STAR WARS Battlefront II (Classic, 2005): Complete Guide

A practical guide to the original 2005 Battlefront II on PC: classes, heroes, Conquest and space battles, Galactic Conquest, the Rise of the Empire campaign, online play today, and how it relates to the 2024 Classic Collection.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the last Steam build (the February 2021 "Reverting to the previous version" update; the 2017 multiplayer restoration is still what powers online play). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Status in 2026: Is It Still Playable?

Yes. The short history:

Date | What happened

2005 | Original release (Pandemic Studios / LucasArts)

8 Jul 2009 | Released on Steam (app 6060)

31 May 2014 | GameSpy shut down, killing the original online service

2 Oct 2017 | A patch re-enabled multiplayer on Steam and GOG and added Steam/GOG cross-play

3 Jan 2018 | Multiplayer patch: better lobbies, correct Steam names, more accurate ping

10 Feb 2021 | Steam announcement "Reverting to the previous version" — the most recent official post

14 Mar 2024 | Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection (Aspyr) released, bundling Battlefront I and II with 64-player online and extra content

The 2005 version on Steam is a separate product from the Classic Collection. Owners of the original keep their copy, the offline content works fully, and the restored Steam lobby still hosts games — but populations are small and fluctuate, so expect to rely on Instant Action against bots for most sessions. If you mainly want online matches, check which version your friends own before buying: the two versions do not play together.

Quick Start

• Play Instant Action first. It lets you pick any map, era, and mode against AI, and set bot count, difficulty, and hero rules. It is the best way to learn maps.
• Command posts are everything in Conquest. Each side has reinforcement tickets; holding more posts drains the enemy. Capturing a post also gives your team a new spawn point.
• Pick the class for the job, not your favourite. Heavy troopers kill vehicles, engineers repair and keep the team supplied, snipers hold lanes, infantry capture posts.
• Earn points to unlock the two special classes and your hero. Kills, captures, repairs, and vehicle kills all add points during a match.
• Sprint and roll. Sprinting uses stamina; a sprint-then-dodge-roll breaks enemy aim and is how veterans cross open ground.
• Use vehicles, but not blindly. A tank or AT-TE is a huge force multiplier, but heavy troopers and mines will punish you if you park.
• In space, board the enemy capital ship. Landing in the hangar and destroying internal systems on foot is often faster than strafing from outside.
• Galactic Conquest is where the single-player longevity is. Use it after you know the maps.

The Four Factions and Six Classes

Every faction shares four core roles, plus two faction-specific special classes that unlock once you have earned enough points in the current battle. Only a limited number of special units can be on the field at once.

Role | Republic | CIS | Rebels | Empire

Infantry | Clone Trooper | Super Battle Droid | Rebel Soldier | Stormtrooper

Heavy (anti-vehicle) | Heavy Trooper | Assault Droid | Rebel Vanguard | Shock Trooper

Sniper | Clone Sharpshooter | Assassin Droid | Rebel Marksman | Scout Trooper

Engineer | Clone Engineer | Engineer Droid | Rebel Smuggler | Imperial Engineer

Special 1 | Clone Commander | Droideka | Bothan Spy | Imperial Officer

Special 2 | Jet Trooper | MagnaGuard | Wookiee Warrior | Dark Trooper

How to use each role:

• Infantry — your all-rounder. Rifle, pistol, grenades. Best at taking and defending command posts and at trading shots at mid range.
• Heavy — rockets that lock on to vehicles plus mines. Place mines on vehicle routes and choke points near posts. Unguided rockets also clear clumps of infantry.
• Sniper — one-shot headshots. Stay at the edge of the fight, watch the lanes toward your posts, and relocate after a couple of kills.
• Engineer — shotgun, detpacks, and the fusion cutter, which repairs vehicles, turrets, and droids. Engineers can also drop health/ammo dispensers; a single engineer can keep a whole push alive.
• Specials — these change the game. The Droideka rolls fast and deploys a shield; the Wookiee and Dark Trooper hit hard at close range; Jet Troopers and Dark Troopers can reach rooftops and ledges nobody else can; officers and commanders support their team.

