Star Wars: Battlefront might be lacking any sort of story mode, but that doesn’t mean it’s not contributing to the new canon.
In December, the game will let you explore a historic Star Wars battle that we’ve yet to see on screen (but one that will be pivotal to the story of The Force Awakens): the Battle of Jakku. Check out the teaser above for a first peek at what that’s going to look like, including confirmation that yes, the Empire really loves its AT-ATs.
Remind me again, what’s Jakku, and how does this battle fit into the Star Wars timeline?
Remember that desert planet from the Episode VII trailers (aka not-Tatooine)? That’s Jakku, the home of Rey and BB-8.
Approximately a year after Return of the Jedi, it was the site of a major engagement between Rebel Alliance (now re-branded as the New Republic) and Imperial forces.
While it’s a rather insignificant planet in and of itself, the sector as a whole held strategic value to both sides. Additionally, the move was part of a bold New Republic plan to capture the Star Destroyer Inflictor, which was sitting in orbit above Jakku. In the battle that followed, the New Republic handed the Empire a major defeat, although they failed to capture the Star Destroyer when its commander scuttled the ship, intentionally crashing it into the surface of the planet.
The Battle of Jakku was the last large-scale offensive of the war, and in the months that followed, the Empire negotiated a ceasefire with the New Republic.
When will the Battle of Jakku be available to play?
Star Wars: Battlefront will be released on November 17, but Jakku won’t be accessible until December.
It will be available first to those who pre-ordered the base game on December 1, then to all players a week later on December 8.
