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It's dogfighting time in Star Wars Battlefront game

A new mode built into the upcoming reboot of Star Wars: Battlefront, called "Fighter Squadron," will let users engage in an all-out dogfight with up to 20 simultaneous players.

Don Reisinger
CNET contributor Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
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Don Reisinger
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In just a few months, you'll get into the cockpit and engage in major dogfights. EA

If you've always had dreams of engaging in chaotic dogfights in the Star Wars universe, your time in the cockpit is not far off.

Star Wars Battlefront, the upcoming reboot of the game series started in 2004, is adding a new dogfighting mode called Star Wars Fighter Squadron that will allow up to 20 players to simultaneously take each other on in ships from the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire. Gamers will be able to take the stick of X-wings, A-wings, TIE fighters, and Tie Interceptors, Electronic Arts announced on Wednesday. The team of fighters that reaches 200 kills or has the most kills within the allotted time is the winner.

"Fighter Squadron is designed for all fans who ever wanted to dogfight in the skies with their favorite ships from the Star Wars universe," Electronic Arts, the game's developer and publisher, wrote in a blog post announcing the feature.

Adding dogfighting -- a term used to define an aerial battle between aircraft -- to Star Wars Battlefront will breathe some new life into the popular franchise. Star Wars Battlefront, which will launch in November on Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, is the latest installment in the Battlefront series, and will allow users to navigate the Star Wars world, take control over vehicles they see in the popular movies, and play in both single player and multiplayer. The game also includes popular characters, including Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.

While the Battlefront reboot is wildly anticipated among the franchise's fans and multiplayer has long held a special place in the games, actually taking to the air and having a chaotic dogfight is new to the Battlefront franchise and could lure more, non-traditional Star Wars gamers. More importantly for gamers, it adds some extra flare and excitement that both gamers and EA hope, will boost playability.

In addition to 20 in-game players, the title will support 20 computer-controlled aircraft, adding even more targets to the air. The game will also include transport shuttles that will need to be defended (or destroyed), depending on what side the player is on.

Fighter Squadron will be included in Star Wars Battlefront when the game launches on November 17.