Thanks to social media nowadays, we often get access to people's direct, unfiltered thoughts and opinions. Given the uniquely interactive nature of video games, many developers take to Twitter to informally update the fans of their games on the status of a certain product.
After months of silence and accusations of censoring, EA has finally lifted the gag on Star Wars Battlefront II's team, and DICE devs often tweet about the status of the game and what changes they are currently working on.
The Star Wars Battlefront II Developer Who Treats Fans Right
EA Is Reportedly Cracking Down On Battlefront II Forums, Devs Forbidden From Talking
All Eras of Star Wars will get Playlists - 31/01/18
It was only a couple of days ago that we reported that Star Wars Battlefront 2's Design Director Dennis Brännvall confirmed that a Clone Wars-themed Playlist was coming to the game. Now he's gone further and confirmed that ALL Eras of Star Wars will get Playlists - that's Prequel, Classic, and Sequel.
@and yes all eras
— Dennis Brännvall (@DICE_FireWall) January 30, 2018
Presumably these Playlists will start very soon, and we would not be surprised if the Clone Wars Playlist will be first to go along with the next Season when it starts.
Clone Wars playlist incoming - 29/01/18
In addition to the Obi-Wan content below, another clue dropped over the weekend that the Clone Wars is the next time period getting some love. According to the Design Director, there's a Clone Wars playlist coming soon.
yes, coming
— Dennis Brännvall (@DICE_FireWall) January 28, 2018
Given the game doesn't currently have a lot of prequel maps, this may indicate that the next content drop will indeed focus on the massive war happening between Episodes II and III.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Clone Wars confirmed? - 25/01/18
Star Wars Battlefront 2 Design Director and one of our favourite people Dennis Brännvall ended the day with an enigmatic tweet. While Dennis has denied that his frequent Clone Wars hints (see update below this) has anything to do with the frequent rumours that Battlefront 2 Season 2 will be based around The Clone Wars cartoon, his latest tweet seems to hint at this again - while also hinting at the Hero character coming for it.
And remember, you can kill me, but you will never destroy me. It takes strength to resist the dark side. Only the weak embrace it.
— Dennis Brännvall (@DICE_FireWall) January 25, 2018
Good night!
You can watch the quote here. It's from The Clone Wars - Season 5 Episode 16: The Lawless, and was said by Obi-Wan Kenobi to Darth Maul (who already features in the game). Many players are taking this as a strong hint that Obi-Wan Kenobi will be the Hero for the Clone Wars campaign. Presumably if true General Grievous, Count Dooku or Asajj Ventress will be the Villain.
It's possible Dennis is trolling fans, or just being a Star Wars nerd, but the frequent hints and nods seem to really be suggesting something more.
No Major Content Updates For A While - 24/01/18
EA has officially announced progression changes are on the way, but they may not be as quick as most players hope. While a huge portion of the playerbase is anxiously waiting for new content and a new free DLC season soon, the truth is they may be a few months away.
Over on Twitter, someone got carried away by a Clone Wars tweet from Design Director Dennis Brännvall. In a reply, Brännvall stated that he was not teasing anything, and clarified that any meaningful change coming to the game needs to wait for a while.
I'm not hinting at anything tonight. I'm just hanging out. I realize you're eager for EVERYTHING to come out NOW but it's going to take a while. We have some cleaning up to do before we get to the good stuff. Hang in there.
— Dennis Brännvall (@DICE_FireWall) January 24, 2018
Progression and Career is first on the list, obviously. We'll try to keep you entertained with some light content until we're ready for the big stuff later on.
— Dennis Brännvall (@DICE_FireWall) January 24, 2018
It's not a surprise, given the status of the game. Question is: how many players will stick around until Battlefront II fixes itself?
Hero Balance: Rey and Boskk - 22/01/2018
As word of hero balancing makes the rounds, one of DICE's hero designer Guillaume Mroz voices a couple of small tweaks coming to two of the game's heroes.
Hey! I've seen concerns about Bossk and Rey's nerf :)
— Guillaume Mroz (@guillaume_mroz) January 22, 2018
So I'll just be more clear, because they will be somewhat small:
-Rey will probably see only Insight's radius reduced a bit.
-Bossk, I found an issue with a star card that explains why he is so high.
Humorous Updates - 12/01/2018
Over on Twitter, Design Director Dennis Brännvall was swarmed with fans questions after the censure lifted, and most of his replies are brilliant teases filled with fan service.
From skins and nerfs to technical and aesthetic questions, Brännvall answer queries with a mix of straightforwardness and just the right amount of non-disclosure.
Tune for when I'm 'tweaking' the progression system. https://t.co/S0HHnHtDIj
— Dennis Brännvall (@DICE_FireWall) January 10, 2018
Check out a summary of Dennis' best tweets and why his attitude is the right one.
Silence - 09/01/2018
With EA, DICE and the various developers behind Star Wars Battlefront 2 still deathly silent even regarding future plans for the game, EA Community Manager Mat Everett has posted this cryptic and rather troubling tweet.
When your hands are tied and everyone is looking wondering why... trust me I know.
— Mat Everett (@sledgehammer70) January 8, 2018
You may remember Everett from the "armchair developers of the internet" comment that went viral.
Everett suggested that the viral post was nothing to do with Battlefront 2, and indeed this recent tweet may not have anything to do with the game - but since the facts are that EA promised Q&As, updates, and communication which have not appeared we can imagine that a Community Manager such as Everett is probably extremely frustrated to have his "hands tied" by EA, and be unable to tell us why all the silence.
Afterwards, Everett posted an official response on the Battlefront 2 forums regarding the recent developer silence - and what EA and DICE will be doing next.
You can read the post in context here. Of particular note:
- "communication, updates and messaging need approval by all parties involved" - this isn't usually a problem with big games, especially multiplayer games with regular updates. This boils down to: someone at either EA or Lucasfilm insisted on developer silence.
- "the team is working on updates and changes that would directly impact many of your ongoing questions or our responses" - why not simply say "we're working on that" to those answers, which would inspire confidence and allay any fears?
We should hopefully be getting answers to players' questions and an end to the silence from EA and DICE, although there is still no guarantee it won't happen again. Battlefront 2 has been without a patch since The Last Jedi update, so hopefully we'll get that too.
