If you ask a group of Star Wars fans/gamers what their Top 5 most favorite Star Wars video games ever created, most likely (if they have good taste) that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic will be in their lists.
Originally released in 2004 as an Xbox exclusive developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts, the roleplaying game expanded on the Star Wars universe by featuring stories about its distant past using RPG mechanics similar to the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop games. The game has sold more than 3 million units, and it received "universal acclaim" according to review aggregator Metacritic.
In September 2021, Sony announced a remake for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and it will be developed by Aspyr, the studio responsible for porting other classic BioWare RPGs to mobile.
Here's everything we know so far about the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake, including release date updates, story, gameplay, trailers, and the latest news.
Table of Contents
- Is Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake still coming?
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake Release Date
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake Platforms
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake Trailer
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake Story
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake Gameplay
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake News
Is Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake still coming?
On July 26, 2022, Bloomberg reported that the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake is put on hold. According to the report, which describes the KOTOR remake as "in serious trouble", Aspyr Media is trying to "figure out what comes next" following the delay.
According to anonymous sources familiar with the project, Aspyr abruptly fired the art director and design director of the KOTOR remake in July 2022. They also claim that Aspyr's two studio heads told employees that the KOTOR remake is currently "on pause" and that the studio will "look for new contracts and development opportunities."
In August 2022, Bloomberg reported that Saber Interactive is taking over the project. Both Saber Interactive and Aspyr are owned by Swedish company Embracer Group.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake Release Date
At some point, Star Wars fans will be making their return to around 4,000 years before the events of the original Star Wars trilogy, but don't expect to traverse any time soon. Currently, there is no release window for the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake. With the team apparently still in the early stages of development, it's likely that it will not be released until 2024 at the earliest.
However, Star Wars insider known as Bespin claims that the KOTOR remake will soon become a top priority following the release of the Fallen Order sequel later this year. This means that Lucasfilm is well aware of how fans are anticipating for the remake's release.
"From what I’ve gathered from various sources, following the Fallen Order sequel, the next game in line to release will be the Knights of the Old Republic Remake in 2023", Bespin wrote in a Jan 2022 blog post.
In mid-May 2022, Embracer Group – which owns developer Aspyr Media along with all of Square Enix’s former Western studios now – spoke about the KOTOR remake, teasing that more news about the game will be shared soon.
Matthew Karch, the founder of Saber Interactive, said that "Aspyr has gone full in to make this the best game they can make," and has also received assistance from Saber.
"We've been spending a lot of time and effort working with them to bring this title over," said Karch. "We're fully confident that the game is going to be fantastic. But it's a massive, massive product, and massive products require a lot of effort and a lot of time to make good. Especially when you're talking about a game that is already old, very old- we've had to basically remake that game from scratch. I would say within the next several months, you'll be hearing more from us about it."
However, as mentioned above, the KOTOR remake is reportedly put on hold, so it looks like fans will have to wait longer for the the remake to come out.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake Platforms
The original Star Wars: Knights of the Republic was released as an Xbox exclusive, but the KOTOR remake will be a timed console exclusive for PC and PlayStation 5 before releasing on other platforms like Xbox Series X.
There's a chance that it could launch on Nintendo Switch. After all, KOTOR II: The Sith Lords was launched for Switch in June 2022, but at the time of this writing, there's no confirmation on which other consoles the remake will be available on.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake Trailer
On September 9, 2021, PlayStation released the first trailer for the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake during the PlayStation Showcase 2021.
You can watch the teaser trailer featuring the fan-favorite villain, Revan below:
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake Story
If the game is a complete remake of the original 2003 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, it's like likely that it will feature the same story that takes place 4,000 years before the formation of the Galactic Empire, where Darth Malak, a dark Sith lord, has unleashed a Sith armada against the Galactic Republic.
The player character, as a Jedi, must venture to various planets in the galaxy to defeat Malak, and supporting characters join him in their quest, including the Jedi Bastila Shan, the veteran Republic pilot Carth Onasi, the Twi'lek teen Mission Vao, and her Wookiee companion Zaalbar, the assassin droid HK-47, the Mandalorian mercentary Canderous Ordo, and the utility droid T3-M4.
Related: Star Wars: New Obi-Wan and Anakin Novel Has Major Knights of the Old Republic Connections
The story's direction depends on the player's choices, so they can either take the Light Side path or the Dark Side path. The remake will likely feature the same plots, but it would be interesting to see new endings.
During a Reddit AMA in July 2022, Drew Karpyshyn, one of the writers of the original KOTOR, said that he knows some talented developers working on the remake and is "curious" to see what they come up with.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake Gameplay
In the original Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic game, players get to choose from three character classes (Scount, Soldier, or Scoundrel) and customize their characters at the beginning of the game, and engage in round-based combat against enemies.
KOTOR featured RPG elements such as being able to interact with other characters and make plot decisions and make plot decisions. Players can earn Light Side or Dark Side Points, and the alignment system will determine whether the player's character aligns with the light side or dark side of the Force. Players can unlock different abilities based on their alignment.
No gameplay details have been revealed for the KOTOR remake yet, but lead producer Ryan Readwell wrote in a PlayStation blog, "We’re rebuilding it from the ground up with the latest tech to match the groundbreaking standard of innovation established by the original, all while staying true to its revered story".
Several developers who worked on the original KOTOR are returning for the remake, such as former BioWare developers and Jennifer Hale, who will reprise her role as Bastila.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake News
We will share the latest news for the upcoming Star Wars: KOTOR remake here.
Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic Remake Action Figures
During MCM Comic-Con London and a Hasbro Pulse Star Wars Fanstream via YouTube, action figures for Darth Malak and Bastilla Shan were revealed. The livestream announced that the new figures are set to release on August 1, 2023, and are a part of The Black Series line at Hasbro, meaning that they'll be 6 inches tall and have multiple points of articulation.
Both Darth Malak and Bastill Shan were featured in the original KOTOR game. However, Starwars.com officially confirmed that the designs of these two figures are based on the upcoming PlayStation 5 remake.
Malak
Bastilla
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Note: This article is developing, so expect more updates and rumors about the KOTOR remake here.