Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron

Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron Released on This Day in 2007

gingetattoo Gaming history, Star Wars: Battlefront

Eighteen years ago, on October 9, 2007, Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron hit the shelves as a PlayStation Portable (PSP) exclusive — and while it might not have had the flashiest graphics or the biggest marketing budget, it became a cult favorite among Star Wars gamers who wanted something a little more personal in their galactic warfare.

Developed by Rebellion Developments and published by LucasArts, Renegade Squadron was built on the legacy of the original Battlefront titles but dared to tweak the formula in bold ways. Its biggest innovation? Character customization. For the first time in the series, players could design their own Rebel or Imperial soldier — swapping weapons, grenades, gadgets, and even appearance. Instead of being stuck with fixed “classes,” you could be a sniper with a jetpack, a heavy gunner with stealth gear, or a support unit with auto-turrets.

It was chaotic, unbalanced, and utterly brilliant.

A Battlefront Built for the Handheld

Unlike the console versions of Battlefront II, which ran on more powerful hardware, Renegade Squadron was designed specifically for the PlayStation Portable — and it showed in both its ambition and its constraints. Despite the PSP’s limitations, Rebellion squeezed out surprisingly large maps, full 16-player ad-hoc multiplayer battles, and even a brand-new single-player campaign narrated by none other than Han Solo himself.

The campaign followed the titular Renegade Squadron — a ragtag Rebel special forces unit that operated outside the formal command structure — and tied directly into key battles from the Galactic Civil War. It was an inventive way to expand Star Wars lore while giving players something more character-driven than the previous games’ purely tactical narratives.

Development and Reception

While LucasArts never officially disclosed the budget, estimates from industry analysts place Renegade Squadron’s development costs around $8–10 million USD, making it a mid-tier project by 2007 standards — modest compared to console shooters, but ambitious for a PSP title.

Critically, the game earned mixed to positive reviews, averaging a 73/100 on Metacritic. Reviewers praised its customization system and the effort to bring large-scale warfare to a handheld, but noted frame rate drops and simplified visuals. IGN called it “the best Star Wars experience you can fit in your pocket,” while others pointed out that the lack of online play at launch (limited to local multiplayer) held it back from true greatness.

Still, it sold over 400,000 copies globally — a solid success for a PSP-exclusive Star Wars game — and laid the groundwork for future experiments in player freedom, from Battlefront (2015) to Battlefront II (2017) and beyond.

The Legacy of a Portable Rebel

Today, Renegade Squadron stands as a reminder that Star Wars games don’t need to be massive to make an impact. Its experimental spirit lives on in the customizable heroes and loadouts of modern Battlefront and Battlefront II, proving that even a small-screen release can leave a big mark on the galaxy.

So here’s to Renegade Squadron — a scrappy little shooter that dared to be different, and in doing so, carved out its own corner of Star Wars history.

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