Star Wars Battlefront 3 Potentially in Development as Bungie and DICE Emerge as Potential Candidates

Fans may be closer than they thought to seeing Star Wars Battlefront 3 become a reality, as a new report claims Lucasfilm is hunting for a development studio to work on another game in the franchise. While DICE is a natural fit given its history with the series, reports also suggest Bungie has entered the frame, a surprising name in the conversation.

A rumor claims Lucasfilm is seeking a development partner for another Battlefront game. The report cites two studios, DICE and Bungie, with Bungie being a particularly surprising pick to take over a franchise centered around large-scale Star Wars battles.

Jeff Grubb also discussed the report on Game Mess Mornings, bringing further attention to the rumor—however, one important distinction to keep in mind. Lucasfilm reportedly searching for a developer does not mean Battlefront 3 has been officially approved, a development deal has been signed, or production has begun.

There is also no release date to discuss yet.

Grubb said he expects DICE will ultimately get the opportunity to develop the game, but that remains his prediction, not a confirmed outcome of the report. For now, both studios remain possibilities, and no official announcement has established which developer, if either, will take on the project.

Still, Bungie's name is enough to make the prospect interesting. The studio is best known for Halo and Destiny, two franchises that have established its experience with shooter mechanics, weapon handling, movement, and combat systems. Whatever your opinion of Destiny, its combat has kept players hooked over the years.

Bungie knows weapons should feel good to shoot, movement should be fast, and abilities should weave seamlessly into the rhythm of the fight. When these elements come together, clearing out a room full of enemies can feel rewarding even before you consider the loot waiting afterward.

Applying that experience to a Star Wars shooter could make for an interesting combination. Imagine firing a blaster that feels satisfying every time you pull the trigger, throwing a thermal detonator exactly where you intended, or playing a heavy trooper who holds a doorway. Meanwhile, the rest of your squad pushes forward.

These small interactions matter in a multiplayer shooter because you'll repeat them across hundreds of matches.

However, being good at making shooters does not automatically make Bungie the right studio for Battlefront 3. The franchise has an identity beyond gunplay. Any developer taking the reins would need to understand what makes these games different from other shooters.

Battlefront, for the most part, is you, a regular soldier, stuck in the middle of a big Star Wars war. Cars speed across the battlefield, blaster fire coming from every direction, and giant machines looming overhead. Then Darth Vader might step out of a doorway and make you abandon your carefully laid plan and run for your life.

That feeling of scale is part of the experience. You start as a mere soldier but can eventually earn the chance to play as a powerful hero that can turn the tide of a battle. The contrast between ordinary infantry combat and the arrival of iconic Star Wars characters is part of what gives the franchise its appeal.

This is where questions about Bungie's potential approach become important. If the studio proposed a smaller, more tightly controlled competitive shooter, would it still deliver the enormous battles fans expect from Battlefront 3?

The franchise needs to retain the spectacle that makes it feel like you're participating in a scene from one of the movies rather than playing another multiplayer shooter with a Star Wars skin.

DICE has an advantage here because it has already shown it can bring that atmosphere to life. The studio's previous Battlefront games showed how sound design, environments, and large-scale encounters could make you feel as though you've been dropped directly into a Star Wars battle.

Sometimes, the action unfolding around you can be so impressive that you stop paying attention to your own performance. You might get distracted by a spectacular explosion, a vehicle moving through the battlefield, or an encounter between familiar characters, only to realize that you've been eliminated while watching the spectacle. That presentation is an important part of the experience, even when it gets you into trouble during a match.

A Star Wars game can include recognizable characters, familiar locations, and iconic weapons yet still fail to capture the atmosphere that makes the franchise special. DICE has already shown that it understands how to create that feeling, which explains why it remains an obvious candidate for another Battlefront game.

Nevertheless, choosing a developer involves more than looking at its previous work. The studio's name alone does not tell you who would lead the project, what resources would be available, or how much creative freedom the team would have.

Those details would matter just as much if DICE were selected as they would if Bungie received the opportunity.

Perhaps the most encouraging part of the report is not the possibility of either studio developing the game. Instead, it suggests that Lucasfilm recognizes the value of returning to a franchise that still has an audience.

Battlefront 2 continues to attract players who want to experience large-scale Star Wars battles. When people keep returning to an older multiplayer game, there is usually a reason. Sometimes the appeal comes from the gameplay itself, while other times it is the friends they play with or the fact that no other game offers quite the same experience. Often, several of these factors work together.

