Star Wars Battlefront will contain 12 multiplayer maps, and the creation of one, the volcanic planet of Sullust, has been covered in a recent blog post from developer DICE.
Sullust, for those of you who aren’t Star Wars obsessives, is the homeworld of the Sullustans, represented in the original trilogy by this charming little chap, who co-piloted the Millennium Falcon with Lando at the climax of Return of the Jedi.
To recreate the lava rivers and ash-strewn valleys of Sullust, DICE had to find an appropriately Mordor-esque location from which to take inspiration. They found it in Iceland.
“When the DICE team first set foot on the Icelandic surface, parts were bubbling, giving off short yet intense bursts of heat,” the team writes. “The solid ground gently rumbled, reverberations felt from head to toe. They stood still, looking far and wide only to see eerie streams of smoke rolling across the horizon and over awkward arrangements of gigantic black rocks.”
Sounds pretty atmospheric, right? To complete the feel, the team went to Lucasfilm, where they came up with the idea to play on the Death Star’s architectural style when creating the Sullust map. The planet’s an Imperial garrison, so it’s marked by the black, white and grey steel grandeur that fans of the original trilogy will remember fondly. It should offer something new for Star Wars fans, alongside the rampant fan service that the Battlefront series is famous for.
“Of the 12 multiplayer maps in Star Wars Battlefront (there are even more locations when you include the Star Wars Battlefront Missions), some feel immediately familiar — such as the lush forests of Endor or the tundra of Hoth that allow you to re-live your favorite moments from the films,” writes DICE.
“Some of the maps support our epic modes like Walker Assault, while others are tailored to more intimate, close quarters combat. Our goal is to bring a variety of battle fantasies to life, with map design catering to the modes that will play out on those maps.”
Star Wars Battlefront is set for release on PC and consoles this November 17.