Star Wars Battlefront III surfaces

By Tor Thorsen, GameSpotPosted Dec 30, 2008 10:07 am PT

Former designer at bankrupt Free Radical posts, pulls renders from long-rumored third installment in LucasArts' series; status of project unclear.

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As a sad footnote to a year strewn with the corpses of shuttered studios, Free Radical let go most of its 180-plus employees on December 17. Best known for the TimeSplitters series, the Nottingham, England-based shop had bet heavily on the success of its oft-delayed PlayStation 3 shooter, Haze. Unfortunately, the Ubisoft title was a critical and commercial disappointment, selling just over 128,000 units in the US.

Free Radical's closure raised doubts about the status of Star Wars Battlefront III, which many presumed to be the mystery LucasArts collaboration it unveiled in 2006. While the game remains officially unannounced, this week saw evidence surface that the Second Sight studio was hard at work on Battlefront III when its time ran out.

The proof came in the form of several character renders posted on the personal site of 3D Artist Richard J. Smith, whose resume lists him as still working at Free Radical. Though the shots have since been pulled, German fan site Swbf3.de managed to snag 10 of them, which are all dated 2007 and bear a Star Wars Battlefront III logo.

Familiar characters featured in Jenkins' portfolio include Han Solo, Senator Palpatine, the red Imperial Guards that protect Palpatine after he becomes Galactic Emperor, and one of the rebel soldiers that revolt shortly thereafter. The artist's site still displays several characters from TimeSplitters 4 (pictured), announced just over 1 year ago for the Wii, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Alas, we will never see the Martian Wild West.

With Free Radical's closure, the status of Star Wars Battlefront III is unclear. Unconfirmed reports have it being taken over by Rebellion Software, maker of Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron for the PSP. Prior Battlefront console games were developed by Pandemic Studios, now part of troubled megapublisher Electronic Arts. Via its BioWare studio, EA is currently partnering with LucasArts on the massively multiplayer project Star Wars: The Old Republic.

489 Comments

  • bubbleblowiner

    Posted Sep 22, 2009 9:58 pm PT

    i am soo exited as long as its on the wii ps3 and 360 (my only system is the 360 but my friends all have wiis) and its not a carbon copy of ps2 with pretty graphics i want originality

  • kenny3671

    Posted Sep 5, 2009 12:58 pm PT

    you are awesome star wars battle front 1 2

  • Shanekeener posted Aug 16, 2009 7:44 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Shanekeener

    Posted Aug 16, 2009 7:44 pm PT (hide)

    This should come out for Wii Nintendo always never quits and who evere heard of free radical before i think nintendo shouw get the star wars battlefront franchise and make better games dont think i dont like 1 and 2 there where awesome but nintendo should get it they never fail at making them just hand it over too the nintendo or atleast just let them make the star wars battle front 3 with the help of free radical

  • Malscyllis

    Posted Aug 15, 2009 9:37 pm PT

    *sigh* this just proves that bad things happen to good game developers. Fact: if whoever cancels this game completely, they are clearly retarded.

  • TDBxViRuS

    Posted Aug 9, 2009 10:15 am PT

    wiiwiiwii22: "i won't this game" don't make sense! learn the English language properly free radical was bought out game in progress exspected release: late 09-Q210

  • wiiwiiwii22

    Posted Jul 29, 2009 2:05 pm PT

    i can't wait, i am the most fan of star wars battlefront in guatemala, i won't this game

  • Exodus642

    Posted Jul 18, 2009 11:23 am PT

    NOO!! You can't do this to us!! damn, I loved Battlefront 1 and 2. ARGH!! I was looking forward to getting this!!

  • TheMercMaster

    Posted Jun 28, 2009 5:51 pm PT

    NOOO!!!

  • Bambii12633

    Posted Jun 26, 2009 11:33 pm PT

    i have been following bf3 for a year now and im starting to lose hope

  • CHEATSman115

    Posted Jun 21, 2009 8:15 pm PT

    i want battlefront 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

  • con_matrix

    Posted May 28, 2009 2:41 pm PT

    this is a sad day 4 gaming indeed :'( i was so lookin forward 2 it as well after lord of the rings conquest was such a disspointment

  • allotheabove123

    Posted May 18, 2009 6:45 pm PT

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. We need Timesplitters 4 and Star Wars Battlefront 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • crazyleftykid

    Posted May 13, 2009 1:24 pm PT

    unfortunately, i think they canned ST: BF3. =( i think when free radical was bought out, crytek canned the game, so they would focus on timesplitters. personally from the little gameplay footage of STBF3, its a bad choice. it looked like free radical finally had they game down, with better graphics, and a different storyline from the other 2 battlefront games. its a shame really, it looked really good. =( check out the battlefront 3 footage on youtube.

  • Unheard-Volume

    Posted May 12, 2009 8:43 am PT

    They should definitely make a Star Wars: BF 3!!! The first two were awesome and this time around they could add some amazing online multiplayer!

  • hellgat3

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 8:44 pm PT

    i hope they'll still make battlefront3.the "leaked footage" looks off the hook.i cant wait for it.

  • Ikarus14

    Posted Apr 24, 2009 1:43 pm PT

    Free Radical didn't actually go bankrupt. It's currently in liquidation. So don't worry, they aren't going anywhere.

  • flamefingahz

    Posted Apr 21, 2009 10:31 am PT

    i think this series of game is the best of its kind easily. so much fun. wish i had a backward compatible ps3 so i could play it still. if we do get the 3rd one i hope they put work into the online too. that will kick ass

  • EQShaman

    Posted Apr 2, 2009 4:30 pm PT

    drdh, did you even read this? we might not be getting this game.
    so sad.

  • drdh

    Posted Mar 16, 2009 7:16 am PT

    I think they should let you make your own battlefields. that would be kick ass!

  • drdh

    Posted Mar 16, 2009 7:14 am PT

    Better get a PS3 or XBOX 360 if Im going to get this game.

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