Lets Break Down the Star Wars Battlefront DLC Roadmap

Dice finally laid out (some of) it’s plans for updating and upgrading Star Wars Battlefront throughout 2016. 

If you are like me, you enjoy playing Star Wars Battlefront, but the amount of extended time you spend playing the game is a bit cutoff as you try to work around so many of the weird quirks about the game. My favorite mode, Turning Point, only exists on one map. My second favorite modes: Droid Run and Drop Zone seem like their maps are so tight together as you run from place to place because they are so intimately familiar now.

It is time for something new and thanks to a new press release on the PlayStation Blog it seems everyone who plays Battlefront will be getting a piece of something new soon.

"All fans will get free content that includes new maps for both multiplayer and Missions modes, the introduction of Private Matches, new Hero outfits, and more. Fans looking to get even more out of their Star Wars Battlefront experience can look forward to the Star Wars Battlefront Season Pass, which will introduce a wealth of fresh content set across exciting new locations including Bespin, the Death Star, and more."

It feels kind of weird that an online multiplayer game would be introducing Private Matches after launch, but that’s where we are with Star Wars Battlefront right now. It is a game that feels incredibly dated in many ways despite looking very much like one of the best games of 2015.

Other things that fans of the game can look forward to are:

"The Tatooine Survival map will now support the Blast, Droid Run, Drop Zone, Hero Hunt, and Heroes vs Villains multiplayer modes, and is called Raider Camp.New Hoth-themed outfits for Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, both of which will be available to all fans when they play as these two iconic characters on the Hoth – these were unlocked by our players for completing our Heroes’ Holiday community mission last month.Daily Challenges and Community Events: These are designed to rally the Community around certain goals and objectives, giving players the chance to earn credits and unlocks even faster. We’ll have more news regarding Community Events and Daily Challenges in the days ahead. And of course, we are also including some overall balancing tweaks to both weapons and multiplayer modes."

So if you read this right, you see that there is an already existing map getting more use from other modes and new outfits for two of the available heroes. I am not saying this is not enough, but I am saying that is pretty weak. As part of a larger update, things like challenges and community events would be cool, but it is not like the community events are happening in an open world like Destiny so I am curious to see what Star Was Battlefront thinks it will pull off in comparison.

As things move forward though, it surely gets better, right?

"In February, we will continue to add more free content for all players, including a new Survival mission on Hoth, and a brand-new Hoth multiplayer map that will support our larger game modes, including Walker Assault, Supremacy, Fighter Squadron and Turning Point. Speaking of Turning Point, we are also excited to make this popular mode available on all maps that currently support Walker Assault and Supremacy in the February update."

So this is pretty substantial. There is an additional survival mission. Cool. That is very welcome. I like the survival missions. A new Hoth map for large game modes as well? Ahh, that sounds pretty fun. Turning point will also be available on all maps that Walker Assault and Supremacy currently are? Ok, That is pretty big for me. As mentioned above, I love Turning Point.

Hit me with March, DICE!

"In March, we will be adding another exciting new multiplayer map on Endor that will support Walker Assault, Supremacy, and Turning Point, and an additional Tatooine Survival map"

Ok, so a new multiplayer map and an additional survival map. Alright then. That is… Good. In total over the next three months, Battlefront will add the following:

• 2 new large scale multiplayer maps – One at the ice lair Hoth and the other at Endor.
• 2 new survival missions – One at the ice lair Hoth and the other at Tatooine
• 1 new small scale map – Raider Camp which is the Tatooine Survival map refitted for those match types.
• Turning Point will be unleashed on all large maps.
• Community events and daily challenges
• Stability tweaks.

If you, like me, are a fan of the small scale battles in these games, then you have to be disappointed, right? Like Droid Run now has one additional map. A map I have played many times before on survival already. I am sure they will retrofit it well to make it work, but that sucks pretty bad that there are 2 brand new maps for large scale modes, but the small scale ones get something everyone has played pretty extensively.

Not to worry, Season Pass Owners! You have not been left behind, you will get your first piece of content for Star Wars Battlefront in…. March 2016! March Madness, baby! You get this really short description that tells you precious little. Just know there are at least two new maps coming your way:

"Star Wars Battlefront Outer Rim (March 2016) – Fight among the factories of Sullust and battle within Jabba the Hutt’s palace on Tatooine"

Thanks, DICE. Great description. I can hardly wait.

It looks like this will be a long winding road for Star Wars Battlefront fans. The good thing to remember is EA is still releasing content updates for Battlefield 4 so maybe in like two years it can be just as wide and varied of a game as that started out as.