Star Wars Battlefront II was met with a fair amount of legitimate criticism when it launched back in 2017, mostly because of its progression system that heavily encouraged purchasing in-game items with microtransactions. However, this system was later jettisoned and replaced by a much fairer system that encouraged smart play. One could say it was an act of redemption, and EA and DICE appear to be doubling down on that idea with The Rise of Skywalker content coming to the game this week.
Available beginning December 17, the Star Wars Battlefront II Rise of Skywalker update adds several new elements to the multiplayer shooter — even as you may still be busy with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. A jungle planet — unnamed right now — will come to the game’s cooperative mode as well as the Heroes vs. Villains competitive mode, giving you the chance to live out your sequel-era fantasies with friends.
New characters have been added to the game as well, including the Sith trooper for the Infiltrator class and the First Order Jet Trooper that was seen in one of the film’s trailers. Alien Gunner and Spy units will be available as well, with appearances similar to those in The Rise of Skywalker, and the characters Finn, Rey, and Kylo Ren will all have their appearances updated to match the movie. They can be purchased via in-game currency and are also included in a new Celebration Edition.
The Celebration Edition is designed for those who may have skipped Battlefront II during its initial launch in 2017. It includes the base game with all updates available in the other versions, as well as tons of different appearances, emotes, poses, and voice lines for the characters. It will be sold for $40 and those who already have the game can upgrade for $25.
With this much content included in a game more than two years after its launch, it seems DICE and EA never abandoned its shot at redemption. Perhaps this will mirror Kylo Ren’s own tale in The Rise of Skywalker, but we’ll have to wait and see how much it borrows from Return of the Jedi when the film opens on December 20.
