last Jedi, was released on December 5, 2017, ten days before the movie’s release. It included new content from the film, such as a space map over D’Qar, a Galactic Assault map on Crait, and new heroes like Finn (Resistance) and Captain Phasma (First Order). It also added a new hero ship, Tallie Lintra’s RZ-2 A-Wing, and a continuation of the single-player campaign called Battlefront II: Resurrection, which was released on December 13.
On May 3, 2018, EA Star Wars announced via Twitter that the second season would be based on the movie Solo: A Star Wars Story. The first part of this season was released on May 16 and included a new game mode called Hero Showdown, starfighters in the Arcade, and a returning map from Star Wars Battlefront (2015) called Jabba’s Palace. It also added skins for Leia Organa and Lando Calrissian based on their disguises in Return of the Jedi. The second part of the season, released on June 12, introduced a new map set in the mines of Kessel, a new variation of the Millennium Falcon (from Solo), and a return of the Extraction game mode on two new maps. New skins for Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, and Chewbacca based on their appearances in Solo were also added.
In February 2018, the game’s design director, Dennis Brännvall, mentioned that content inspired by Star Wars: The Clone Wars (an animated series) would be released in the future. At EA Play 2018, it was announced that this content would be added in the fall of 2018. It included a new Galactic Assault map on Geonosis, new clone trooper skins, and playable heroes like Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, General Grievous, and Count Dooku. Voice lines for these characters, recorded by the actors who voiced them in The Clone Wars, were also included. On October 30, General Grievous was added as a new villain for the Separatists, along with an alternative skin. On November 28, the Geonosis map and Obi-Wan Kenobi were added, along with new reinforcement classes, 212th Attack Battalion clone skins, and new skins for Grievous and Obi-Wan.
An update on January 23, 2019, added Count Dooku to the game and made the Geonosis map available for other game modes. On February 27, Anakin Skywalker was added, along with new skins for him, Dooku, and clone troopers, voice lines for all heroes, and a rework of emotes. On March 26, the Capital Supremacy mode was released, along with the Infiltrator class and major gameplay changes. On April 24, a new Kashyyyk map for Capital Supremacy was added, along with challenges and a new skin for Leia Organa to celebrate Star Wars Day. On May 22, a new Kamino map for Capital Supremacy was added. On June 21, a new Naboo map for Capital Supremacy was added, along with new skins for Anakin Skywalker and clone troopers, the Droideka as a new variation of the Enforcer class for the Separatists, and the TX-130 assault tank as a new variation of the Armor class for the Republic.
An update on August 28, 2019, added new skins for battle droids, maps from Capital Supremacy to the Heroes vs. Villains mode, and new Star Cards to replace the Health on Kill system. Health on Kill became a passive ability for all heroes. On September 25, a new Felucia map for Capital Supremacy was added, along with Clone Commandos as a new variation of the Enforcer class for the Republic, a new skin for Luke Skywalker, and two new game modes: Instant Action (offline) and Co-Op (player vs. environment). Daily Crates and Extraction mode were removed (Extraction was merged with Strike). On October 23, Ewok Hunt and Co-Op modes were updated, and a Felucia map for Heroes vs. Villains was added, along with new skins for the Jet Trooper, Luke Skywalker, and Han Solo.
On December 5, 2019, a Celebration Edition of the game was released, including all cosmetic options (skins, maps, etc.) released up to that point. It could be purchased separately or as an upgrade to the original version. An update, originally planned for late November, added new skins for the Infiltrator and Enforcer classes and a gameplay overhaul. On December 17, an update added content based on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, including a new Ajan Kloss map, Co-Op mode for the sequel trilogy era, new skins for Rey, Finn, and Kylo Ren, and new reinforcement classes for the Resistance and First Order. On February 3, 2020, an update added BB-8 and BB-9E as new heroes for the Resistance and First Order, respectively, and updated Capital Supremacy and Instant Action for the sequel trilogy era. On December 19, 2024, the complete edition of the game was added to the Xbox Game Pass subscription service for free, temporarily.
