Windows
Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit
Download for WindowsPreview builds aren't code-signed yet, so SmartScreen may stop the installer. Choose More info, then Run anyway.
Free to play. Bring your own copy.
Eternal ships without game files. It prepares everything from your own copy of the original, installed from Steam or GOG.
Required: Star Wars: Battlefront (Classic, 2004) from Steam or GOG, installed on the computer you play on. Both work the same, and their players share servers. Battlefront II (2005) support is coming. The 2024 Classic Collection isn't a supported source yet.
Platforms
Linux
x64 and ARM64: Debian, Ubuntu, Arch, Fedora and more
Install on LinuxOne command, signed packages, updates included. Prefer a file? Get the AppImage for x64 or ARM64.
macOS
Apple silicon and Intel
Coming in a future build
Native Mac builds are on the way. They aren't available to download yet.
Check your download: SHA-256 checksums · signature · signing key · build manifest. Key fingerprint F210 B071 0D27 0963 CB64 1C11 8043 BCB3 31D3 4C9B.
On Windows: download, run, play
Battlefront Eternal is a native Windows app. One installer, no terminal, no extra tools. Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit.
Install the original
Install Star Wars: Battlefront (Classic, 2004) from Steam or GOG Galaxy on the PC you'll play on. Installing is enough: you never need to launch it.
Run the installer
Download Battlefront Eternal for Windows and run it. Preview builds aren't code-signed yet, so if SmartScreen stops it, choose More info, then Run anyway.
Launch Battlefront Eternal
Open it from the Start menu. The first launch finds your Steam or GOG copy and prepares your game data. Here's what to expect.
Update
The app updates itself: each launch checks the signed release channel and downloads only what changed. To reinstall, run the latest installer again.
Uninstall
Remove it from Settings, Apps, like any other program. Your prepared game data and settings stay in %APPDATA%\Battlefront Eternal. Delete that folder to free about 7 GB.
Check the download
To be sure the installer is ours, compare its SHA-256 with the signed checksums. In PowerShell: Get-FileHash .\Battlefront-Eternal-windows-x64.exe.
Installed in one command
Open a terminal and run this as your normal user. The installer checks your system, verifies every download against the project's signing key, and sets up the right build for your distribution.
curl -fsSL https://get.battlefronteternal.com/install.sh | bashNo sudo in front. It asks for your password only when it installs system packages. x64 and ARM64, glibc 2.28 or newer.
Debian, Ubuntu, Mint, Pop!_OS
Adds the signed Battlefront Eternal repository and installs the battlefront-eternal package.
Arch, Omarchy, Fedora and the rest
Unpacks the verified AppImage into your home folder, with an app launcher entry and a battlefront-eternal command. No root, no FUSE.
Three steps to the front
Install the original
Star Wars: Battlefront (Classic, 2004) is a Windows game, so Steam on Linux installs it through Proton. No Install button? Open the game's Properties, choose Compatibility and tick Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool. From GOG, install it with Heroic Games Launcher. Installing is enough: you never need to launch it.
Run the installer
Paste the command above into a terminal. It finishes with Battlefront Eternal is installed and tells you whether it found your Steam or GOG copy.
Launch Battlefront Eternal
Open it from your app launcher (on Omarchy, press Super + Space and type battlefront) or run
battlefront-eternal. The first launch prepares your game data. Here's what to expect.
Update
The app updates itself: each launch checks the signed release channel and downloads only what changed. No reinstalling.
Uninstall
curl -fsSL https://get.battlefronteternal.com/install.sh | bash -s -- --uninstallRemoves the app and its launcher entry. On Debian and Ubuntu it also removes the APT repository and signing key. Your prepared game data and settings stay in ~/.config/Battlefront Eternal. Delete that folder to free about 7 GB.
Set up APT by hand
Prefer to configure the repository yourself? This is what the installer does on Debian and Ubuntu.
curl -fsSL https://get.battlefronteternal.com/keys/battlefront-eternal.asc | sudo gpg --dearmor --yes -o /usr/share/keyrings/battlefront-eternal.gpg
gpg --show-keys /usr/share/keyrings/battlefront-eternal.gpg
echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/battlefront-eternal.gpg] https://get.battlefronteternal.com/apt stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/battlefront-eternal.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install battlefront-eternalThe second command must print the fingerprint F210B0710D270963CB641C118043BCB331D34C9B. If it doesn't, stop there.
