Star Wars Battlefront Update Today Adds New Map, New Mission & More

Following some server downtime earlier today, the February Star Wars Battlefront update is now available to download on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

As revealed in the 2016 & 2017 roadmap, the February update includes a new Survival mission in the Ice Caves, Twilight on Hoth is added to a number of modes, Turning Point receives many new maps, the Battle of Jakku DLC is now patched into the game (and no longer requires a separate download), and much more.

Here’s the full list of patch notes for today’s big Star Wars Battlefront update on all platforms:

Additional Content/Functionality

General: Jakku DLC Content is being patched into the game, downloading it separately via platform storefronts is no longer required and can be deleted from your hard drives

New Map: Twilight on Hoth added to Walker Assault, Supremacy, Turning Point, Blast, Fighter Squadron, Drop Zone, and Heroes vs. Villains

New Mission: Survival in the Ice Caves added to Survival Missions

Turning Point: Jundland Wastes, Forest of Endor, Outpost Beta, and SoroSuub Centroplex maps added to the playlist

Attract Mode: GNK Droid added – GONK!

Settings: Turning off music in the Sound menu now turns off music everywhere in the game

Settings: Added a Film Grain setting slider in the Video menu

Credits: Updated Game Credits list

Weapon and Star Card Changes

Primary Weapons: Damage against air vehicles increased by 10%

Bowcaster: Explosion damage increased from 10 to 15 per projectile and explosion radius decreased from 3 to 2.5m

Bowcaster: Full charge direct hit from 20 to 40 per projectile and a normal direct hit increased from 20 to 30 per projectile

Barrage: Damage increased from 50 to 55

Barrage: Cooldown reduced from 40 to 35s (normal) and from 35 to 30s (upgraded)

Barrage: First volley of grenades no longer disappear if the user uses the Refresh Power-up and then fires a second volley

Homing Shot: Lock time decreased from 1.5 to 1.2s

Homing Shot: Players in the AT-GAR turret now receive on-screen notification when locked on

ION Torpedo: Speed increased from 350 to 380m/s and turning angle increased from 120 to 125 in order to more easily hit air vehicles

Pulse Rifle: Movement speed while aiming decreased by 30%

Tusken Cycler Rifle: Movement speed while aiming increased by 40%

Tusken Cycler Rifle: Bullet speed increased from 300 to 450m/s

Orbital Strike: Fixed bug where it sometimes would not trigger on button press

Vehicle changes

A-Wing: Increased hit box size

A-Wing: Now properly takes damage when colliding with an AT-ST while having the Shield active

Slave I: Players can now see the Shield icon on Rebel vehicles when a Shield is active

AT-ST: T-47 Airspeeder kills with a missle while firing the primary cannons at the same time now properly awards a kill (previously registered as a suicide)

AT-AT: Fixed bug where the Orbital Strike ability would sometimes not have the aiming reticle move

T-47 Airspeeder: Players will no longer receive an out of bounds message on Graveyard of Giants during Turning Point when a control point is captured

Multiplayer Game Mode Changes

General: Pre-Round timer lowered from 30s to 20s

Walker Assault: Fixed Power-up spawns on SoroSuub Centroplex

Walker Assault: AT-AT health increased by 18% on Outpost Beta, 8% on Jundland Wastes, 20% on Forest of Endor, 4% on SoroSuub Centroplex, and 5% on Graveyard of Giants

Walker Assault: Spawning as an Imperial Hero after the AT-ATs just pass the second set of uplinks no longer despawns one of the AT-ATs

Walker Assault: The second AT-AT no longer bumps into the wreckage of the other on SoroSuub Centroplex when the first AT-AT is destroyed during the first Uplink

Droid Run: Correct Objective Notification is now displayed to all players if someone is killed while trying to claim the Droid

Droid Run: Improved spawn zones on Dune Sea Exchange

Supremacy: Fixed Power-up spawns on Jundland Wastes, Forest of Endor, and SoroSuub Centroplex

