Our realization of Jakku, 29 years before its appearance in Star Wars™: The Force Awakens™
As debris from battles above shower the desert ground, the feeling of chaos is intensifying. A Star Destroyer has just crash-landed and some of its engines are still smoking. The battle has just begun…
We are proud to give you a first visual glimpse of The Battle of Jakku, coming to Star Wars™ Battlefront™ on December 1st, 2015, for all those that pre-ordered Star Wars Battlefront, and a week later for all other game holders. The Battle of Jakku was the pivotal moment when the New Republic confronted key Imperial holdouts on a remote desert planet.
Learn how to be among the first players to experience the Battle of Jakku
Taking place in the aftermath of the Rebel victory in the Battle of Endor, players will experience the events that created the massive, battle-scarred landscape of Jakku shown in Star Wars™: The Force Awakens™.
Introducing Turning Point mode
Turning Point is a vast Star Wars Battlefront game mode for 40 players, included in The Battle of Jakku. This mode portrays the efforts of the Rebel Alliance to defeat the Empire following the Battle of Endor. Lead Level Designer Dennis Brännvall explains:
“At the edge of the map, the Empire has constructed a make-shift base as well as smaller fortifications strewn across the landscape. Following an emergency landing, the Rebels need to locate the enemy bases to attack and take control of them all.”
What are the rules of Turning Point?
Rebels need to locate and capture one of three control points in Imperial control. The clock is ticking, but if the Rebel team succeeds with a capture additional time will be added and new control points will be available for capture. Moving through these increasingly challenging checkpoints, the ultimate goal is the Empire’s base where the final stand will take place.
What kinds of vehicles will be featured in Turning Point?
Since the starfighters are occupied in the battle above or simply destroyed, we wanted to highlight airspeeders and AT-STs in this mode. In contrast to its role in Walker Assault or Supremacy, the AT-ST is a slightly more defensive vehicle in this mode. Piloting it, you will need to move between areas a lot to meet the Rebel assault. If you’re in an airspeeder on the other hand, you’ll be on the offence, giving supportive fire to your Rebel team mates.
How does the chaotic battle beyond add to the overall gameplay experience?
The peripheral action on the larger map - Graveyard of Giants - is truly a great visual spectacle. The battles are ever-present; debris will be falling from the skies, and you’ll even see a Super Star Destroyer come crashing down during the round.
What will players love within Turning Point?
A Turning Point match will often be very exciting since the outcome is never sure. There are also a lot of tactical possibilities that need to be considered. For instance: once the Rebels have started taking over a control point, it can’t be reclaimed by the Empire. Let’s say there’s only 25% left of the claim process and the Empire has managed to drive away the Rebels. This means that the Empire have to choose between defending this vulnerable point or another part of the map. The Rebels in turn need to decide where their next attack should be.
In the artwork above, a Star Destroyer has crash landed, and from the belly of this battle-scarred metal giant, a myriad of Imperial ground troops have evacuated and engaged with Rebel troops, also strangers to this desert planet.
This intensity of battle was one of the aspects that DICE Concept Artist Anton Grandert wanted to convey when creating the Jakku artwork. The size difference between the visual elements was another:
“There’s a David and Goliath theme to this,” says Grandert. “The epic, huge super structures of the Star Destroyers contrast against the tiny but brave Rebel soldiers fighting the Imperial forces.”
And true to the core gameplay of Star Wars Battlefront, the artwork features many different aspects of Star Wars battle fantasies - on land and in the sky.
“We wanted to portray a battle completely surrounding you, in every direction. Debris is falling from the sky, telling the story of battles above. On the surface of the planet you can see ground troops as well as X-wings, all taking part of the fight,” Grandert says.
Together with Jakku, other iconic Star Wars locations like Hoth, Tatooine, Endor, and the previously unexplored planet Sullust will all be part of Star Wars Battlefront. Hit the link below to learn how you can be among the first to experience all this.