On February 26, 2020, a major update added content inspired by the original Star Wars trilogy, including the Co-Op mode, four new weapons (three returning from Star Wars: Battlefront (2015)), and the Infiltrator class. It also added new skins for existing reinforcement classes, a new Geonosis map for Heroes vs. Villains, and maps from the prequel era’s Capital Supremacy to Co-Op. Gameplay changes were also included. The next update, initially planned for late March, was delayed twice: once to mid-April and again to late April. It was released on April 29 and added content based on Rogue One, including a Scarif map and new skins for Rebel soldiers and Imperial stormtroopers. It also introduced a new offline mode called Instant Action Missions (merged with the original Instant Action), added Capital Sup
Development and marketing
On May 10, 2016, the development of Star Wars Battlefront II was announced. DICE led the project, and Motive Studios was responsible for the single-player campaign. Criterion Games handled the starfighter gameplay and mechanics. During an earnings call, EA’s chief financial officer, Blake Jorgensen, said the game would include content from the sequel trilogy of Star Wars films. Creative director Bernd Diemer explained that the company replaced the Season Pass system, which allowed players to purchase additional content, because the previous system had "fragmented" the player community of the 2015 game. The new system was designed to let all players enjoy the game for longer. Executive producer Matthew Webster announced on April 15, 2017, at Star Wars Celebration that the game would be released worldwide on November 17, 2017. The beta test for the game began on October 4, 2017, for players who pre-ordered it. It became an open beta for all players on October 6 and ran until October 11. A 10-hour trial version was available to EA Access and Origin Access subscribers on November 9, 2017.
A tie-in novel, Star Wars Battlefront II: Inferno Squad, was released on July 25, 2017. Written by Christie Golden, it serves as a direct prelude to the game and follows the Galactic Empire’s Inferno Squad as they attempt to destroy remnants of Saw Gerrera’s rebel cell after the events of the 2016 film Rogue One. On November 10, 2017, Electronic Arts announced the first free downloadable content for the game. This update included the planets D’Qar and Crait, as well as playable hero characters Finn and Captain Phasma, as a tie-in to Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
A small LEGO set based on Inferno Squad, called the "Inferno Squad Battle Pack," was released in early 2019. Iden Versio was added as a playable character to the mobile free-to-play turn-based role-playing game Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes in January 2022, ahead of the game’s fifth anniversary.
Microtransactions controversy
Before the game was officially released, the publisher EA faced criticism from gamers and game reporters for using a system called loot boxes. These loot boxes allowed players to buy in-game items with real money, which gave them big advantages in the game. To address the complaints, the developers changed how many items players could earn by playing the game. However, after the game was sent to players for testing, some players and reporters found problems with the game. For example, rewards were not connected to how well players performed, and a weak system for detecting inactive players let some users tie their controllers with rubber bands to automatically earn points during multiplayer matches, which hurt the experience of other players.
On November 12, 2017, a Reddit user said they spent $80 to buy the Deluxe Edition of the game but could not play as Darth Vader. To use this character, they needed 60,000 credits. Players estimated it would take about 40 hours of repeated tasks, called "grinding," to earn enough credits to unlock one hero. EA’s team responded by saying they wanted players to feel proud after unlocking heroes. This explanation upset many Reddit users, leading to hundreds of negative comments and a record-low score of -660,000 on the site. In 2019, this comment was added to the Guinness World Records. EA later reduced the cost of credits by 75% but also lowered the number of credits players earned from completing the game’s story.
On the day before the game’s release, EA removed all microtransactions, saying players had concerns about unfair advantages. They planned to reintroduce them later after making changes. The negative reactions on social media and poor reviews hurt EA’s stock price, which dropped by 2.5% on the game’s launch day. Wall Street analysts also lowered their predictions for the game’s financial success. A Wall Street analyst noted that video games are still cheaper than going to the movies, even with microtransactions. By November 2017, EA had lost $3 billion in stock value since the game launched. In March 2018, the game’s developer, DICE, announced major changes to the game’s progression and economy. Loot boxes would only give in-game money and cosmetic items, and another type of currency, called crystals, could only be used to buy cosmetic items. Players now earn skill points by playing specific characters or heroes, which they can use to improve their abilities.
On November 15, two days before the game’s release, a Belgian gambling regulator began investigating the game, along with Overwatch, to see if loot boxes were like gambling. EA said loot boxes were not gambling. The Belgian commission later said loot boxes were illegal under gambling laws but found EA was not in violation because microtransactions were temporarily removed. Belgium’s Justice Minister said if loot boxes are proven to be gambling, he would push to ban them in all European Union games.
