It remains one of the most beloved role-playing games of the last three decades, and yet a remake for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic continues to hit the rocks. Despite only negative news following its announcement, Disney still believes that the Force could be strong with this one.
In an exclusive interview with Axios, published on Dec. 11, Sean Shoptaw (Disney’s Vice President of Gaming) provided the latest update from the entertainment goliath on the KOTOR Remake. “Not a lot I can say on that point for some hopefully obvious reasons,” he responded when questioned about the stuttering project. “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.”
For such a concise answer, it is loaded with intrigue and bemusement. Let us start with the obvious; of course, people still want a KOTOR remake. We are enjoying a time in gaming where classics are given a new lease of life so why would you not want to capitalize on such a market with a game heralded with near-perfect scores back in its day? Fans are so eager for new Old Republic content that there was even a short-lived animation project that garnered millions of viewers in 2021.
The part which catches the eye is that mention of ‘obvious reasons’. This is a not-so-subtle allusion to the troubles currently being suffered by developers Saber Interactive and its owner Embracer Group. If that second name sounds familiar to you, it should. 2023 has been PR fire after PR fire for the holding company, the latest disaster arriving just days ago with the second demise of Free Radical.
For such a concise answer, it is loaded with intrigue and bemusement. Let us start with the obvious; of course, people still want a KOTOR remake. We are enjoying a time in gaming where classics are given a new lease of life, so why would you not want to capitalize on such a market with a game heralded with near-perfect scores back in its day? Fans are so eager for new Old Republic content that there was even a short-lived animation project about it that garnered millions of viewers in 2021.
The part which catches the eye is that mention of ‘obvious reasons’. This is a not-so-subtle allusion to the troubles currently being suffered by developer Saber Interactive and its owner Embracer Group. If that second name sounds familiar to you, it should. 2023 has been PR fire after PR fire for the holding company, the latest disaster arriving just days ago with the second demise of Free Radical.
Now, this is not to suggest that we will never see the hugely-anticipated return to the story of Darth Revan reach the light of day; quite the opposite. Shoptaw’s refusal to consign this remake to the history books means we’ll likely still see it at some point, though whether its developed by Saber remains to be seen.
As we have covered separately, Disney is in a position where it is content with itsIPs being handled out-of-house. If faith has been lost in Embracer Group, perhaps hope shall placed with EA instead. As unlikely as it would be, I’m sure many would be chomping at the proverbial bit to see BioWare step in. Creators of spiritual successor The Old Republic, such a move would be returning to roots in a glorious homecoming of sorts.
For now, the waiting game continues. I think we’re all just hoping for the next official update to be a more positive one.
