It seems a year can't go by without a few major leaks occurring in the lead-up to E3. Earlier this week, a possible release date for the next Assassin's Creed game supposedly leaked, and now, with only a few hours before EA Play starts, it looks like there's been another.
Star Wars Battlefront II Leak
With EA gearing up for its second EA Play event, kicking off June 10, it looks like Star Wars Battlefront II just had a pretty big leak. Thanks to a video from YouTuber NukemDukem that has since been removed, we have been given a first look at Battlefront II's gameplay. The video appears to have already been recorded in the last few weeks, sporting an EA sponsor tag. It was likely meant to release immediately after the opening keynote where Battlefront II was going to be a centerpiece.
The video in question offers a taste of the game's multiplayer, courtesy of longtime Battlefield devs, DICE. The gameplay immediately set itself apart from the first game, since it's clearly Prequel Era with clone troopers and battle droids. The map, titled "Assault on Theed" sees the Republic and Confederacy battling for control of Naboo Palace and marketplace as players vie for dominance.
The gameplay also offers a first look at some of the hero characters available. There are four listed, with three getting screentime to represent the three Star Wars film eras. There's Darth Maul with his double-edge lightsaber, Boba Fett and his array of weapons, and Rey sporting the Skywalker lightsaber.
There was also a look at the new selection screen when heading into a match. Like EA said at Star Wars Celebration earlier this year, there are four classes available to play as in matches instead of the approach from the first game that used star cards and generic models. The four classes are Assault, Heavy, Officer, and Specialist. It also had a vehicle list, showing what vehicles were available to each side and if it was already in play.
Living Up To The Force
Since Battlefront II's reveal, EA and DICE have made clear their goal of making up for 2015's Battlefront. The first game, while it played well and was visually stunning, also felt hollow for meaningful content. There wasn't a lot of map variation and only a few modes people played repeatedly. While there's been fewer details leading up to EA Play and E3 this year, Battlefront II is already looking like a more complete package than the first game.
With multiplayers spanning all three film eras and a full single-player campaign, Battlefront II is shaping up pretty well. While it's a shame that the gameplay was leaked ahead of EA Play, this first look should do plenty to regain favor with fans.