Battlefront's appeal has always been relatively straightforward. Players want to fight as clones and droids, pilot starfighters, play as famous heroes, and survive last-second defenses that can turn a losing match around. The basic idea doesn't need a lengthy explanation to show why it works.

That existing interest doesn't guarantee another game would be profitable or that development costs would be manageable.

Those are significant considerations, particularly for a large-scale multiplayer project. However, it raises the question of how long fans need to show interest before the franchise's leadership seriously explores another installment. If the report is accurate, Lucasfilm may finally be taking that possibility seriously.

Even so, there are concerns worth considering before getting too excited about Bungie's involvement. One of the biggest is progression and whether the game respects your time.

A multiplayer game can look impressive in its trailers, but that means little if it becomes an exhausting routine. You shouldn't have to spend hours figuring out which upgrades you need, which activities you must complete, or whether a month away will leave you struggling to catch up. Getting a friend into a match shouldn't require explaining an elaborate progression system before they can enjoy themselves.

Battlefront should be easy to understand from the moment you start playing. You choose your side, select your class, and join the battle. Rewards, progression systems, and reasons for dedicated players to return can still exist, but those features should complement the gameplay rather than feel like obligations.

You should want to play another match because the previous one was enjoyable, not because you need to grind endlessly or log in at a particular time to claim a reward. A new Battlefront game shouldn't make you feel like the Empire is managing your attendance schedule.

That does not mean Bungie would necessarily turn Battlefront into another Destiny.

No one has seen a confirmed proposal from the studio, so assuming its next project would simply copy its existing formula is premature. These are questions about what Bungie might bring to the franchise, not accusations about what it would do.

Other parts of Bungie's experience could work especially well with Battlefront, particularly its take on co-operative gameplay. It would be great if another game in the series had more meaningful teamwork, with different roles and classes in natural synergy.

For example, one teammate could help a vehicle advance to an objective while another provides cover. You could hold a defensive position while the rest of your squad completes an important task, or coordinate abilities to gain an advantage without requiring everyone to communicate complicated builds over voice chat.

The game offers plenty of tactical depth while staying easy to pick up and play. The trick is to make cooperation feel rewarding without turning every match into a complicated exercise that requires extensive preparation.

Another key component is keeping regular soldiers relevant throughout the experience.

One mistake is making every player feel like a superhero from the start of a match. Playing as a clone trooper should be fun in its own right, and becoming a hero should feel like an exciting escalation, not the only reason to fight.

Iconic characters can add variety and spectacle, but they can't replace weak infantry combat. If the core shooting, movement, and class systems aren't fun, adding another famous Star Wars character won't change anything. There's also a chance to bring back Galactic Conquest, a mode that needs serious thought for a new Battlefront game. Instead of just multiplayer battles, the mode could offer a larger war where battles fit into a campaign you can follow.

This would give people another reason to care about how their match turns out, plus another layer of progression beyond the usual multiplayer rotation. It might also give solo players and organized groups something meaty to pursue without sacrificing the big-battle fights that define the franchise.

Ultimately, the next Battlefront game needs to improve on what works before trying to reinvent the experience. The developer could improve combat, build better systems, make matches more dynamic, and surprise players with maps and situations they have never seen before. There's plenty of room to expand the franchise and keep the Star Wars battlefield experience that brought players in the first place.

Bungie is an interesting possibility given its shooter expertise, and if the report leads to something concrete, it's worth taking seriously.

But the studio still has to prove it gets the franchise, has the right people in place, and can build a game that respects players' time. Despite its experience with past Battlefront titles, DICE would still have to answer these same questions. Franchise knowledge helps, but the next movie isn't necessarily going to be good.

For now, the report is still a rumor about potential development partners, and it could lead nowhere. We don't know whether DICE or Bungie will be making the new Battlefront game.

If Lucasfilm is genuinely exploring another installment, the top priority should be finding a team that can deliver the Battlefront experience players want. Fans are not asking for anything particularly complicated. They want a great Star Wars game with plenty to do, exciting large-scale battles, satisfying combat, and a reason to bring their friends together again.

Most importantly, the game shouldn't rely on pay-to-win mechanics that ruin the experience. The priority has to be a full, fun Star Wars shooter that gives players a reason to keep coming back, no matter who eventually gets the chance: Bungie or DICE.