Despite rumors to the contrary, it appears that twoStar Warsgames—specifically theKnights of the Old Republicremake andEclipse—are still in development. Stories and rumors had been floating around that both of these games were on the chopping block due to behind-the-scenes issues. However, the reception to Ubisoft’s upcomingStar Warsgame may help breathe new life into the making of those games.
Star Wars Outlawswas officially revealedby Ubisoft earlier this month and is set to be released in 2024. The upcoming game takes place in between the events ofStar Wars: Episode 5 - The Empire Strikes BackandStar Wars: Episode 6 - Return of the Jedi. The reception to the upcoming game was overall very positive and will likely remind developers that there is still interest and a market for theStar Warsbrand, and should hopefully spur something positive aboutKOTORandEclipse.
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The Troubled Production of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Star Wars Eclipse
TheKOTORremake was originally announced in 2021, but very little seemed to come of it and rumors of production issues continue to trickle out. Anew studio took over theStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republicremake project in August 2022. Unfortunately, this move has not resulted in any additional announcements being made on the upcoming game. When asked about it, Embracer Group’s CEO only stated that he had no comment on the situation.
Likewise, anotherStar Warsvideo game project appears to be in trouble. Not even a mother after it was announced, reports began to emerge thatStar Wars Eclipsewas having serious development problems. Like theKnights of the Old Republicremake, the game was treated with a grand announcement trailer and then gamers were met with radio silence from the developer on the matter. Despite these issues, both projects are still apparently in active development and recent moves from the franchise may help push them into high gear.
How The Reception To Star Wars Outlaws Can Drive KOTOR and Eclipse
In 2012,Disney purchased LucasFilmand its properties. Not long after, LucasArts was shut down and the license toStar Warsgames was purchased by Electronic Arts. This resulted in a massive slowdown in the development ofStar Warsgames, with the publisher only managing to produce twoStar Wars Battlefrontgames. The reception to both games was lukewarm at best, particularly due to the sequel’s perceived focus on loot boxes.
In 2019, EA releasedStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderwhich was met with good reviews and strong sales. Despite some performance issues early on, its sequel was also met with good reviews and has sold well. In 2021, it was revealed thatUbisoft was set to make an open-worldStar Warsgame which was fully revealed earlier this month to a very positive reception. With such competition from other studios, it is likely that the developers of theStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republicremake andStar Wars Eclipsecould want to up their efforts to make these games bigger and better before they are overlooked.
Ultimately, it’s impossible to say for sure how the reception toStar Wars Outlawswill affect the development of the remake ofStar Wars: Knights of the Old RepublicorStar Wars Eclipse. If well-received at launch, it could raise the bar for what fans should expect from the franchise going forward. Regardless, this will hopefully convince the publishers and developers of these two troubled titles to push production and make something truly memorable in response.
Star Wars Outlawsreleases in 2024 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