Heroes

Battlefront II was the first Battlefront with playable heroes. Each map assigns one hero per side (the hero you get depends on era and map), only one hero per team can be active, and you earn the hero slot by scoring points. Heroes have a health bar that drains over time, and kills restore it — so a hero who stops fighting dies on their own.

• Jedi and Sith (e.g. Yoda, Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin, Luke, Darth Vader, the Emperor, Count Dooku, Darth Maul) rely on lightsaber combos, blocking blaster fire, and Force powers such as Force Push, Force Pull, and Force Lightning.
• Gunslingers and specialists (e.g. Han Solo, Leia, Boba Fett, Jango Fett, General Grievous, Chewbacca) use ranged weapons and gadgets.

Hero Assault is a separate team deathmatch mode on Mos Eisley where every hero and villain is available — the best place to practise saber play.

Hero tips:

• Force Push/Pull is best on clustered troops (for example a group standing on a command post), not single targets.
• Keep attacking. Your timer is your health, and kills refill it.
• Heavy troopers with rockets and vehicles are your biggest threat; close distance or break line of sight.
• In Instant Action options you can change how heroes unlock (for example, making them available to the player or AI more freely) — handy for practice.

Game Modes

Mode | Objective | What wins it

Conquest | Capture and hold command posts | Draining enemy tickets; if you hold every post, the enemy has a short countdown to retake one or lose

Assault (Space and Hero) | Score points by killing or destroying objectives | Reaching the point target first

1-Flag CTF | Carry a single central flag to the enemy base | Captures

2-Flag CTF | Steal the enemy flag and return it | Captures

Hunt | Asymmetric fights with native species (e.g. Ewoks, Wookiees, Jawas, Gungans) | Kill count

Space Assault | Destroy the enemy capital ship's systems | Points target

Conquest priorities

• Rush the neutral or lightly held command posts in the first minute.
• Hold two or three well-connected posts rather than chasing every post across the map.
• Once your team is ahead on posts, the ticket bleed works for you — play defence.
• Engineers should repair turrets near posts; turrets defend while you respawn.

Space Battles

Space maps pit two capital ships against each other with fighters flying between them.

Ship types:

• Fighters (X-wing, TIE fighter, ARC-170, Vulture droid, Jedi starfighter) — dogfighting and escort.
• Bombers (Y-wing, TIE bomber, and equivalents) — heavy ordnance for capital ship systems.
• Interceptors (A-wing, TIE interceptor, and equivalents) — speed; good for hunting enemy bombers.
• Transports — carry infantry for boarding actions.

How to win space:

• Knock out the enemy shields and critical systems from outside with bombers, or
• Fly into the enemy hangar, land, and hop out. Inside, destroy internal systems (such as life support and critical subsystems) on foot for big points.
• Watch your own hangar. An engineer or two defending your ship's interior shuts down enemy boarding parties.
• Frigates and turrets matter less than capital ship systems — prioritise points.

Repair: pilots can fly through their own hangar to repair and restock. Pilot and marine classes are what you choose from in space (pilots can repair ships; marines are the boarding troops).

Rise of the Empire (Campaign)

The story campaign follows a veteran of the 501st Legion from the Clone Wars through the rise of the Empire and into the Galactic Civil War. It has 18 missions, including four optional space missions (per Wikipedia), and each mission layers objectives on top of a standard battle.

Campaign tips:

• Objectives update mid-mission. Read the objective text; many missions fail if you ignore a timed task.
• Bring an engineer when there are vehicles or turrets to repair, and heavies when armour appears.
• If a mission feels impossible, switch class after respawning — many segments are designed around a particular class.
• The later Imperial missions include iconic set pieces (for example, the Tantive IV boarding and the Hoth assault).

Galactic Conquest

A strategic mode that plays like a light board game: move fleets between planets, fight ground or space battles when fleets collide on a planet, and earn credits based on your performance.

• Spend credits on unlocking classes, building new fleets, and buying one-time bonuses to use in the next battle.
• Unlock classes early. Starting with a limited roster is painful; heavies and engineers are the priority buys.
• Conquer planets with bonuses. Owned planets feed income and give strategic value.
• Keep a second fleet. A single fleet cannot defend and attack at once.
• Space victories matter. Winning the space battle before landing can make ground fights easier, so don't neglect fleets.

