'Star Wars Battlefront 2' release date, news: will sequel have campaign mode?

Promotional image of the latest "Star Wars Battlefront" video game DLC, "Death Star."Facebook/EAStarWars

Last year's "Star Wars Battlefront" didn't sit well with a lot of critics, but it didn't stop the EA Dice-developed action shooter video game from becoming a huge commercial success. This is probably the biggest reason why a sequel has been announced. With the legion of "Star Wars" video game franchise fans ecstatic about the upcoming video game, one can't help but speculate as to what it could offer that'll make it a better installment that its predecessor.

During a recent investor call (via Polygon), EA chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen revealed that "Star Wars Battlefront 2" will potentially be released next year, which in turn could mean that it'll hit stores on or before the summer season. Likewise, it also makes perfect sense if EA decides to release it a month or so before Christmas 2017, where people are expected to purchase new video game titles in time for the holidays.

As far as changes to the gameplay are concerned, no doubt the most pressing issue that the developers of "Star Wars Battlefront 2" will be facing is whether or not to include a campaign mode this time. To recall, one of the biggest criticisms of the previous game in the series was that EA expressly said that there was no need for a single-player campaign mode because only a few people play it. However, it's no secret that its biggest competitors all have single-player campaign modes, including the "Call of Duty," "Battlefield," and "Medal of Honor" first-person shooter video game franchises.

So for the second installment of the "Star Wars Battlefront" game, the developers obviously have a lot on their plate in terms of improving the game with the purpose of addressing the major criticisms for the first title, and it's not just about the absence of the campaign mode. Fans expect it to have more space battles as well as playable planets. Likewise, there have to be more playable characters, too, especially since the first game only had six.