EA details Star Wars Battlefront's "Blast" mode

Star Wars Battlefront's newly-announced "Blast" mode is a 10v10 Team Deathmatch contest that pits the Rebels against the Imperials on maps specifically designed for fast-paced, close-quarters combat.

newly-announced "Blast" mode is a 10v10 Team Deathmatch contest that pits the Rebels against the Imperials on maps specifically designed for fast-paced, close-quarters combat. They're smaller than the "vast" maps that feature in other gameplay modes, and they've been tweaked in other ways as well.

Maps used in Star Wars: Battlefront are designed with specific modes of play in mind, and in the case of Blast mode that means they're more than just smaller versions of maps used elsewhere. Those variations are "crucial," Lead Level Designer Dennis Brännvall explained, and they'll manifest in different ways. "Say you've just played Walker Assault mode on Hoth and then switched to Blast, still on Hoth," he said. "Thanks to variations in lighting and time of day, you'll definitely see a difference."

Blast battles will run for just ten minutes, or until one team reaches 100 kills. There will be no vehicles and no Heroes and Villains, making the pickups scattered around each level, like droids and turrets, particularly important. "The pickups can really turn the tide of a Blast match," Brännvall said. “They are not around every corner though, so keep your eyes peeled."

Star Wars Battlefront comes out on November 17.