After the Belgian investigation, the Dutch gambling regulator started its own look into Battlefront II and asked parents to monitor their children’s games. A Hawaii state representative called the game an "online casino" that could trap children and said he wanted to ban such practices. Another representative compared playing the game to smoking, saying it should not be allowed to encourage gambling. Singapore’s gambling authority is watching the situation, as loot boxes are not covered by their laws. Australian and UK authorities also investigated the issue. The UK Parliament later said loot boxes are a form of gambling and should be regulated like other gambling activities.
Reception
Star Wars Battlefront II received "mixed or average" reviews, according to Metacritic, a website that collects and summarizes game reviews.
In a 4 out of 5-star review for GamesRadar+, Andy Hartup said the game’s multiplayer mode was strong but criticized the single-player story for being too complicated and lacking depth. Game Revolution noted that the story started well but became weaker later, while praising the multiplayer gameplay but criticizing the use of microtransactions, a system that lets players buy in-game items, and a progression system that locked some characters until players spent money.
In EGM’s review, Nick Plessas praised the multiplayer combat and variety but criticized the focus on loot crates, which are packages that contain random items. Andrew Reiner of Game Informer gave the game 6.5 out of 10, saying the game added a full story and multiplayer content but was hurt by microtransactions. IGN’s Tom Marks also gave the game 6.5 out of 10, saying the game had good shooting mechanics but made playing feel frustrating because of its progression system.
The game was nominated for "Best Shooter," "Best Graphics," and "Best Multiplayer" in IGN’s Best of 2017 Awards. It was also a runner-up for "Most Disappointing Game" in Giant Bomb’s 2017 Game of the Year Awards. In Game Informer’s Reader’s Choice Awards, fewer readers chose the game for "Best Co-Op Multiplayer," but it won for "Best Graphics," "Best Audio," and "Biggest Disappointment" in their 2017 Shooter of the Year Awards.
In 2019, IGN’s David Jagneaux reviewed the game and gave it 8.8 out of 10, which was higher than the original review’s 6.5 out of 10. He said that after updates, the game improved significantly, especially in multiplayer, but the single-player story remained short and unimpressive.
In the U.S., Star Wars Battlefront II was the second best-selling game in November, behind Call of Duty: WWII. In Japan, the PlayStation 4 version sold 38,769 copies in its first week, placing it fourth on the sales chart. By December 2017, the game had sold 9 million copies worldwide. In January 2018, EA said the game did not meet its sales goal of 10 million copies and blamed the controversy over loot crates.
Community
Star Wars Battlefront II has a strong modding community, where fans add many different types of content, including new heroes and villains such as Ahsoka Tano, the Mandalorian, and Cal Kestis (from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order), among others. In early 2020, a mod was released that replaced BB-8 with Grogu. In October 2021, reports showed that hackers were causing problems on Battlefront II’s multiplayer servers. To fix this, developers tried to stop common hacking methods in February 2022. Additional fixes were made in January 2026. In December 2025, a custom server called Kyber was released in open beta for the Windows version of the game. Before this, the Windows version’s multiplayer servers had been frequently hacked, and no action was taken by Electronic Arts and DICE. Kyber includes a server browser feature similar to Battlelog, which was not used in previous DICE Battlefront titles that relied on automatic matchmaking. In January 2026, Kyber became open source.
In May 2025, the number of players and popularity of Star Wars Battlefront II increased quickly on Windows and Xbox platforms. This was due to the inclusion of Battlefront II’s complete edition on the Xbox Game Pass subscription service, the final season of the Andor TV series, the twentieth-anniversary re-release of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, and a new Fortnite season with a Star Wars theme. A community effort to encourage players on May 24 caused the number of players on Steam to reach nearly 19,000, which was much higher than the previous record of 10,000 concurrent players. Demand for a new Battlefront 3 game increased sharply. The return of interest was noticed by many former developers and actors who worked on Battlefront II and the Star Wars franchise, including actor Muhannad Ben Amor, who played Wilmon Paak in Andor. In June 2025, a sale event by EA helped increase the number of players on Steam to nearly 36,000 concurrent players, breaking the previous record again.