Supremacy: Improved spawn zones on Jundland Wastes, Outpost Beta, and Forest of Endor

Heroes vs. Villains: Planted turrets on Dune Sea Exchange will now disappear in-between rounds

Hero Hunt: Improved spawn zones on Ice Caves

Fighter Squadron: Players are now protected while spawning on Graveyard of Giants

Mission Changes

General: Both players will now properly see Charge Card pick-ups if Player One is using a 3rd Star Card Hand without a Charge Card

General: Player 2’s changes to control settings no longer update Player 1’s controls when playing Split-Screen

Battle: Fixed AI Spawn issues on Tatooine

Survival: Wave 10 on Sullust will now always spawn if the player / co-op team dies and restarts the round or if a player picks up a Collectible during the Wave 9 transition

Survival: Partner spawns on Sullust will no longer fail if the currently alive player is in a confined area

Survival: Co-Op players can now unlock the “Complete on Hard Difficulty without spending a life” if one player dies and then waits until the other player completes the wave so they get a free respawn

Hero changes

General: Heroes no longer get stuck in a stunned animation state

Princess Leia: Endor outfit updated – Congrats on completing the Lead the Rebellion challenge!

Princess Leia: Trooper Bane now only knocks back primary target, not nearby enemies

Luke Skywalker: Increased Saber Rush’s damage against other Heroes from 2% to 6-8%

Luke Skywalker: Lightsaber swing hit radius is reduced from 0.3 to 0.25m

Han Solo: Zooming in no longer sometimes displays a gun scope

Emperor Palpatine’s Shocktroopers: Modified primary weapon damage to match Leia’s Honor Guards’ primary weapon damage over time

Misc. Bug fixes

General: Lighting, textures, audio, user interface, text, and collision fixes

Controls: Legacy control schemes have had their layouts more clearly defined

Colorblind: Enemy players highlighted with Scan Pulse now have the correct Deuteranopia or Protanopia settings on Graveyard of Giants and Goazan Badlands

PC only: Fixed a bug where a player would lose functionality with an Xbox 360 controller after inviting a player to a Private Match and then starting the game

PC only: Air vehicle sensitivity lowered from 0.9 to 0.45 for easier mouse control

Achievements / Trophies: Updated text on “Impressive. Most Impressive.” and “Survivor” to clarify the requirements

Achievements / Trophies: “Playing the Objective” now properly awarded

In March, Star Wars Battlefront will be updated with a new multiplayer map on Endor, and the first expansion pack, Outer Rim, will be released.

What do you think of the new update?

[Source: EA Star Wars (1), (2)]

Star Wars Battlefront Info Dump

Star Wars Battlefront - Everything You Need to Know
Yep, There's a Day One Update

Same with most games these days, there's a day one update for Star Wars Battlefront that fixes a few bugs, and improves stability and performance.

The full list of patch notes for Battlefront update 1.01 can be read here.
You Might Want to Check Out This Awesome Battlefront PS4 TV Spot

We're not one to be suckered in by marketing ploys, but this one just hits all the right (nostalgia) notes. Don't believe us? Watch it and prepare to reminisce or just be reminded how awesome childhood was back then.

You can also check out this live-action launch trailer that shows people disappearing. Oh, and Ana Kendrick's in it, too!
Battle of Jakku DLC Will Drop in December and for Free

Same as every other multiplayer game out in the market, Battlefront will expansions and more.

The first one, Battle of Jakku, will be out on December 1 for those who pre-ordered the game, while regular buyers will be able to download it on December 8. And yep, Battle of Jakku is free DLC.

Full DLC details here.
It Will Clock in at a 29GB If You Buy It Digitally, But Will Let You Play as Darth Vader While It Installs

If you buy Battlefront on PSN, you should at least have 29GB of space available, with an initial download of 4GB.

