Developing a Star Wars game is not easy at all, and it is rare that the project does not end up delayed for one thing or another (or another or another), or directly remains permanently stored in a drawer. The announced and highly anticipated remake of Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic is no exception: Jason Schreier claims on Bloomberg that the game is set on an indefinite pause.
According to Schreier, several people close to the project without authorization to speak publicly about it have stated that Aspyr Media itself, in charge of developing the new Star Wars: KOTOR, has begun to look for new contracts and opportunities to shape other games.
That Aspyr Media developed the remake was one of the remake’s own attractions: not only did they have the approval of BioWare, but they have been updating the original game for years and have even accommodated it to current systems, including Nintendo Switch.
That said, the very recent conversion of Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II was a disaster. So much so that Aspyr herself recommended using cheats to finish the game. Although, to be fair, BioWare itself already tried unsuccessfully update the games several years ago.
What has been said: two key dismissals and to contemplate new options
What is the reason for putting such a greedy project on indefinite pause that, in turn, is a safe bet for fans and developers? According to the sources consulted by Bloomberg, on June 30 both Lucasfilm and Sony (the editors) a vertical demo of the remake. Basically, a playable section of the project in which all the key points of the game were reviewed. A week later there were two key layoffs for the project: design director Brad Prince and art director Jason Minor.
A completely unexpected reaction by a studio excited about the demo produced. Not only for what is offered, but for the almost three years of development invested in comprehensively updating a classic such as Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. However, and according to statements made to Bloomberg, Aspyr managers reported in a meeting that the demo did not correspond to what was expected and, consequently, the project was put on hold until further notice.
Although the remake of Star Wars: KOTOR never had an announced release date, the quoted statements state that the original plans went through a planned release for the end of 2022. Something that would be completely ruled out as a result of the above, so that even if development resumed would have to wait until 2025.
In addition to this we have an additional factor: the production of the presented demo itself required a “disproportionate” amount of resources for Aspyr, as quoted verbatim, both in terms of time, work and money. Consequently, the project to revitalize KOTOR it would no longer be “sustainable” for the Texas developer.
What will happen now with the remake of KOTOR?
Although both Jason Schreier and Bloomberg have proven to have privileged, reliable and verified information on numerous occasions, the other reality is that There are no official statements to date. by Aspyr that nuance, corroborate or deny what refers to the current situation of the remake of KOTOR.
As a side note, Aspyr itself was acquired last year by the ever-growing behemoth Embracer Group, which recently snapped up Eidos and Crystal Dynamics. We know that Embracer itself, after the acquisition of the Texas company, actively reinforced the development of the kotor remake diverting part of the work to Know Interactive.
In fact, and as noted in the statements offered, it is now being considered with the possibility that it is Saber herself who will take the reins of the development of the remake.
the remake of sTar Wars: KOTOR It was one of the great blows of effect of the PlayStation Showcase 2021 and one of the star titles for the future PS5 catalog, with PlayStation Studios itself involved, despite the fact that its launch was also planned for PC. A double effect, since for years, the classic has been one of the great exclusives of the first Xbox, returning through updated versions as well as backward compatibility itself.
For its part, Aspyr has focused for years on restoring and relaunching the classics of starwars of LucasArts, but there was also scope for different projects such as the recent MythForce.
If the above is confirmed, the options are what they are: that the remake project changes hands, that it stays in a drawer or that Aspyr manages to recover from the demo and summons us to a very, very distant future. And what will happen to the fans? May the force be with us!