Militia Special Operations

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The Frontier Militia is the faction that Jack Cooper, the protagonist of Titanfall 2's single-player campaign, belongs to. The Militia's main base is located on the planet Harmony. Their primary antagonist is the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation (IMC), which seeks to use the Fold Weapon to devastating effect. The campaign follows Cooper and his Titan, BT-7274, as they embark on a quest to stop the IMC. The Militia operates with a mix of infantry and Titans, with Cooper starting as a rifleman before bonding with BT-7274 after his mentor, Captain Tai Lastimosa, is killed in action.

In Their Own Story

The story of the Frontier Militia in Titanfall 2 centers on Rifleman Third Class Jack Cooper. After his mentor, Tai Lastimosa, is killed in action, Cooper bonds with Lastimosa's Titan, BT-7274. Together, they embark on a quest to stop the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation (IMC) from using a superweapon to destroy the planet Harmony, where the militia's base is located. The campaign features a linear story where BT-7274 accompanies players alongside allied NPCs from the Militia. BT-7274 can change his weapon loadouts under players' command to maximize efficiency when combating local wildlife, IMC infantry, and other Titans.

Reader's Guide

In Titanfall 2, players control a pilot and their Titan. The pilot, Jack Cooper, is a rifleman from the Frontier Militia. He uses a jump kit for parkour, double-jumping, and wall-running. Pilots have specific abilities unique to each class, such as a grappling hook or a holographic visual cloaking device. The game introduces a movement system that allows players to slide on the ground. Pilots have a large arsenal of gadgets and weapons, including shotguns, submachine guns, pistols, rifles, light machine guns, and grenades. Melee attacks are always instantly fatal should they connect. Titans are significantly less mobile than pilots but have stronger firearms and superior protection. Six Titans were introduced at launch: Ion, Scorch, Northstar, Ronin, Tone, and Legion, with Monarch introduced in the May 2017 Monarch's Reign free DLC.

Did You Know?

• The single-player campaign was inspired by buddy cop films and the video game Half-Life.
• The game's development cycle began in mid-2014, lasting two years.
• Titanfall 2 was released on October 28, 2016, for PlayStation, Windows, and Xbox One.
• The game is powered by a heavily modified version of Valve's Source engine.
• Stephen Barton, who composed the soundtrack for the original Titanfall, returned to compose music for Titanfall 2.

Narrative Foundation and Character Dynamics

The single-player campaign of Titanfall 2 follows the story of Jack Cooper, a rifleman from the Frontier Militia, who bonds with his mentor's Titan BT-7274 after his mentor, Tai Lastimosa, is killed in action. Together, they embark on a quest to stop the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation (IMC) from using a superweapon to destroy the planet Harmony, where the militia's base is located. The game's campaign and narrative were inspired by Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet and buddy cop films, as well as the video game Half-Life. The campaign features a linear story where BT-7274 accompanies players alongside allied NPCs from the Frontier Militia. BT-7274 can change his weapon loadouts under players' command to maximize his efficiency when combating local wildlife, IMC infantry, and other Titans. Players can also select dialogue options and have Cooper talk to BT-7274 at certain points in the campaign to develop the characters' personalities and often to comedic effect.

Pilot Mobility and Combat Mechanics

In Titanfall 2, all pilots have a jump kit which assists with parkour, double-jumping, and wall-running. Pilots have more specific abilities unique to each 'class' which augments their offensive and defensive ability, such as a grappling hook for enhanced mobility, or a holographic visual cloaking device. Pilots use their jump kits to run on walls, movements which can be chained together to travel between locations quickly. The game introduces a movement system that allows players to slide on the ground. The Pilots have a large arsenal of gadgets and weapons, such as shotguns, submachine guns, pistols, rifles, light machine guns, and grenades to fight their enemies. At close range, players can execute their opponents from behind in a short animation with a melee attack. Melee attacks are always instantly fatal should they connect. New gameplay mechanics include the pulse blade (a throwing knife that reveals the location of any nearby enemy), the holo-pilot (a holographic pilot that mimics players' actions and appearance to confuse enemies), and a grappling hook which can be used to slingshot players to a building/titan or reel other enemies it attaches to towards the user.

Titan Classes and Strategic Variety

Titans are significantly less mobile than the pilots, but they have stronger firearms and superior protection. Replacing the three classes featured in the first Titanfall, six Titans were introduced at launch—Ion, Scorch, Northstar, Ronin, Tone, and Legion, with Monarch being introduced in the May 2017 Monarch's Reign free DLC. Ion uses a directed-energy arsenal and makes use of a shield that can catch and redirect enemy projectile attacks. Scorch engages in combat using area-denial incendiary weaponry and thermite cannon. Northstar excels in long-range precision attacks with a charged railgun, and sets movement-restricting traps, and is the only Titan with the ability to leave the ground and hover. Ronin specializes in hit-and-run combat, using a shotgun and a sword. Tone focuses on mid-range combat with its target locking weapons. Legion uses a rotary cannon designed for sustained fire at both long and short range. Monarch is a Vanguard-derived chassis that can steal power from other Titans to power up its own defensive shield and upgrade itself mid-fight. The Titans have their own move sets which are different from those of the pilots—for instance, they can dodge quickly to evade attacks.

Development Origins and Commercial Reception

Titanfall 2 is a 2016 first-person shooter game developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts. A sequel to 2014's Titanfall, the game was released worldwide on October 28, 2016, for PlayStation, Windows, and Xbox One. The game's two-year development cycle began in mid-2014. The decision to add a single-player campaign to the game came about because the team wanted to expand the game's player base. They came up with different ideas and prototypes and integrated them to form a single coherent campaign. Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet and buddy cop films, as well as the video game Half-Life inspired the game's campaign and narrative. A heavily modified version of Valve's Source engine powers the game. Stephen Barton, who composed Titanfall's soundtrack, returned to compose music for its successor. Upon release, the game received critical acclaim. The single-player campaign was praised for its design and execution, and the multiplayer modes for building on the foundation of the original game. Despite the positive reception, Titanfall 2 underperformed commercially, with most attributing its underwhelming performance to going on sale in a crowded release window, placed between the release of Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. It was nominated for multiple year-end accolades, including Game of the Year and Best Shooter awards, by several gaming publications. Respawn continued to support the game after its release, providing several updates and downloadable content. The game was followed by Apex Legends, a spin-off of the franchise and a free-to-play battle royale game, in 2019.