The trailers for Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens have made it clear that fans will be seeing plenty of the planet Jakku. It's been the setting for the vast majority of the footage that has been shown so far, and judging from the destruction present in the teasers, the planet played a pivotal role in the tail-end of the Galactic Civil War.
For many Star Wars fans, however, Episode VII won't be their first time getting up-close and personal with Jakku: EA and DICE's Star Wars: Battlefront will feature the Battle of Jakku as the game's first piece of downloadable content. That being said, while fans have known for some time that Jakku would be featured in the game, there was no telling what'd be waiting for them once it launched. Of course, there'd be a new map, but what will set Jakku apart from another, very similar planet already featured in the game?
Thankfully, EA has finally started giving out details on what players can expect from the Battle of Jakku DLC. Not only will the content update include two new maps for players to explore, but it'll launch alongside a brand new gametype — one that details exactly what happened in the wastelands shown in The Force Awakens.
For the first time in Battlefront, it won't be Rebel soldiers holding off against wave after wave of Imperial Stormtroopers — in fact, it'll be the exact opposite. "Turning Point" will focus on the Rebel Alliance trying to capture one of three active control points, while the Empire defends them — if one is captured, another set unlocks, and the game continues. If the Rebels can make it all the way to the Imperial base at the other side of the map, they win; if the Empire manages to hold out until the clock runs out, victory is theirs.
While Battlefront is no stranger to massive battlefields, Jakku is meant to stand out from the rest of the game's various maps. As DICE concept artist Anton Grandert (via IGN) puts it:
"There's a David and Goliath theme to this. The epic, huge super structures of the Star Destroyers contrast against the tiny but brave Rebel soldiers fighting the Imperial forces."
"We wanted to portray a battle completely surrounding you, in every direction. Debris is falling from the sky, telling the story of battles above. On the surface of the planet you can see ground troops as well as X-wings, all taking part of the fight."
The best part is that gamers won't have to wait long to play through the Battle of Jakku: the maps and modes will launch as free DLC for everyone on Dec. 8, and on Dec. 1 for anyone who preordered the game.
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