DICE's Battlefront II covers the prequel, original and sequel eras in one shooter, with 40 player Galactic Assault as the headline mode across 13 maps. The loot crate progression that dominated its 2017 launch was stripped out and replaced by class based Skill Points, and free content ran until the Scarif update in April 2020. It still fills lobbies on Steam, and Instant Action lets you play the whole thing offline against bots.
This guide covers everything you need: core mechanics, the best characters, weapons worth investing in, location progression, and the tips that actually make a difference.
Core Mechanics
Battle Points economy
Kills, objective work and supporting teammates all pay Battle Points during a match. Reinforcements are the cheap tier, vehicles cost more, and every hero or villain costs 4,000 points in Galactic Assault regardless of era.
Star Card loadouts
Each trooper class carries three Star Card slots, upgraded with Crafting Parts through Common, Uncommon, Rare and Epic. Upgrade rarity is gated behind class level, so cards follow playtime with that class rather than money.
Class weapon unlocks
Weapons unlock on kill counts with the class that owns them: 50 kills for the first, 200 for the second and 400 for the third. Attachments then unlock through further kills with that specific gun.
Reinforcement units
Enforcers, Aerials and Infiltrators sit between troopers and heroes and are bought mid match with Battle Points. Wookiee Warrior, Clone Commando, Death Trooper and Droideka are the ones that decide crowded chokepoints.
Galactic Assault phases
Galactic Assault is asymmetric attack and defend split into scripted phases, such as the AT-AT advance on Hoth or the droid push through Theed. Attackers who win a phase move up to a new objective set, and the match ends when the clock or the reinforcement pool runs out.
For a deeper dive into how these systems interact, see our STAR WARS Battlefront II combat guide.
Characters Overview
| Role | Tier | Playstyle | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assault | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Heavy | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Officer | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Specialist | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Enforcer | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
For full build breakdowns with gear and stat priorities, see our STAR WARS Battlefront II builds guide. For rankings, check the tier list.
Weapons Guide
| Weapon | Why It Matters | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| CR-2 | An Assault carbine with a brutal rate of fire and damage that falls off hard past close range. | Indoor maps such as Theed and Death Star II where fights start inside 15 metres |
| EL-16HFE | The Assault rifle unlocked at 400 class kills, trading rate of fire for high damage per shot and clean accuracy at medium range. | Open lanes on Hoth, Jakku and Crait where the CR-2 cannot reach |
| DC-15LE | A Heavy blaster with heavy hitting shots and a slow cycle, unlocked at 50 Heavy kills. | Defending an objective room or a bridge choke |
| S-5 | The Officer sidearm with a scope and a semi automatic trigger, unlocked at 50 Officer kills. | Officers who spend most of the match buffing but still get caught alone |
| NT-242 | The Specialist sniper unlocked at 400 class kills, capable of a charged shot that kills most troopers outright. | Long sightline maps and shutting down AT-STs and speeders on Hoth and Endor |
CR-2: An Assault carbine with a brutal rate of fire and damage that falls off hard past close range. Improved Cooling turns the overheat problem into a non issue in a single engagement.
EL-16HFE: The Assault rifle unlocked at 400 class kills, trading rate of fire for high damage per shot and clean accuracy at medium range. It punishes players who peek from cover repeatedly.
DC-15LE: A Heavy blaster with heavy hitting shots and a slow cycle, unlocked at 50 Heavy kills. Paired with the Combat Shield it holds a doorway against several attackers at once.
S-5: The Officer sidearm with a scope and a semi automatic trigger, unlocked at 50 Officer kills. It lets a support player defend themselves at range instead of hiding behind the turret.
NT-242: The Specialist sniper unlocked at 400 class kills, capable of a charged shot that kills most troopers outright. The Disruptor attachment disables vehicle abilities for several seconds.
Full breakdowns in our STAR WARS Battlefront II weapons guide.
Location Progression
| Location | Level Range | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Kamino | Galactic Assault, Blast, Heroes vs Villains | Clone Commando and Droideka value, tight corridor practice |
| Naboo | Galactic Assault, Capital Supremacy, Co-Op | Close range weapon mastery, hero heavy final phase |
| Kashyyyk | Galactic Assault, Capital Supremacy | Reinforcement practice, mixed range engagements |
| Hoth | Galactic Assault, Co-Op | NT-242 sightlines, AT-AT and speeder play |
| Endor | Galactic Assault, Ewok Hunt, Blast | Flanking routes, Ewok Hunt achievements |
Kamino: Tipoca City's white corridors, fought by the Republic and Separatists across narrow walkways and cloning chambers. Sightlines are short and the platform edges kill anyone who gets knocked back.
