Star Wars: Battlefront IV, a video game in development by Free Radical Design, was intended as the fourth entry in the original Battlefront series. It faced cancellation in 2008, coinciding with the demise of its predecessor, Star Wars: Battlefront III.
The game's concept art hints at a narrative centered around alternate reality scenarios. Character alignments would be inverted, presenting Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi as dark side figures, while Maul and Vader would embody the light side. Early gameplay footage depicted post-Return of the Jedi conflicts between the Rebel Alliance and the Imperial Remnant, incorporating prequel elements. Additional deviations from established lore included Anakin confronting and defeating Yoda, Emperor Palpatine invading Naboo, and Anakin's overt murder of Padmé in a moment of intense anger.
In December of 2007, with Battlefront III nearing completion, LucasArts, the publisher, and Free Radical Design, the developer, entered into a new agreement for a sequel, Star Wars: Battlefront IV. This contract stipulated that Free Radical would need to augment their team. Steve Ellis, a co-director at Free Radical, would later characterize this as "a vote of confidence in us".
Darrell Rodriguez succeeded Jim Ward as president of LucasArts in 2008, initiating a new strategy that led to significant staff reductions. Free Radical grew concerned about meeting deadlines, and their relationship with LucasArts soured. Graeme Norgate, Free Radical's composer, later described "stalling tactics" employed by LucasArts, including the publisher's refusal to approve milestones for Battlefront III and a six-month delay in payments to Free Radical.
David Doak, a co-director at Free Radical, portrayed the situation as LucasArts attempting to minimize expenses and abandon the project. A former LucasArts employee countered that Free Radical had missed deadlines and deliveries even before Jim Ward's departure, and that both LucasArts Presidents made "many 'good will' whole or partial milestone payments to keep the project going". Ultimately, the cancellation of Battlefront III occurred around October 2008, simultaneously ending development on Battlefront IV.
- Cancelled Star Wars Battlefront 4 art shows Dark Side Luke, Jedi Maul by Phillips, Tom on www.eurogamer.net ( April 11 , 2018 ) (backup link archived on February 10, 2021)
- What Battlefront 4's Concept Art Reveals About Its Plot by Maldonado, Lawrence on screenrant.com ( July 13 , 2020 ) (backup link archived on September 20, 2020)
- The Collapse of Free Radical Design by Martin, Matt on www.gamesindustry.biz ( April 26 , 2012 ) (backup link archived on November 3, 2019)
- Former LucasArts employee on why Star Wars: Battlefront III failed on GameSpot.com (backup link)