Star Wars Battlefront 2 Has Powerful Special Characters In Addition To Heroes

Star Wars Battlefront 2 is headlined by a memorable cast of heroes including Yoda, Darth Maul and Rey, but they aren’t the only major power players in the galaxy. In a recent blog post, EA detailed a brand-new feature called special characters.

To best understand how so-called special characters help redefine Battlefront 2, we’ll turn to the most important part of the official description:

“Special characters stand out. They're a step between troopers and heroes – distinct, powerful game changers. Special characters break stalemates at choke points, leap over enemy lines to launch surprise attacks, and flush foes out of hiding with streams of liquid flame. Alongside vehicles, they’re part of the new reinforcement system, fueling ever-escalating stakes and increasing tension in every battle.”

Just like heroes, each special character will be tied to the multiplayer Battle Points system. As online battles rage on, points can be used to purchase these strong units for a limited time. Not only do these characters utilize some of the heaviest firepower in the entire game, but many also have special powers too. For example, the Clone Jumptrooper can vault over the heads of enemies using rockets. The Death Trooper has the ability to deploy an insanely formidable device called the Sonic Imploder. In addition to these two options, the First Order Flametrooper was mentioned as well.

In true Star Wars Battlefront style, the appearance of special characters depends heavily on the current map as well as the particular stage of the battle. Because they’re activated using Battle Points, specials will likely only spawn during late-match moments when the action is at its most chaotic. EA has promised to reveal more about special characters in the coming months.

Combined with heroes, special characters further enhances Battlefront 2’s deep class system. As described in our hands-on impressions and a news report last week, players of 2017’s game will be split into four different roles: Assault is designed for speed and toughness, the Heavy Trooper appropriately carries heavy artillery, the Officer offers support and Specialists are reliable from a distance. At this time, it’s hard to know if one’s selected class will have an impact on the special characters available in battle. If they’re anything like heroes, however, the only mandate is having enough Battle Points to spawn them.

As the sequel to one of 2015’s most divisive games, Star Wars Battlefront 2 intends to directly address many of the most obvious complaints levied against its predecessor. In addition to offering greater multiplayer depth, the game also features a full single-player campaign, emphasis on space combat and free map DLC.

Star Wars Battlefront 2 comes to PS4, Xbox One and PC Nov. 17. Closed and open betas are scheduled to begin during the first week of October.

What do you think about the role of special characters in Star Wars Battlefront 2? Do they add an additional layer of intrigue to the online game? Tell us in the comments section!