Star Wars The Old Republic, the long-running space MMORPG, is changing studios. EA confirmed that it is moving the development and operations of the game BioWare to a third party studio, Broadsword Online Games. The latter is best known for its ongoing work on the classic MMOs Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot. Broadsword was founded by Rob Denton, a former BioWare executive who also founded Mythic Entertainment. EA will remain the game’s publisher while BioWare continues to focus exclusively on the upcoming Mass Effect and Dragon Age games – both of which have received limited updates since the initial announcements.
“Nearly 12 years after its release, Star Wars: The Old Republic remains a success and continues to grow from its dedicated and passionate community. We’re so proud of the work the team has done and the future of the game and community continues to be very bright,” publisher EA said in a prepared statement (via IGN). “We are evaluating how to give the game and team the best opportunity to grow and evolve, which includes discussions with Broadsword, a boutique studio specializing in delivering community-driven online experiences.” The IGN report notes that around 70-80 people are currently working on Star Wars: The Old Republic, with more than half of them expected to move to Broadsword. The other half would have to find a job elsewhere at EA or possibly be fired.
Star Wars: The Old Republic was released in 2011 in response to Blizzards World of Warcraft, transports players far, far away into the galaxy, allowing them to play as Jedi, Sith, bounty hunters, and other iconic roles. It was praised for its unique world-building, which weaved together stories dating back 3,000 years before the original films, alongside hundreds of hours of content. Unfortunately, it struggled to maintain a player base and eventually became a free-to-play game, causing BioWare to discontinue regular content updates. Its latest expansion Legacy of the Sith fell last year and the coming year Patch 7.3 will be released soon.
Other war of stars The title, whose development has recently experienced an upheaval, is the longest-established title Remake of Knights of the Old Republic out of Aspyr media. Saber Interactives The Eastern European studio took over the project after a “completed” internal demo showcase that left partners Sony And Lucasfilm unsatisfied. In response, the companies fired two top Aspyr employees last year before pausing development and handing them over to the new studio. For the uninitiated, Aspyr himself was responsible for creating the original 2003 version KOTOR. The remake was first revealed during the PlayStation Showcase 2021 via a theatrical trailer, the release is planned for the end of 2022.
