Credit: EA/LucasArtsFans of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic have been worried for months that a long-gestating remake of the classic game has been canceled, but now the head of Lucasfilm‘s game division has dropped a hint that it might not be as simple as all that.
Disney Global Games & Interactive Experiences chief Sean Shoptaw recently revealed that the KOTOR remake, which has been rumored to be canceled in development, may still be on the docket for Lucasfilm Games, saying (per Axios), “Not a lot I can say on that point for some hopefully obvious reasons, but KOTOR is obviously an incredibly popular game, one that we are incredibly proud of and think that there’s still a lot of demand for. I’ll leave it there.”
Sean Shoptaw seems unwilling to confirm that the iconic Darth Revan game is still in development, but it is clear that Lucasfilm is aware of the value of the property it has and does not want to give it up entirely.
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The KOTOR remake was announced in 2021, with Aspyr and Sony Interactive Entertainment developing the graphically updated game for the PlayStation 5. Fans of the Old Republic franchise had their anticipation whetted by reports that members of the crew and voice actors from the original Bioware game would return, while Aspyr lead developer Ryan Treadwell stoked hopes by saying, “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.”
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Considering Aspyr has developed numerous well-regarded games like Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Star Wars: Episode I – Racer, and Star Wars: Republic Commando, fans were pretty excited.
Then reports surfaced that Sony and Lucasfilm were not happy with work on the KOTOR remake, that key Aspyr personnel had been fired, that Aspyr itself was replaced by Saber Interactive, and finally, that the project had been entirely canceled. While Sony did not confirm rumors by Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb that the KOTOR remake was on ice, multiple news outlets noted that social media posts regarding the Old Republic project had been scrubbed and a teaser trailer hidden on YouTube, furthering fears that it had ground to a halt.
Now, Sean Shoptaw’s words may not exactly be a confirmation that KOTOR might have some life in it yet, but we can hold out hope.
Inside the Magic reached out to Disney Global Games & Interactive Experiences for comment, but has not heard back by the time of publishing.
Do you think the Old Republic games will ever get a true remake? Let us know in the comments below!