Respawn's debut shooter Titanfall has been a hit for Microsoft, so a sequel is generally expected. But despite no formal announcement from publisher Electronic Arts, the rumors persist that the developer has something up its sleeve, and with E3 2014 in full swing, now wouldn't be a bad time to lay all the cards out on the table.
Short 'n Sweet Commercial Shows Off Expedition DLC's Three New Maps for Titanfall
Rumors of a sequel first began with a few brief tweets, which hinted that the Titanfall followup wouldn't be a Microsoft exclusive like the original. But now a more solid source is backing up that a sequel is indeed on the way.
The source in question is the Wall Street Journal. Not exactly a gaming heavy publication, but they're pretty damn reputable. While comparing performance of the Xbox One as compared to the PlayStation 4 earlier this week, the paper reported:
Brief Tweets Fan Flames that Respawn is Working on Titanfall For the PS4
"Microsoft has benefited from the Xbox-exclusive shooting game 'Titanfall' from Electronic Arts Inc., which was the best-selling title of March and April in the U.S. But its follow-up game, which is in the planning stages, also will be available for the PS4, a person close to the development effort said."
Said person was unnamed, but I like to think that WSJ is pretty good about fact checking, despite the blurb that followed - "EA declined to comment."
Whether Titanfall 2 is console exclusive or not, it's a foregone conclusion that the game will happen. Earlier today, EA told Game Informer that Titanfall is the best selling Xbox One game ever.
"Titanfall has been incredibly strong on Xbox One," were COO Peter Moore's exact words to the outlet. "Sales are always going to be inhibited and governed by the install base, but it is attaching incredibly well. Titanfall is the best selling title on Xbox One lifetime-to-date."
NPD numbers had put the game's sales at over 900,000, but the actual number is likely higher. Not bad for a three month old game that was a brand new IP at the time of launch.
Whatever Respawn or EA has anything in store for a new Titanfall, if any at all, remains to be seen. For the time being, the companies are content to keep things going for the current game. Case in point, Respawn is currently in place at this year's E3 to demonstrate the new modes coming in the next title update.
The Titanfall blog had details on the new modes, as well as other changes on the way. Check 'em out below:
* Marked for Death - MFD is a 6v6 mode where one player per team is "Marked for Death". Teams need to protect their own marked player while hunting down the enemy Pilot. Once a target is killed, new Pilots are marked. This is a fast paced mode that challenges players to fully explore maps and coordinate as a team.
* Wingman LTS - This is a 2v2 version of Last Titan Standing. It's our first non 6v6 mode and relies on teamwork and strategy. Great for players who want to play an even more tactical version of LTS.
* Titan Burn Cards - Burn cards are no longer just for Pilots. Titan cards include amped weapons and enhanced Titan abilities.
* Titan Customization (Visual and voice over) - Players will be able to choose between 3 Titan VO packs. "Betty" is the original voice and this update adds Lisa and Jeeves. Players will also be able to select Titan decals. You'll unlock these as you complete challenges in the game and apply them to the front of your Titan. Our friends over at Penny Arcade were kind enough to contribute a cool decal to the mix too.
* Matchmaking Updates - Titanfall now shows when players are connecting into a lobby as well as shuffling teams to keep skill levels and matches closer.
* Some of the smaller changes include burn card overflow protection, new menu art and the ability for auto-titans to use smoke and particle walls.
Titanfall is out now for PC, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. The game recently received its first piece of DLC, the Expedition Map Pack, which adds three new mapsL Runoff, War Games, and Swampland. You can see a preview of the maps in the video below:
