Star Wars Battlefront 2 Designer Talks Server Browsers & Multiplayer Modes At EA Play

Star Wars Battlefront 2 was one of EA Play’s biggest stars, and one fan on reddit got to speak to the game’s designer, Dennis Brännvall, at the event. Here’s a recap of the chat’s fresh details from server browsers to multiplayer modes.

Perhaps most controversially, Star Wars Battlefront 2 will reportedly not have a dedicated server browser on PC, PS4 or Xbox One. That essentially means that, like its predecessor, all of the multiplayer madness will be dictated by matchmaking. For better or worse, players will be at the mercy of DICE’s algorithm when it comes to finding suitable opponents. That being said, those who want to join a private match with their friends will be able to do so. However, Brännvall did stop short of confirming support for the feature at launch.

Beyond getting into a match, the next major areas of focus for players are modes and gameplay. While E3 demonstrations mostly focused on Galactic Assault, returning soldiers can also expect some familiar match types from the first game. Most notably, Blast, Drop Zone and Cargo were confirmed alongside the standard multiplayer mainstays. Curiously enough, the report indicates that Drop Zone in particular was described as “very different” from its 2015 iteration.

There are even some new gameplay mechanics. For one, Battlefront 2 does indeed feature a respawn timer. That means players won’t be able to immediately spawn to a partner this time around. Instead, there’s a 10-second delay. If three teammates die in close succession to one another, they will spawn as a single wave.

Weapon cooldowns are equally deep. Instead of firing to maintain a rate somewhere in the yellow part of the bar, there are now three segments: red, yellow and green. Staying too long in the red means you won’t be able to fire as long on the next refresh, yellow is a normal refresh and green allows for a longer period of shooting. While there’s no ammo to watch, the most skilled combatants will need to manage these three levels wisely. Successful shooting is all about finding the right stance and location too. Standing, crouching and aiming down sights all impact accuracy.

While the lack of a server browser might be a bit of a bummer for some, matchmaking difficulties might theoretically be alleviated by changes to the way Star Wars Battlefront 2 is set up. Since all of the game’s multiplayer map DLC will be free, it means all players can enjoy all the content all the time. Less audience segmentation might make it easier to find a match when all is said and done. As for those returning modes, we can’t wait to see how Drop Zone evolves later this year.

Star Wars Battlefront 2 will be available on PS4, Xbox One and PC Nov. 17. Be sure to check out our hands-on campaign and multiplayer impressions straight from the EA Play show floor.

What do you think of these Star Wars Battlefront 2 multiplayer changes? Has your favorite mode been confirmed for the game? Tell us in the comments section!