Star Wars: Battlefront III Prequel Now Playable on PC After 13-Year Hiatus

A dedicated group of fans has pulled off something impressive by reviving the Xbox 360 technical beta for the unreleased Star Wars: First Assault, a precursor to the never-launched Star Wars Battlefront III. And it’s looking pretty awesome!

As reported, these Star Wars enthusiasts have managed to bring Star Wars: First Assault back to life, making it playable on PC with online multiplayer capabilities. While getting it to run on your system isn’t exactly straightforward and requires a specific version of the Xbox 360 emulator Xenia, the result is a fascinating glimpse into a Star Wars game that never saw the light of day.

You can check out over 60 minutes of gameplay footage showcasing First Assault running on PC.

The first whispers of Star Wars: First Assault emerged back in 2012 through a leaked Xbox Live Arcade listing. By 2013, it was reported that First Assault was intended to be a downloadable multiplayer-only FPS supporting up to 16 players, featuring both Rebels and Stormtroopers. According to insiders, the game was envisioned as a “step zero” to eventually lead to a full Star Wars: Battlefront III. The idea was that if First Assault performed well, it would set the stage for a complete Battlefront sequel. Unfortunately, that plan never materialized.

In 2013, after acquiring Lucasfilm, Disney shut down LucasArts and canceled two Star Wars projects: Star Wars 1313 and First Assault. Over the past decade, the Battlefront series has seen a revival thanks to EA and DICE, but it seems unlikely that we’ll see another EA-published Battlefront title in the near future. In 2024, EA also scrapped a planned Star Wars shooter from the developers of Titanfall. While it’s disappointing, at least you can now experience First Assault on your PC if you’re craving a “new” Star Wars FPS.