There have been multiple major reports concerning a remake of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, as well as a third game; here’s how it all works out.
One of BioWare’s most iconic games, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic established important elements of the RPG format that the firm would continue to refine throughout the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series. Many fans hope to revisit BioWare’s distinctive perspective on the galaxy far, far away in the not-too-distant future, nearly two decades after the release of Revan’s saga.
However, there has been a lot of speculation about the future of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Many fans were hoping for a KOTOR remake—or possibly a third game—after the announcement earlier this year that many new Star Wars TV shows and games were in the works. Here’s a look at the history of Knights of the Old Republic rumours, why some are more trustworthy than others, and what it all means for the franchise in the coming years.
The KOTOR Remake
With BioWare’s release of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition earlier this year, it’s no wonder that many Star Wars fans consider KOTOR as an obvious contender for a remake or remaster. Back in January, the Star Wars account Bespin Bulletin, which has previously been trustworthy, claimed that a KOTOR remake was in the works. EA would not be involved in the remake, according to the rumour.
On the MinnMax podcast in April, Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier reported that a Knights of the Old Republic remake was in the works at Aspyr Media. He stated that EA and BioWare would not be participating. Aspyr Media is recognised for transferring rather than remaking Star Wars games. Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Outcast, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, and the KOTOR games were all handled by the smaller studio.
Schreier was also referenced by Bespin Bulletin as a source, therefore it’s likely that these rumours are the result of an information feedback loop. If nothing else, they rely largely on Schreier, who, like Bespin Bulletin, has proven to be correct in the past. However, doubts remain. While many fans are excited about the KOTOR remake, others have questioned why a team that has only worked on ports so far has been given the burden of providing a full remake of one of BioWare’s most iconic titles.
The graphics in any remaster would be greatly improved, but the potential of a full remake has some fans wondering if the fighting system in Knights of the Old Republic would be overhauled as well. MrMattyPlays, a YouTuber, said in April 2021 that the remake’s battle system would be overhauled. In the spirit of previous RPGs and TTRPGs, the game’s original combat system was turn-based. MrMattyPlays has been debating the prospect of an Aspyr-made KOTOR remake for some time, but it’s still unclear if Aspyr will strive to develop more current combat or keep loyal to the original.
It’s been speculated that the KOTOR remake is still in its early stages of development, and there may be reasons for Aspyr to wait longer than necessary to announce the game. While other Star Wars games are purportedly in development by developers such as Aspyr and Ubisoft Massive, EA currently has the sole publishing rights to the Star Wars IP. It’s possible that once EA’s contract expires, fans will get more information.
Knights Of The Old Republic 3
The rumours about Knights of the Old Republic 3 and a remake of KOTOR come from the same place. In a post from December 2020, Jason Schreier said that there was a Knights of the Old Republic project in the works, but that it wouldn’t be done by a team connected to EA.
Now, that game seems to be the remake of KOTOR that is being made at Aspyr Media, but some insiders say that a third game may still be in the works. Shinobi602, who works in the game industry, and the Bespin Bulletin podcast both said that a new game was being made. Both of them seemed to think it was Knights of the Old Republic 3, and their comments fit with what Schreier said about a remake later on.
There were rumours that a new Knights of the Old Republic game could take place during the High Republic era. This is a new part of the Star Wars timeline that will be the setting for several new pieces of Star Wars media. Some fans were excited about the idea of a High Republic RPG, but in the end, there wasn’t much evidence to suggest that a new game set in the High Republic was being made.
The Knights of the Old Republic A few other things also added to the spread of 3 rumours. Embracer Group, which used to be known as THQ Nordic, bought Aspyr Media in February of 2021. Then, Embracer Group said that Aspyr would get $70 million to work on a triple-A release based on a licenced property. Read also; Assassin’s Creed Infinity: News, Leaks & More
Around the same time, Aspyr also hired some people who used to work at BioWare. Even though this led to more KOTOR 3 rumours, it seems likely, based on what Jason Schreier said later, that all of this was done to prepare for the KOTOR remake.
Fans of KOTOR who wanted a third game didn’t get all bad news, though. If former BioWare developers are involved, it might not be so bad that the remake is being done by Aspyr instead of BioWare.
Still, a KOTOR remake seems a lot more likely than a third KOTOR game at this point. Even though there is a lot of evidence that Aspyr Media is working on a remake of KOTOR, it hasn’t been announced yet. Fans who wanted a third game might be out of luck, and those who want to know more about Revan’s story might have to wait until EA’s Star Wars contract is up.
The Knights of the Old Republic A few other things also added to the spread of 3 rumours. Embracer Group, which used to be known as THQ Nordic, bought Aspyr Media in February of 2021. Then, Embracer Group said that Aspyr would get $70 million to work on a triple-A release based on a licenced property.
Around the same time, Aspyr also hired some people who used to work at BioWare. Even though this led to more KOTOR 3 rumours, it seems likely, based on what Jason Schreier said later, that all of this was done to prepare for the KOTOR remake.
Fans of KOTOR who wanted a third game didn’t get all bad news, though. If former BioWare developers are involved, it might not be so bad that the remake is being done by Aspyr instead of BioWare. Read more; Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2: Everything You Need
Still, a KOTOR remake seems a lot more likely than a third KOTOR game at this point. Even though there is a lot of evidence that Aspyr Media is working on a remake of KOTOR, it hasn’t been announced yet. Fans who wanted a third game might be out of luck, and those who want to know more about Revan’s story might have to wait until EA’s Star Wars contract is up.
