DICE confirmed that Clone Wars content will arrive this year for Star Wars Battlefront II during EA Play at E3 2018. An image of the most heavily requested Hero, General Grievous, accompanied the announcement.

Geonosis, the planet from the major battle in Episode II, will serve as the first Clone Wars map. Design director Dennis Brannvall stated that it will be the largest level ever built. This coincides with the creation of a new sandbox mode. The mode focuses on capturing enemy command posts and destroying capital ships.

In addition to General Grievous, his nemesis Obi-Wan Kenobi will make his first appearance in the franchise. Count Dooku and Anakin Skywalker will also join the game’s roster, bringing the total Hero and Villain count up to 20. This also creates the opportunity for four vs. four lightsaber battles in Heroes Vs. Villains for the first time.

The Clone Wars era contains the deepest amount of material in the Star Wars universe. The number of characters and planets lends itself to an extended release of content from DICE. How much we receive is yet to be determined, as is the release date of the announced planet and heroes. The lack of images beyond Grievous indicates we may still have months to wait. Nonetheless, this update breathes hope into the beleaguered title. I actually predicted this news earlier this week. Rarely have I ever been so happy to be proven right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-uQWrl0kpQ

The conference actually began with a mea culpa by Brannvall. The design director said “Clearly we didn’t get it quite right” at the game’s launch. Brannvall thanked the community and acknowledged their patience, which shows DICE has been listening. The news of Clone Wars content, however, aims to right the wrongs that the team has worked hard to correct. It’s been a long road, but it feels like DICE has finally put Battlefront II back where it belongs.

Furthermore, DICE will release a new squad system so players can more easily join battles with their friends. A new Starfighter mode will allow players to more easily level up Hero Ships, which has been a major complaint. Both will help keep players coming back, but neither represents what new Clone Wars content does.

Are you excited for the Clone Wars, gamers? Are you pleased with the effort DICE is showing? Which other planets and characters do you most want in Battlefront II? Sound off in the comments! And don’t forget to follow DFTG on Twitter for more Battlefront and E3 news!