The short version
- Variety reports that EA told staff its DICE and Respawn studios will "collaborate on a future project". Several of Variety's sources say that project is Star Wars: Battlefront 3 for Lucasfilm.
- EA and Lucasfilm haven't announced it. Treat it as a credible report, not a confirmation.
- The news came out in the same week EA closed BioWare, with about 400 jobs cut across the company, according to Bloomberg.
- There are no platforms, date or price. If you want Battlefront now, Battlefront II is still online and sells for $19.99 (about ₹1,900) on the EA app.
What was reported
Variety's story landed around October 21. It quotes EA executives Weber and Tinson saying Battlefield 6 was "a great success" and that EA learned a lot "from the launch and the live service". The key line followed: "we'll be bringing together our Respawn and DICE studios to collaborate on a future project."
EA didn't name the project. Variety says multiple sources confirmed it's Battlefront 3. VGC and other outlets picked the story up the next day, and none of them has heard a denial.
Image: Electronic Arts
How much to trust it
Variety is a mainstream trade paper, not a rumour account, and it has a good record on entertainment business stories. The report also fits an earlier Electronic Gaming Monthly story that Lucasfilm had been talking to studios, including DICE, about a third Battlefront. Earlier rumours had named Bungie as a candidate. This report points firmly to DICE.
The weak spot is the name. EA's internal message said "a future project", and the Battlefront 3 label comes from unnamed sources. So the studio pairing is close to confirmed. The game itself is a strong report.
Why DICE and Respawn
DICE made both modern Battlefront games: the 2015 reboot and Battlefront II in November 2017. It knows large Star Wars battles better than anyone, and its Battlefield 6 was, by EA's account, a hit.
Respawn made the Star Wars Jedi games and this year's tactics spin-off Star Wars Zero Company, which sells for $49.99. That's story and character work, which Battlefront has never quite nailed. Battlefront II's campaign, starring Inferno Squad commander Iden Versio, was short and widely seen as its weakest part.
On paper, the split is obvious: DICE builds the big-scale multiplayer, and Respawn brings the campaign and characters.
Image: Electronic Arts
What happened to Battlefront II
Image: Zerocade
Battlefront II had one of the roughest launches of its era. Its loot boxes let players buy power, and the backlash was so loud that EA pulled the microtransactions before launch day. DICE then spent years rebuilding it with free updates, adding Clone Wars content and new modes, before EA ended support in 2020.
The surprise came in 2025. Campaigns on Reddit and TikTok sent players back, and the game hit its highest Steam player counts ever, years after its last update. Former Battlefront developer Mats Helge Holm said around then that the old team wanted to "get the gang back together". That surge is the clearest sign EA had that people still want this game.
Image: Electronic Arts
The EA context
The report arrived during a hard week at EA. The company is closing BioWare and has cancelled the next Mass Effect, with about 400 jobs cut, Bloomberg says. A new Battlefield is also reportedly in early development, but isn't expected before late 2028.
So EA is putting its bets on its biggest shooters. A Star Wars game from its two strongest action studios fits that plan.
What to watch next
Expect a long wait. If the project is only now getting its team together, an official reveal could be years away. Watch for a Lucasfilm or EA announcement, job listings at DICE and Respawn, and any word on whether it gets a full campaign.
