A major shake-up across Electronic Arts has brought a massive silver lining for sci-fi shooter fans. According to multiple industry sources cited by Variety, EA has quietly greenlit development on the long-awaited Star Wars: Battlefront 3, putting two of its heaviest hitters—Respawn Entertainment and DICE—in the co-pilot seat for Lucasfilm.
While EA has stopped short of mentioning the Battlefront name on the record, the publisher officially confirmed that both studios are actively partnering on an ambitious, unannounced shooter aimed at expanding its FPS portfolio beyond the Battlefield series.
A Powerhouse Pairing: DICE Scale Meets Respawn Polish
On paper, this collaboration addresses nearly every historical critique of the modern Battlefront franchise.
DICE has always been unrivaled when it comes to audiovisual fidelity, large-scale vehicular combat, and capturing the sheer cinematic grandeur of the Star Wars galaxy. However, the studio has stumbled with live-service stewardship—most notably the aggressive pay-to-win microtransactions and loot box progression that sparked massive backlash during Star Wars: Battlefront 2’s 2017 launch.
Respawn Entertainment, on the other hand, represents EA’s gold standard for gunplay and movement mechanics. With hits like Apex Legends and Titanfall 2, Respawn understands tight shooter fundamentals. More importantly, their critical and commercial success with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Survivor proves they know how to handle the license with care, respect, and deep mechanical polish.
Combining DICE’s knack for 64-player warfare with Respawn’s refined feel and live-ops experience makes this potential threequel one of the most promising shooter projects in years.
Strategic Realignment: What EA Sacrificed Along the Way
This high-profile team-up comes amid sweeping corporate restructuring at EA. The company is actively narrowing its focus to four primary pillars:
- Competitive sports titles
- High-growth shooter franchises
- Premium action-adventure releases
- Evergreen lifestyle simulations (such as The Sims)
Doubling down on proven, high-upside pillars has come at a steep cost. As part of this reallocation, EA announced the closure of legendary RPG studio BioWare, officially cancelling an early-stage Mass Effect project in the process. With single-player RPG investments scaling back, high-visibility multiplayer projects like a new Battlefront carry immense commercial weight.
Looking Ahead
EA has not outlined a release target for Star Wars: Battlefront 3. Both teams remain busy: Respawn continues work on the next installment of the Star Wars Jedi narrative, while DICE maintains live updates for the Battlefield franchise.
The Battlefront franchise previously spent years climbing out of the hole dug by monetization missteps. If EA gives these two studios the creative latitude to blend cinematic scale with responsive gameplay, Battlefront 3 could finally deliver the definitive galaxy-spanning war game fans have waited for.