Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) is a space-set massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that has been running for almost 12 years. It was launched in 2011 as a competitor to Blizzard’s World of Warcraft and was praised for its unique world-building and hundreds of hours of content. However, it struggled to maintain a player base and eventually went free-to-play, with updates becoming limited. EA, the game’s publisher, has confirmed that it is shifting the development and operation of the game from BioWare to a third-party studio, Broadsword Online Games.
Broadsword Online Games Takes Over Development
Broadsword Online Games, known for its work on classic MMOs Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot, will be taking over the development and operation of SWTOR. EA will continue to remain as the game’s publisher while having BioWare focus solely on developing the upcoming Mass Effect and Dragon Age games. Roughly 70-80 people currently work on SWTOR, and more than half of them are expected to move over to Broadsword. The other half would have to look for positions elsewhere in EA or potentially be laid off.
EA stated in a prepared statement, “We’re evaluating how we give the game and the team the best opportunity to grow and evolve, which includes conversations with Broadsword, a boutique studio that specializes in delivering online, community-driven experiences.” SWTOR remains a success and continues to grow its dedicated and passionate community. The future of the game and the community continues to be bright.
Knights of the Old Republic Remake
Another Star Wars title that saw a developmental shake-up in recent times is the Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) remake from Aspyr Media. Saber Interactive’s Eastern European studio took over the project following a finalized internal demo showcase, which left partners Sony and Lucasfilm unsatisfied. In response, the companies fired two top employees from Aspyr last year before putting the development on pause and handing it over to the new studio. For the uninitiated, Aspyr themselves were responsible for creating the original 2003 version of KOTOR. The remake was first revealed during the 2021 PlayStation Showcase via a cinematic trailer, with plans to release in late 2022.
SWTOR is undergoing a major shift in development and operation from BioWare to Broadsword Online Games. The game, which has been running for almost 12 years, struggled to maintain a player base and eventually went free-to-play with limited updates. The future of the game and community looks bright under the new development team, and BioWare can focus solely on developing the upcoming Mass Effect and Dragon Age games. Meanwhile, the KOTOR remake has had its own developmental shake-up, with Saber Interactive’s studio taking over the project from Aspyr Media.
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