There are fewStar Warsgames as wildly popular asKnights of the Old Republic. The game not only revolutionizedStar Warsstorytelling with compelling new characters and settings, but it paved the way for other critically acclaimed RPGs likeMass Effect. Its effect on the industry as a whole cannot be understated, and there are many gamers that have been begging for some kind ofKnights of the Old Republicremake for years. Ever since its initial release in 2003, there have been few signs that fans would ever get a new way to playKOTOR, but recent months have shown all of that could change.
This spring it was revealed by industry insider Jason Schreier that aKnights of the Old Republicremake was apparently in development, outside of its original publisher EA. Hype for the project skyrocketed immediately after this, and steadily carried on for some time. Now that some time has passed, however, news on the project has been increasingly quiet, with no official word from anyone that may be a part of development.The silence around theKOTORremakeis starting to become concerning to some fans, so it’s worth taking a look at whether or not it’s actually happening.
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Concerns Over The KOTOR Remake’s Developer
One of the most surprising bits of information from Schreier’sKOTORremake claim was that neither EA nor BioWare would be involved in the project. Instead of the team responsible for the original game’s success, Schreier said developerAspyr would helm theKOTORremake. This is concerning because although Aspyr has produced numerousStar Warsports over the years, with mobile ports ofKOTORamong those games, it has never been given responsibility over a full remake.
This is not to say Aspyr isn’t capable, but with how protective Disney seems to be over every facet of theStar Warsfranchise, it would seem unlikely for the company to hand such a massive project to a comparatively small developer. Especially considering theKOTORremake is rumored to be a complete overhaulakin toFinal Fantasy 7Remake, it seems like a risky move on the surface.
The KOTOR Remake Could Be In Very Early Development
On the more optimistic side of things, news around theKOTORremake could be quiet simply because it is too early in development to make any big announcement. It’s entirely possible thattheKOTORremake’s development just startedwhen Schreier made the announcement, in which case it would be nowhere close to making an appropriate announcement.Star Warsis known for its grand reveals, so it’s likely the game’s team would want to wait until it can put together something that reflects this. Anything less could be a massive blow to the game’s credibility early on.
The EA Exclusivity Waiting Game
As easy as it may be to discredit whether or not theKOTORremake is actually happening, the fact any news on the game has been so quiet could be deliberate. One of the biggest hang-ups in theStar Warsgaming community is that EA still holds exclusivity with the license. While this hasn’t stopped the production of otherStar Warsports over the years, a remake of this magnitude could cause some issues down the line. It’s possible that Aspyr could simply be waiting out EA’s contract until it makes any big moves, similar to howUbisoft’sStar Warstitleseems to be on a path toward releasing after the contract ends.
AKOTORremake like what’s been reported is enough to get almost anyStar Warsfan excited, so it’s reasonable to get a little worried about whether or not it’s actually happening. While the initial news did come from a reliable insider, the lack of official news could be cause for concern to some, and the size of the developer seems uncharacteristically small for the franchise. Fans will just have to wait until some more time passes, and perhaps untilEA’sStar Warscontractexpires, to see if theKnights of the Old Republicremake is actually happening.
AKnights of the Old Republicremake is rumored to be in development.
