As publisher EA and developer Dice prepare the open beta playtest of the game that everyone hopes they don't screw up massively, the team has offered some details about what the testing period will include and what will be missing when it begins next week.
The Battlefront team revealed that the beta period for the Star Wars themed shooter will include modes Walker Assault on Hoth and Drop Zone on Sullust. The playtest will be offered on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC at some point next week.
The beta will also include Survival Mission on Tatooine that gamers can play solo or co-op but requires them to stay connected to its servers -- local co-op and solo play will be available offline when the game lands this November.
The team also answered a handful of questions about what the game will include, beta and beyond. Players will be armed with primary blasters and a hand of "Star Cards" that'll offer power ups; however, it doesn't seem as if they will be sidearms in the game.
It's safe to assume Dice will allow players to upgrade their vehicles, but the studio hasn't made that exactly clear yet.
"Vehicles in Star Wars Battlefront come with their own weapons and abilities that make them authentic to the Star Wars universe," says Mathew Everett, Battlefront's community manager.
Star Wars: Battlefront launches on Nov. 17, ahead of the release of the upcoming film Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The game is poised to be a popular gift this holiday season, but that could hurt its digital sales because people tend to prefer to gift physical items, noted Joost van Dreunen, CEO of Superdata Research.
"Nonetheless, by timing the game's release with the movie, it will reach maximum exposure right before the holiday season," states van Dreunen. "In a parallel universe, however, we observe that the Star Wars IP proved unable to turn the tides for Angry Birds."
EA likely has much staying power that Rovio, but it's interesting to note that the Force couldn't revive the mobile game maker's early success.
"Let's see how strong, exactly, the force will be with this one," added van Dreunen.