Here's the cool thing regardless if you buy disc or digital, DICE has included a little Darth Vader mini game that you can play while the game installs!
It Won't Use Battlelog, but It Has Its Own Companion App

As early as August, EA confirmed that Battlefront won't use Battlelog. Instead, it's using the Star Wars Battlefront Companion App that you can play on your mobile, tablet and desktop where you can earn in-game credits via the Base Command mini game. And as expected, you can also check out your loadout, unlocks and other in-game stuff as well.
Every Vehicle in the Game Listed

Check out the link below to see all the vehicles available in the base game.

Complete list of vehicles available.
Here's All the Guns, Star Cards, Traits and Power Ups

All weapons, Star Cards, Traits and Power Ups available in the base game in one handy gallery.
Maps Will Be Dynamic and Use Destruction

Don't expect DICE's Battlefield 4 "Levolution" map mechanics to pop up in Battlefront, but DICE General Manager did confirm that there's going to be destruction in areas "where it makes sense." Also, maps are said to be dynamic and adapt to who's winning.
Six Heroes Will Be Available at Launch

Every Planet, and gameplay video showcasing every Hero/Villain in action. Official EA video showcasing the playable Heroes.
12 Maps in Total, and Every Game Mode Revealed

All modes and missions revealed, total of 12 maps out of the box.
Character Customization Consists of emotes and Appearances (Skins)

Here's every emote, and character skin (appearance) available in the base game. You can also watch each character appearance in the video embedded.
The Season Pass Will House Four Expansions, Introduce

As expected, Battlefront will have a Season Pass. According to EA, it will add content over the next 12-18 months.

Same with DICE's other shooter, Battlefront's Season Pass will have four expansions in total and be priced at $50.

The Season Pass will include over 20 new pieces of galactic tech, including weapons, vehicles, and Star Cards; 4 more heroes and villains, 16 additional multiplayer maps, four new game modes, an exclusive emote, and two-week early access to each expansion.
The Beta Was a Huge Success, Walker Assault Tweaked

EA did very well with the Battlefront beta, as it announced that over nine million player across all platforms participated among other things.

And as expected, Walker Assault has been tweaked for the final game.

Other changes have been made to the partner and party system, the spawns, vehicles, weapons, heroes, and villains.
EA Expects to Sell a Ton of Copies

EA expects to ship a staggering 13 million units in the game's first fiscal year, which ends on March 2016.

Hot damn! That's a lot of Ewoks!
It Won't Borrow a Single System From Battlefield, and We Compare Them Even

DICE assures fans that Battlefront won't be a carbon copy or re-skin of its Battlefield franchise. According to DICE, not even a single system from its military FPS.

We covered the two games in one of our Versus videos which you can watch above.
It Will Focus on the Original Trilogy

Don't expect Jar Jar Binks (thankfully) or any from the new trilogy.

Full story here.
AT-ATs Are on Rails and DICE Explains Why

Those big AT-ATs can't be driven like a vehicle but will instead travel a pre-determined path.

According to DICE, letting them be driven will be "game-breaking."
There's No Server Browser

Unfortunately, Battlefront won't feature a server browser and will instead rely on skill based matchmaking.
It Won't Have Micro-Transactions!

Here's a breath of fresh air; Star Wars Battlefront won't implement any micro-transaction model of any kind.

Know of those charged Star Cards? To charge it, you need to pick up charges in-game, and buying some won't be an option.
Full Battlefront Trophy List

Yep, it's mostly multiplayer-centric as expected.