Naboo: The assault on Theed, with droids pushing from the plaza through the palace hallways. It is the most consistently popular Galactic Assault map and the shortest ranged of the big ones.
Kashyyyk: Wookiee beaches and treetop walkways, split between an open landing phase and a much tighter village fight. Wookiee Warriors are noticeably stronger here than anywhere else.
Hoth: The Empire walks AT-ATs toward Echo Base while the Rebellion holds turrets and trenches. Long open snow fields make it the best sniper map and the worst one for close range carbines.
Endor: Forest floor and Imperial bunker, with dense trees breaking most long sightlines. It also hosts Ewok Hunt, the asymmetric mode where Ewoks pick off Stormtroopers in the dark.
See our maps & locations guide for detailed area breakdowns and our walkthrough for the optimal progression path.
Tips That Actually Matter
- Battle Points come from objective work far faster than from kills. Arming a bomb, holding a capture point or reviving a downed teammate pays more than a streak of kills in an open field, which is why Officers reach 4,000 points before anyone else.
- Spend Battle Points early and often instead of saving for a hero. A Wookiee Warrior or Clone Commando bought three times in a match contributes more than one hero appearance in the final two minutes, and dying with a full bank wastes nothing but time.
- The Officer's Battle Command buffs everyone in a radius around you, so standing inside the objective circle with teammates is worth more than any weapon choice. It is also the single fastest Battle Point generator in the game.
- Weapon unlocks are tied to class kill counts, not overall level, so switching classes constantly means never unlocking anything. Commit to one class for a few hours to clear the 50, 200 and 400 kill thresholds.
- Heavy's Combat Shield is directional and blocks blaster fire from the front while your team shoots over the top. Placing it in a doorway rather than in open ground turns a losing defence into a stalemate.
- Learn the phase order of each Galactic Assault map so you can pre position for the next objective instead of walking back after it changes. On Theed, defenders who fall back to the throne room early stop the push before it starts.
- The Specialist's Infiltration ability speeds you up and highlights enemies, which makes it a repositioning tool rather than a fight winner. Use it to reach a new angle before the enemy team adjusts to the last one.
- Vehicles bought with Battle Points are usually a worse deal than reinforcements on infantry maps, because a single Heavy with an ion torpedo can delete an AT-ST. Save vehicle purchases for maps with real open ground.
- Instant Action runs full Supremacy style matches offline against bots with adjustable difficulty, which is the quickest way to grind class kills for weapon unlocks without ruining online matches while you learn.
- In Heroes vs Villains the target system means one specific player is worth extra points to kill. Protecting your team's target while hunting theirs matters more than raw duelling skill, and most losses come from ignoring the marker.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Hoarding Battle Points for a hero and dying with them unspent.
- Switching classes constantly so no weapon ever unlocks.
- Chasing kills away from the objective as Officer.
- Sniping with the NT-242 on close quarters maps like Theed.
- Placing the Heavy shield in the open instead of a doorway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Star Wars Battlefront II still worth playing in 2026?
Yes for the content, with reservations about population. The 2020 Scarif update closed out free support with 13 Galactic Assault maps and a full hero roster, and Instant Action plus Co-Op means the game works even when a specific online mode is quiet.
Are there still loot boxes?
No. The crate system was reworked in March 2018 into a class based progression where Skill Points unlock Star Cards and Crafting Parts upgrade them. Purchases are cosmetic only.
Which class should a new player start with?
Officer. It generates Battle Points faster than anything else through Battle Command and turret placement, so you can afford reinforcements and heroes while you are still learning the maps and the gunplay.
How do you unlock all the weapons?
Kill counts with the owning class: 50, 200 and 400 kills unlock the three unlockable weapons per trooper class. Attachments then need further kills with that specific weapon, so grinding one gun at a time is the efficient route.
What is the difference between Galactic Assault and Supremacy?
Galactic Assault is a 40 player linear attack and defend with scripted phases. Supremacy and Capital Supremacy are back and forth control point modes that add AI troopers and, in Capital Supremacy, a boarding phase on a capital ship.
More STAR WARS Battlefront II Guides
- STAR WARS Battlefront II Best Builds
- STAR WARS Battlefront II Tier List
- STAR WARS Battlefront II Walkthrough
- STAR WARS Battlefront II Beginner's Guide
- STAR WARS Battlefront II Tips & Tricks
- STAR WARS Battlefront II Weapons Guide
- STAR WARS Battlefront II Combat Guide
- STAR WARS Battlefront II Boss Guide
- STAR WARS Battlefront II Maps & Locations
- STAR WARS Battlefront II Crafting Guide
- STAR WARS Battlefront II Classes & Characters
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