Maps Worth Learning

Ground maps span the prequel and original trilogy eras, including Coruscant (Jedi Temple), Dagobah, Death Star interior, Endor, Felucia, Geonosis, Hoth, Kamino, Kashyyyk, Mos Eisley, Mustafar, Mygeeto, Naboo, Polis Massa, Tantive IV, Utapau, and Yavin 4. Some general reads:

Map type | Examples | Best classes

Wide open with vehicles | Hoth, Geonosis, Yavin 4 | Heavy, Engineer

Tight interiors | Tantive IV, Death Star, Polis Massa | Infantry, special classes, heroes

Vertical/multi-level | Coruscant, Mygeeto, Utapau | Jet/Dark Troopers, snipers

Mixed urban | Mos Eisley, Naboo, Kamino | Infantry, snipers

On Hoth as Rebels, massed heavy troopers and turret fire are your answer to the AT-ATs; as Empire, keep infantry around the walkers to pick off rocket troopers.

Awards and Medals

Earning certain medal streaks in a single battle unlocks award weapons (improved versions of standard weapons) for the rest of that battle. Earning the same medal enough times over your career unlocks the award weapon permanently for that class. Check the in-game stats/awards screens to track progress.

Getting It Running Well on Modern PCs

• Resolution and widescreen: the Steam build supports modern resolutions from the video options. If the game ignores your setting, run it once, exit, and change the setting again.
• Frame-rate and vsync: if you see stutter or physics oddities, try enabling vsync or capping FPS at your monitor's refresh rate.
• Mods: the 2005 PC version has a long-lived modding community (new maps, eras, and conversion packs). Mods are one of the main reasons to keep the original instead of the Classic Collection.
• Multiplayer: go through the in-game online menu while logged into Steam. If lobbies look empty, try different times of day or organise games with friends or community Discords.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Playing only infantry. If you see vehicles stomping your team, switch to heavy immediately.
• Ignoring command posts for kill-chasing. Kills don't drain enemy tickets as fast as losing posts does.
• Wasting your hero. Heroes that stand in the open get deleted by rockets; heroes that stop fighting run out of health.
• Flying into capital ships' turrets without shields or support.
• Leaving your own hangar undefended in space — a single boarding party can swing a match.
• Skipping engineer repairs. A repaired turret near a command post is a free teammate.
• Buying the Classic Collection expecting mod support or cross-play with the 2005 version — they are separate.

Advanced Tips

• Roll-canceling: sprint, then roll to dodge incoming fire and cross gaps. Mix in jumps to throw off enemy aim.
• Lock-on rockets: heavy troopers can lock onto vehicles; wait for the lock to hit reliably, especially against fast speeders.
• Mine choke points near vehicle spawn areas and on main vehicle lanes.
• Snipe spawn routes, not spawn points — you want kills on reinforcements heading to your posts.
• Board early in space while defenders are still spawning into fighters.
• Force Push stacks well with ledges — knock enemies off platforms on maps like Mustafar and Utapau.
• In Galactic Conquest, save credits for bonuses before battles you can't afford to lose.

FAQ

Does Battlefront II (2005) still have online multiplayer? Yes. Multiplayer was restored on Steam and GOG on 2 October 2017 after GameSpy's 2014 shutdown, with a follow-up patch in January 2018. Player counts are small, so bots and community-organised games are common.

Should I buy the 2005 version or the Classic Collection? The Classic Collection (March 2024) bundles Battlefront I and II with extra content and 64-player online. The 2005 version is the one with the established mod scene. They do not play online together.

How do I unlock heroes? Score points during a battle. Once you pass the threshold and no other teammate is using the hero, you can spawn as the hero. Instant Action options let you change hero rules.

How many missions are in the campaign? Rise of the Empire has 18 missions, including four optional space missions.

Why can't I pick the special classes? They unlock after you earn enough points in the current battle, and there's a cap on how many can be active per team.

Can I play split-screen on PC? No — on PC you get single-player modes plus online multiplayer. Split-screen was a console feature.

Sources

• Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005) — Wikipedia
• Steam store page (app 6060)
• Steam news: multiplayer return (Oct 2017), multiplayer patch (Jan 2018), revert (Feb 2021)