The Design Chief of Star Wars Battlefront 2, Dennis Brännvall, is stepping down and leaving EA Dice in November 2020. He was the mastermind behind the great success that Battlefront 2 eventually became. After 8 years in the studio, he is gone. Fans believe: This means EA Dice is focusing on Battlefield 6 and is not making a new Star Wars Battlefront 3 anytime soon.
This is what Dennis Brännvall says: The Design Director of Star Wars Battlefront 2, Dennis Brännvall, says on Twitter: Eight years ago, there were goosebumps and tears of joy at EA Dice when they found out that they had acquired the Star Wars license and could make these games.
Eight years later, his journey is over. He leaves EA Dice. Brännvall thanks the fans and may the Force be with them.
Saved Star Wars Battlefront 2 for 3 Years
This is how Star Wars Battlefront 2 went: Brännvall has gone through exciting 8 years, especially the last three were thrilling:
- Star Wars Battlefront 2 launched in November 2017 and suffered one of the biggest shitstorms in video game history. The game was accused of taking loot boxes to an extreme and thus tarnishing the good reputation of Star Wars.
- Apparently, Disney even intervened to tell EA: This is not how it works.
- EA pulled the emergency brake and removed microtransactions from the game.
- Battlefront 2 went on a redemption tour and has been continuously improved over the last few years and has become a really good online shooter.
- In 2019 and 2020, Battlefront 2 transformed from the number one object of hate into a real feel-good story: A game that started weak but ultimately became good.
- In April 2020, the further development of Battlefront II was officially concluded.
Fans believe: EA Dice is only making Battlefield, no Battlefront anymore
This is how fans are now reacting to Brännvall’s departure: On reddit, they are discussing Brännvall’s departure:
- In the general forum, it is said somewhat cynically: Brännvall was the guy who had to take the “flak for EA”. He was rolled out by PR whenever things were getting bad with Battlefront. He did well.
- For fans of Battlefront, Brännvall was someone they rooted for. It is great to see how far the game and he have come. In the Battlefront subreddit, they are thanking Brännvall (via reddit).
On reddit, they believe that Brännvall’s departure signals that EA is not planning a Star Wars Battlefront 3 anytime soon.
Apparently, EA Dice is fully focused on Battlefield 6, the new game is expected to be the flagship for EA’s offensive on PS5 and Xbox Series X.
They believe Brännvall will likely seek a new project rather than contribute to another franchise. There is currently no word on a Star Wars Battlefront 3.
Battlefield vs. Battlefront – Battle in Stockholm seems to decide
This is what makes EA Dice special: The studio in Stockholm, Sweden, has about 350 employees, but developed two major franchises in recent years that compete for attention because they operate in the same genre:
- the military shooter Battlefield (2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018)
- and the Star Wars shooter Battlefront (2015, 2017)
Brännvall’s departure is now interpreted as a sign that they are fully dedicating themselves to Battlefield.
The recently released Star Wars Squadrons from EA was no longer developed in Stockholm, but came from the Motive Studios in Canada.
Anyone who reads EA’s business reports carefully will notice that EA’s hearts have been particularly loud for Apex Legends since 2019: The free-to-play shooter appears to have been chosen by EA as “THE Shooter” that they want to grow significantly.
According to EA, Apex Legends is to come to mobile and conquer Asia.
Battlefront was a feel-good story for fans, but probably not for EA. They still remember the shitstorm well. EA Dice seems to be focusing its efforts on Battlefield 6. In the past, they noticed that there was a lot of potential for bringing the fans’ anger down:
Battlefield 6 is set to release around Christmas 2021 – That’s what we know.
