Jedi 3 is far along and Battlefront 3 isn't: EA picks the safe Force
Schreier says Jedi 3 is far along while Battlefront 3 hasn't started. It's the right priority, and it shows how cautious Star Wars games have become.
Photo: Ubisoft / Steam (uso editorial)
Which Star Wars game is EA actually making? Not the one that supposedly cost BioWare its future. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, the one that is far along is the one fans have waited on for years, while the one blamed for a studio closure hasn't even started.
What Schreier said
Answering questions on Bluesky after his report on EA's decision to shut down BioWare, Schreier wrote that "Jedi 3 is far in development" and that "Battlefront 3 hasn't even started yet." As Destructoid notes, his earlier reporting said EA shelved BioWare's Mass Effect 5 because a new Battlefront looked like a safer sci-fi bet. Schreier's own words on that, per the same piece: "They chose to invest in Star Wars and shut down BioWare as a result."
None of this is official. Jedi 3 has no announced release window, and some outlets are passing along a leaker's 2027 claim that is unconfirmed. Treat the timing as speculation. The idea that The Game Awards on December 10 is the natural stage for a reveal is just that, a guess, though a sensible one.
The order is the right one
If you have to pick, you pick Jedi. Respawn's Cal Kestis games have a track record: VICE describes the first as incredibly well-received, with a popular sequel following in 2023. The second ended on a major cliffhanger. Leaving that story hanging while starting a brand-new multiplayer project would be strange.
There is also a plain production logic. A studio that is deep into a game finishes it. A game that hasn't started can wait, and in our view it should. We suspect a multiplayer Battlefront is a bigger bet in time and money than a single-player adventure with a story already in motion, and nothing in the reporting suggests it is rushed.
But look at what "safe" means now
Here is the uncomfortable part. The case for both games seems to rest on the same word: safe. Schreier's reporting frames Battlefront 3 as the lower-risk choice over a new Mass Effect, and in our reading Jedi 3 is the continuation of a proven line. Destructoid goes further and reads this as EA sticking to broadly popular IPs, with licensed deals taking priority over homegrown ones. That reading is the outlet's interpretation, but it fits the pattern.
We think that is the real story. Star Wars was once a canvas for odd, ambitious ideas. Today its games look like an insurance policy. A closed studio is the price of that insurance, and the conversation about "safe" investments conveniently forgets that BioWare's recent games underperformed, a point Destructoid also makes. Caution can be rational and still be depressing.
Who wins? Cal Kestis fans, obviously, and probably Respawn, which appears to have the runway to finish its trilogy. Who loses? Anyone who wanted EA to keep taking creative swings with its own universes. And Battlefront fans get the least comfort: a confirmed game that hasn't even started is, for now, a promise rather than a project.
Our verdict
Be excited about Jedi 3, but wait for a real announcement before you plan around dates. Be patient with Battlefront 3, and skeptical of any early trailer. And keep an eye on the bigger question, which VICE raises too: will players forgive the BioWare closure if the new project looks good enough? We suspect many will. That is exactly why EA's safe bet might work, and exactly why it should worry us.
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