Independent developers Frontwire Studios had been developing their own "Star Wars Battlefront III: Galaxy in Turmoil" but Lucasfilm has now stepped in.
As posted on the developers' official website, Lucasfilm has requested that the developers remove all references to the "Star Wars" universe, otherwise the game's development would need to be shut down.
The developers received a letter from Lucasfilm back on June 22, but to their surprise the executives of Lucasfilm agreed to meet up with the developers and discuss a possible common ground so that the game could still push forward.
It was revealed during the meeting that although Lucasfilm was interested in negotiating a potential contract with Frontwire Studios to get the game out as is, they already have a licensing deal with Electronic Arts, which had no plans of sharing the license with Frontwire Studios. This prevented Frontwire from using the "Star Wars" IP.
"I do not for a second hold any grudge against Electronic Arts and/or Lucasfilm, and neither should our community. The Star Wars brand is a highly valuable and lucrative brand," explained Frontwire Studios' Tony Romanelli. "I would expect nothing less from Lucasfilm than to do everything they can to protect and preserve their intellectual property."
The game is now moving forward with entirely brand new assets and will be a brand-new IP from Frontwire Studios. It will still play as intended, including ground-to-space combat, 64-player maps and a full single player campaign. It just won't include the "Star Wars" properties and will be something entirely new.
Frontwire Studios has yet to announce when the game will be released or when a demo showcasing its new assets will be presented.