Check out the full Trophy list here.
Don't Count on Mouse and Keyboard Support

While DICE says it's "not able to confirm" if the PS4 version will support mouse and keyboard, I wouldn't bet on it. If it was implemented, we'd have definitely have heard about it now.
We Covered the Beta a Fair Bit With Tips and More
We liked what we played of the Battlefront beta, but we didn't stop there. We rolled out tips, and other features that you really ought to check out.
Use Your Own Chat Solutions, No Clan and Dedicated Voice Support

Not only is there no clan support -- at least, at launch anyway -- but there's no dedicated chat either. Granted, most people use their console's party chat feature most of the time, but still, the option of it being there could have been nice, no?
These Are the Star Wars Battlefront PS4 Bundles, Darth Vader Controller Can Be Bought Separately

Announced in August this year is the Star Wars Battlefront PS4 bundle that not only includes a few Star Wars classic games (and Battlefront obviously), but even is Darth Vader-themed, too. Check out this trailer to see it in motion.

If you just want the Darth Vader DualShock 4 controller, Sony's selling that separately too.

And nope. there's no Xbox One Battlefront bundle. Sorry!
DICE Prioritized Graphical Fidelity Over Resolution, Will Run at 900p/60fps

DICE confirmed that it prioritized graphical fidelity over resolution.

Battlefront will run at 900p (720p on Xbox One) but at a crisp 60 frames-per-second.
We Talked to DICE About the Development of Battlefront

We talked to DICE just this September about Battlefront. We discussed dedicated servers, Heroes and more. Read the full interview here.
Battlefront Will Have an In-Game Diorama

According to DICE, the diorama is for "real completionists." The studio revealed this little nugget to us during our exclusive chat.

Read the full story here.
Dedicated Servers Are a Go

No lagging here. DICE confirmed to us that there will be dedicated servers!
Don't Expect Classes or Squads

DICE states that people shouldn't expect classes or squads -- two staples of Battlefield -- to be in Battlefront since their will be a Partner system, and the Star Cards give enough customization options to act as its own class.
DICE Is Said to

DICE claims they've managed to get the most or max out the PS4. Yeah, we hear this for almost every game and in every gen...but could DICE finally be on to something given how sexy Battlefront looks?
DICE Explains Why Battlefront Doesn't Have a Campaign

DICE said it had to "focus" on multiplayer which is one of the main reasons why Battlefront doesn't have a full fledged single-player campaign. This wasn't decided on haphazardly, either. According to DICE, a full single-player was never in the plans.

Instead of a campaign, Battlefront will have "Missions."
Nope, It's Not Battlefront III but a Reboot

DICE General Manager Patrick Bach states that the team wanted to start over and used the good parts of the old Battlefront games to build their own version of it.

Read Bach's full statement here.
Here's the Reveal Trailer That Wowed Us All

Admit it, when you first saw the gameplay reveal trailer, you didn't believe when DICE said it was using in-game assets (we didn't either).

But they did it, and you have to admit, Battlefront looks crazy good.
There's Playable Female Characters

Want to play as a femme fatale in Battlefront? Now you can! Not just Princess Leia, mind you, but actual female characters! Hurray for diversity in shooters -- finally!
There's a Han Solo Fridge Bundled With Battlefront, but Good Luck Finding It

Remembe that scene where Han Solo was frozen in carbonite? Well, there's a fridge where that's used as the design. It's set to come out the same day as the vanilla game, so good luck!

Check out the fridge screens and details here.
There's No Space Battles at Launch and Here's Why

Here's what studio GM Patrick Bach said on why they didn't include space battles right out of the bat (isn't "normal" air battles like in space but with a different background?).

We want players to stay in the same [environment] – we don’t want players to fly off and do something over here. It’s about the Battlefront experience, so we want to keep you in-atmosphere and fighting with the infantry.

[As a studio] we have to start somewhere. You can’t do everything at once. We want to build something that’s great for what it is, and have a holistic view on what we’re trying to achieve, rather than tossing everything in there from the start.

I'd wager, we'll see space battles in one of the expansions, no?
Check Out the Fighter Squadron Gameplay and the Millennium Falcon!

Fighter Squadron is Battlefront's air vehicles only mode. Of course, you can't have that without the Millenium Falcon making an appearance. Check the details and the gameplay showcasing Solo's iconic ship here.