Xbox One Users Will Get a Chance to Play Star Wars: Battlefront First
By Kyle Warnke
Anticipation is high for the upcoming Star Wars: Battlefront game, which as you know will debut at Star Wars Celebration with a trailer livestreamed at the Anaheim event on Friday. But if you want to play the game earlier than anyone else, you don’t need a midichlorian count; instead, all you need is an Xbox One.
More from Star Wars News
- Seasons of the Force and new Star Tours coming to Disneyland
- Godzilla Minus One director Takashi Yamazaki wants to helm a Star Wars movie
- The Bad Batch showrunner Jennifer Corbett gives update on series
- “We lost Freddy” Rebels cast shares reaction to Kanan Jarrus’ death
- Vanessa Marshall wants to play Mara Jade in live action
However, it’s not as simple as you think. The game isn’t actually being distributed earlier merely for Xbox users.
Instead, Microsoft games marketing director Aaron Greenberg has confirmed via Twitter that it will be available on EA Access, which is a subscription-based service that temporarily rents out early editions of unreleased video games. Xbox users will be able to download Star Wars Battlefront on the Friday before the game is released (no date yet confirmed) for a few hours, before they will lose access until the game officially launches.
@Spitfire_Spud @PNF4LYFE @JCrookedSmile @TiC_Podcast @The_CrapGamer @XboxP3 @EAAccess @EA_DICE Very ready & play it first on #XboxOne!
— Aaron Greenberg @ The Game Awards (@aarongreenberg) April 14, 2015
@neuropuff Was referring to #XboxOne as the only place you can play all new EA games before they launch, exclusively with @EAAccess
— Aaron Greenberg @ The Game Awards (@aarongreenberg) April 14, 2015
As you can see, there was some confusion at first as to what Greenberg meant. Playstation 4 and PC users still get the full game at the same time, but EA Access is not available on those platforms.
It’s also worth noting that any saved games or progress gained during the preview will be stored for when the full game is released.
Meanwhile, EA has said that there will be a booth at Celebration specifically to show off the gameplay of Battlefront behind closed doors. But they’ve been coy about saying whether fans will actually get a chance to try out the gameplay.
The company recently put out the call for playtesters for the game, if you live near their Redwood Shores location in California’s Bay Area.
If you are both an Xbox One owner and EA Access subscriber, be sure to clear your schedule for that Friday so you can rip through the game as fast as you can. Just don’t post any spoilers, please. That’s our job.
Next: Rumored List of Characters for Star Wars: The Force Awakens