Disney is currently in talks with Bungie and DICE as it looks for a development partner to work on Star Wars: Battlefront 3, it is claimed.
During the latest episode of Giant Bomb’s Game Mess Mornings, known insider and co-host Jeff Grubb cited a report featured in the latest issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM), according to which Disney/Lucasfilm is actively searching for a development partner to develop a follow-up to EA’s Star Wars Battlefront 2.
Lucasfilm is reportedly keen to capitalize on the continued popularity of Star Wars: Battlefront 2, which has retained a dedicated player base years after its release. According to the EGM report, Disney is currently in talks with EA’s DICE and Bungie, the studio known for developing Halo, Destiny and Marathon, as potential candidates to work on Star Wars: Battlefront 3. DICE would be the more obvious choice, having previously developed both modern Battlefront games, while Bungie would be a surprise pick.
The report indicates that Lucasfilm is still in the discussion phase, and that neither DICE nor Bungie has committed to the project, meaning it hasn’t yet been confirmed whether Star Wars: Battlefront 3 will actually move forward.
Bungie’s involvement with Star Wars: Battlefront 3 would mean that its other plans would likely be put on hold. Grubb mentioned hearing that the development budget a studio representative had quoted to Sony Interactive Entertainment for a potential sequel to Destiny 2 was “massive.” “They kind of did the math, and it was a non-starter at Sony,” he said. “They basically laughed him out of the room like we’re not going to give you that amount of money to make this game.”
Grubb speculated that working on an established property could be an alternative path for Bungie, although such a project would also involve the limitations of working with an existing IP. Meanwhile, DICE remains a natural fit because of its experience with the series.
