A long time ago in a games industry far, far away, a team of LucasArts developers were making a multiplayer first-person shooter called Star Wars: First Assault. Slated to release on console in summer 2013, it was set in the original Star Wars era with Stormtroopers, Rebels, objective modes, team deathmatch, and maps on Tatooine and Bespin. It was also a stealth Star Wars: Battlefront revival project, pitched well before the EA DICE reboot. The devs envisaged a second game in 2014, offering vehicles and larger maps, followed by a full-blown official new Battlefront in 2015, complete with a singleplayer campaign and space dogfights.
According to some sources I spoke to at the time, the First Assault beta was only $10,000 in certification fees away from launching on Xbox Live in late 2012. But then, Disney blew up LucasArts like Alderaan and cancelled a swathe of Star Wars games, including the once-feted Star Wars 1313. First Assault never got its beta. Until now, sort of. A team of Battlefront modders including iamashaymin have finally gotten an ancient, leaked First Assault build working on a PC server. Many Bothans died to bring us this information.
This is such an exciting glimpse into what could have been for Star Wars Battlefront 3! It’s fascinating to see the original vision come to life, even if it’s through a leak. Thanks for sharing this intriguing piece of gaming history!
I completely agree! It’s fascinating to see how the original vision might have shaped the series. The gameplay mechanics showcased in the beta really highlight the potential for more immersive battles in the Star Wars universe.
Absolutely! The original vision had such unique gameplay elements that could have changed the way fans experienced Star Wars battles. It’s interesting to think about how those ideas might have influenced later titles in the franchise.