Gaming
Howls From Development Hell — Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake is Still on the Table
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake has had a strange development cycle so far. Originally revealed in September 2021 during a PlayStation showcase, the KOTOR remake was planned to be developed by Aspyr. However, following some studio troubles and director firings, the game was placed on hold indefinitely beginning in July 2022. From that point, the gaming community couldn’t help but fear that the long-requested remake had been scrapped altogether.
Fortunately, we received news this past Tuesday that not only was the KOTOR remake still in the works, but that it had been picked up by Saber Interactive. That said, given the chaotic nature of KOTOR’s development thus far, is it safe to assume that a change in studios heralds a brighter future for this upcoming game?
The Timeline: From Aspyr to Saber Interactive
As mentioned previously, the KOTOR remake was first announced in September 2021, but the game had been in development by Aspyr for three years prior to that reveal. Around the same time, we learned that Jennifer Hale would be reprising her role as the voice actor for Bastila Shan. It looked like everything was shaping up for a clean and timely launch. Some reports even indicated that Aspyr was set for a late 2022 release of the KOTOR project.
Unfortunately, as 2022 came, we were left with only delays, silence, and rumors, which continued well into the middle of 2023. Around September of last year, the speculation reached a fever pitch when Sony suddenly delisted the KOTOR remake trailer. The official reason given was that it was standard business to delist assets when music licenses expire. However, what made things even more strange was that Sony even deleted their original announcement tweet of the KOTOR remake. Naturally, that would seem like an unnecessary overcorrection for a simple license expiration, especially if the game was still planned to be in development.
Contrary to the studios’ efforts to save face, word on the rumor mill was that Sony and Lucasfilm were extremely disappointed with Aspyr’s progress on KOTOR. Resultingly, this led to certain members of the original development team being fired. With 2023 coming to a close and nothing but bad news surfacing, there was no reason to think that there would ever be a finished game. Now, though, since the KOTOR remake has been fully acquired by Saber Interactive, it appears that the change in leadership has returned confidence in discussions around the title.
Where Does the KOTOR Remake Stand Right Now?
In a recent interview with IGN, Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch stated the following:
It’s been in the press numerous times. What I will say is that the game is alive and well, and we’re dedicated to making sure we exceed consumer expectations.
However, this update doesn’t come without concerns of its own. A few weeks ago, Saber Interactive officially split from its parent company, Embracer Group, amid reports of massive debt, restructuring, and layoffs. We’re not entirely sure how these changes will impact the KOTOR remake’s development schedule, if at all, but Karch didn’t elaborate too much beyond his initial interview statement. That said, the only thing we know for a fact is that KOTOR is getting remade.
The only things that the community wants to know right now, though, are when we can expect to receive gameplay footage and a projected release date. Although, the absence of any in-game footage by this point suggests that there may not be anything substantial to show. This would also mean that we shouldn’t expect the final game to release any time soon. While we’re not quite back at square one, we also haven’t moved forward, even if KOTOR has reentered the discussion space.
Conclusion
Everything considered, I think it would be wise for everyone to temper their expectations. Being bounced around between different studios, all of which seem to be experiencing some kind of internal issues, just doesn’t bode well for the Star Wars IP. Even though I’m confident that we’ll eventually see some progress, I remain wary of what the end result will look like.
Developmental strangeness aside, though, what do you all think about how the KOTOR situation has been handled? Do you have any other theories as to why Aspyr managed the project so poorly? Do you think it was the wrong choice to reveal an announcement trailer with everything going on behind the scenes? What are your hopes for Saber Interactive overseeing the game’s completion?
If you‘d like to keep the conversation going, comment on this article. Alternatively, you can subscribe to me at ‘Keith Price’ to get my takes on everything related to Gaming, Tech, and the DCU!
References
Bryant Francis. (July 26, 2022). Report: Aspyr’s Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake is on pause. Retrieved from https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/report-aspyr-s-star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-remake-is-on-pause
Ethan Moss. (September 14, 2021). Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic’s Bastila Voice Actor Returns for the Remake. Retrieved from https://www.cbr.com/star-wars-kotor-remake-bastila-shan-jennifer-hale/
Katharine Castle. (March 14, 2024). Saber Interactive splits from Embracer, taking 3D Realms, Slipgate, Metro devs and more with them. Retrieved from https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/saber-interactive-splits-from-embracer-taking-3d-realms-slipgate-metro-devs-and-more-with-them
Marc Joseph Hill. (October 1, 2023). Sony Explains Why the KOTOR Remake Trailer Was Delisted. Retrieved from https://gamerant.com/kotor-remake-trailer-delisting-why/
Rebekah Valentine. (April 2, 2024). Saber Interactive CEO Says KOTOR Remake Is ‘Alive and Well’. Retrieved from https://www.ign.com/articles/saber-interactive-ceo-says-kotor-remake-is-alive-and-well
Twitter. (November 21, 2023). Jason Schreier. Retrieved from https://x.com/jasonschreier/status/1727140417047802269
YouTube. (September 9, 2021). Knights of the Old Republic Remake — Cinematic Reveal Teaser Trailer | PlayStation Showcase 2021. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p82vauAdgv8
