Star Wars: Battlefront 2's online support to continue after server shutdown

Star Wars: Battlefront II is on the increasingly long list of games that will be affected by the GameSpy server shutdown at the end of May. Fortunately, it's also among the games that will continue to be playable online anyway thanks to a third-party service.

As with Halo: Combat Evolved, third-party online service GameRanger has come to save the day for fans of Battlefront II's online multiplayer. GameRanger creator Scott Kevill has confirmed on Reddit that Battlefront II, which was already supported by GameRanger, will continue to be playable even after GameSpy goes offline. "People are already playing it just fine on GameRanger," he wrote, "and will continue to after May 31. (I've already simulated it with GameSpy blocked and cut-off.)"

This is especially good news for gamers who only just picked up the game recently as part of a Steam sale on Star Wars games. Battlefront II was apparently such a big seller that Steam ran out of CD keys, as a message on the game's Steam page reads, "We are currently out of keys for this title. We've requested more from the publisher and will have those soon. Should you purchase this title, your key will be delivered as soon as we receive it."

The Steam page also offers up a brief statement informing owners and potential buyers of the game that multiplayer will no longer be available through any official means. "As of May 31, 2014, online functionality, including network multiplayer and wireless chat, will no longer be available for this title," reads the game page. "We regret any disappointment as a result of the shutdown of the services supporting these online features."

Of course, that's not actually the case for those who opt to use GameRanger, which allows gamers to host their own servers for a wide range of computer games, including some being affected by the GameSpy shutdown.

Unfortunately, GameRanger's services don't also extend to consoles, as the GameSpy shutdown's effect isn't limited to PC games. Borderlands and Civilization Revolution on the PlayStation 3 are among those going offline, although in the case of certain games (including those two), developers have indicated they hope to get them back online.

A new Star Wars: Battlefront is currently in development at Battlefield maker DICE. Electronic Arts said yesterday it plans to show the game off at this year's E3 in June.