Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker won't be in theaters until December 20, but players of Star Wars Battlefront II will get to experience some of the movie's settings and foes early.
A new trailer for the Star Wars Battlefront II - Celebration Edition highlights the upcoming Rise of Skywalker update. The trailer will be available free to anyone who owns a copy of the multiplayer Star Wars shooter starting December 17, which means Battlefront II players will see elements of the movie series' Episode IX before moviegoers do.
The Battlefront II trailer takes place mostly on a jungle planet that will serve as one of the movie's settings. Rumored to be named Ajan Kloss, the planet appears briefly in The Rise of Skywalker trailers, and the forested world appears to be home to a Resistance base, where General Leia Organa is training Rey in the use of the Force.
The trailer features cameos from Finn and BB-8, who are up against an army of First Order troops, including the updated First Order AT-ST assault walkers that have yet to appear in the movies. The footage from Battlefront II is also loaded with new stormtrooper variants expected to appear in Episode IX, including flying jet troopers and the red-armored Sith troopers, who accompany Kylo Ren into battle.
Speaking of Kylo, he sports an updated look in the Battlefront II trailer, with his helmet held together with lava-colored welds. He's not the only in-game "Hero" character getting an updated appearance: Rey and Finn will also have new looks in the Rise of Skywalker update. The new skins will be available to owners of the Celebration Edition of Battlefront II, or as in-game purchases with credits or crystals.
While Kylo and Rey don't quite come to blows, the latest Battlefront II trailer suggests players will get a chance to create their own encounters between the light and dark sides of the Force in advance of their coming clash in The Rise of Skywalker.
New playable characters are also coming to Battlefront II in the Rise of Skywalker update: a Sith trooper, a Jet trooper (with a grenade-launching blaster rifle) and two new Resistance fighters (the Gunner and Spy).
The new trailer closes with a montage of available Battlefront II characters from throughout the nine Star Wars movies. All are included in the new Celebration Edition—out now—that collects all previous updates, including, according to publisher Electronic Arts, "every Hero Appearance, Trooper Appearance, Emote, Voice Line and Victory Pose," except a handful of preorder exclusives.
Star Wars Battlefront II - Celebration Edition is now available for digital download on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 for $39.99 (or as a $24.99 upgrade for players who already own a copy of Battlefront II).
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