In a galaxy far, far away…
Since last November, millions of Star Wars fans have been jumping into the authentic, immersive world of Star Wars Battlefront for epic 40-person battles, choosing sides between the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire. The first major expansion pack, called Outer Rim, is set for release this month and will significantly expand your galaxy, adding new playable heroes, new maps, a new game mode, new weapons, and more.
Here’s a look at what’s included in the Outer Rim digital expansion pack:
Play as two new hero characters
That’s right, the Rodian bounty hunter Greedo and the Sullustan rebel Nien Nunb are both coming to Star Wars Battlefront as playable characters. It appears Greedo will use his iconic blaster pistol (Greedo shot first, right?) and Nien Nunb is a long-range fighter with a scoped rifle. The Mos Eisley cantina scene with Greedo and Han Solo is one of my all-time favourite Star Wars moments, so I’m particularly excited that Greedo is playable, but I also can’t wait to play as Lando Calrissian’s Millennium Falcon co-pilot, Nien Nunb. Since Outer Rim is a paid expansion pack you might be wondering if you can use these characters against players who don’t have the DLC, and the answer is yes you can!
Four new multiplayer maps
The expansion pack will also bring four brand new multiplayer maps set on the outer rim planets Sullust, a planet known for its glowing red lava flow and industrial complexes, and Tatooine, the harsh desert planet Anakin and Luke Skywalker call home. On Sullust, new maps include the SoroSuub Refinery and SoroSuub Pipeline, and on Tatooine you’ll visit Jabba’s Palace and his Palace Garage. Both of these planets are already represented in the game, so this is your chance to explore them even further.
New weapons and Star Cards
The Outer Rim expansion pack will add two new blasters, the Relby V-10 rifle and the DT-12 blaster pistol, along with three new Star Cards to collect and use in battle, Scatter Gun, Dioxis Grenade, and Adrenaline Stim. According to Star Wars canon, the Relby is a micro grenade launcher typically used by the bounter hunter Bossk, and the DT-12 blaster pistol is a heavy blaster used by Rodians, such as Greedo. Both weapons are great additions that will further diversify the game’s arsenal, and it’ll be interesting to see how players use the three new Star Cards in competitive battles.
New game mode and increased level cap
Extraction is new mode that will be introduced in Outer Rim, and it’s a new capture the flag-type mode where the Rebels have to deliver a resource shipment to their transport ship before time expires. On the other side of the battle, the Empire’s goal is to stop the Rebels from successfully completing the delivery. I’m a big fan of objective modes, particularly variants on capture the flag, so this one I’m looking forward to. Additionally, along with the Outer Rim expansion, EA and DICE will be increasing the player level cap 50 to 60 for everyone (including those who don’t buy the DLC.)
How to get in on the action
There are two ways to get the Outer Rim expansion pack: (1) Purchase a Star Wars Battlefront Season Pass, or (2) Purchase the expansion pack separately. Keep in mind that Outer Rim is only sold digitally, and you need to already own a copy of Star Wars Battlefront to get it.
A lot of people prefer to make their digital purchases over PlayStation Network and Xbox Live using prepaid cards, and Best Buy Canada carries a great selection to choose from depending on your needs:
PlayStation Network
Xbox Live
Outer Rim is just the first of four DLC expansion packs that EA and DICE have planned for Star Wars Battlefront. If you buy the Season Pass, you’ll also gain access to these upcoming expansions:
- Star Wars Battlefront Bespin (Summer 2016) – It’s hunt or be hunted in this action-packed experience set in the Cloud City of Bespin.
- Star Wars Battlefront Death Star (Fall 2016) – That’s no moon! One of the most iconic locations in the Star Wars universe makes its debut in Star Wars Battlefront.
- Star Wars Battlefront Expansion Pack 4 – Title TBA (Early 2017)
In total, the four expansion packs add 16 multiplayer maps, over 20 pieces of new galactic tech (weapons, vehicles, and Star Cards), four more heroes and villains to play as, four exciting new game modes, and an exclusive “Shoot First” emote. You will also be able to download all expansion packs two weeks before everyone else.
Our game blogger Brad Pajuluoma loved Star Wars Battlefront, calling it “the authentic Star Wars experience fans have been waiting for.” You can read his full Plug-In Blog review of Star Wars Battlefront here.
What are your thoughts on Star Wars Battlefront and the upcoming Outer Rim DLC? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below!