AppImage only
Troubleshooting
- Eternal can't find the game
- It checks native, Flatpak and Snap Steam installs and every Steam library folder, then GOG copies from Heroic, native or Flatpak, and in Wine and Lutris prefixes. If yours still isn't found, choose CHOOSE GAME FOLDER and pick the game's folder, the one that contains
GameData. By default that's~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Star Wars Battlefront (Classic 2004)from Steam, or~/Games/Heroic/Star Wars - Battlefrontfrom Heroic. - The installer asks for glibc 2.28 or newer
- Your distribution is older than this build supports. Debian 10, Ubuntu 20.04 and current rolling releases all meet the requirement.
- Preparation stopped partway
- Launch Eternal again and it picks up where it stopped. The log is in
~/.config/Battlefront Eternal/logs/prepare.log. - You want to read the installer first
- Good instinct. It's a plain, commented Bash script: read install.sh, or download it and run
bash install.shyourself.
The first loading screen is the long one
The first time you launch Eternal, it finds your Steam or GOG copy and prepares everything from it: the galaxy, the armies, the interface, the battlefields, the sound and the movies, upscaled for modern screens. It only happens once.
Find
Eternal searches your Steam libraries and GOG games on every drive. Copy somewhere unusual? Choose CHOOSE GAME FOLDER and select the folder that contains
GameData.Prepare
Preparation takes every CPU core it can get. Expect ten minutes or more on a fast 8-core PC, longer on older hardware. Quit any time and it resumes where it stopped.
Deploy
When READY FOR BATTLE appears, choose SINGLEPLAYER, then INSTANT ACTION, or MULTIPLAYER to join a server. Take the first command post.
- Prepared data
- About 7 GB
- Your Steam or GOG copy
- Read onlyIt's never changed.
- Second PC?
- Export itEXPORT CONTENT, then IMPORT CONTENT.
Questions, answered
Not answered here? Ask in the Discord: #install-help and #bug-reports are there for it.
Do I need the original game?
Does the GOG version work?
Yes. Eternal finds the copy GOG Galaxy or GOG's installer put on Windows, or Heroic Games Launcher on Linux, and prepares it just as it does a Steam copy. The two prepare the same battles, so GOG and Steam players join the same servers. If you have both, Eternal uses the Steam copy.
Does the 2024 Classic Collection work?
Not yet. The Classic Collection is a separate release, and Eternal prepares its game data from the 2004 game's Steam or GOG version.
What about Battlefront II (2005)?
It's next: its maps, units, modes and interface in the same engine, with playlists that mix both games. The current preview doesn't use it yet.
Can I play online?
Yes. Choose MULTIPLAYER to browse public servers, play on your LAN, join an address directly, or host your own. Public servers run battles of up to 32 players a side, with bots filling empty slots. Host your own server.
Is it free?
Yes. Eternal costs nothing. You only need your own copy of the original game.
Is this official?
No. Battlefront Eternal is an independent fan project. It isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Lucasfilm, Disney, Electronic Arts, Aspyr, Valve, GOG or the developers and publishers of the original games.
Windows warns me about the installer
Preview builds aren't code-signed yet, so SmartScreen may say it doesn't recognize the app. Choose More info, then Run anyway. To be sure the file is ours, check it against the signed checksums.
Will it run on my PC?
Eternal aims to look great on a powerful rig and still run on an older laptop, with presets from Minimum to High quality, render scaling and adaptive resolution. Hardware testing is ongoing, so there are no official minimum specs yet. You need a 64-bit system, current graphics drivers and about 8 GB of free disk space.
Where does my data go?
Prepared game data, settings and logs live in your user folder: %APPDATA%\Battlefront Eternal on Windows, ~/.config/Battlefront Eternal on Linux. Uninstalling the app leaves them in place, so delete that folder to reclaim the space.
Can I move my prepared data to another computer?
Yes. Choose EXPORT CONTENT on the main menu to save it as one .bfepack file. Install Eternal on your other computer and choose IMPORT CONTENT. That computer doesn't need Steam, GOG or another preparation.