It seems safe to say that Aspyr’s announcement of theKnights of the Old Republic Remakewas one of the most exciting of this generation, but in equal measure, the report that it was internally delayed was one of the most disappointing announcements as of late. Embracer Group and Aspyr have been quiet on this internalKOTOR Remakeshuffling, but as it stands, there’s no reason to doubt Bloomberg’s reporting on the matter.
After all, shortly after this, Embracer Group confirmed one of its AAA projects was being moved to another studio within the Group. It doesn’t name names, but it follows suit with Bloomberg’s report that Saber Interactive might take over Knights of the Old Republic. This seems to be what’s happening here, but Embracer also suggested that there would be no delay as a result. However, it should be noted that a game does not change hands without significant delays, as this is one of the early signs of development hell. Indeed, it’s too early to say for sure, but theKOTOR Remakeis showing early signs of development hell.
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Many hope that Embracer Group’s words hold true, and the game releases relatively soon. This is not a reasonable expectation. It should be noted that Aspyr never announced aKOTOR Remakerelease date; however,reports indicate that Aspyr was originally aiming for 2022internally. With 2-3 years of work and a vertical slice rejected, it’s been reported that 2025 is more realistic–the opposite of what Embracer Group claims. However, it should be noted that said potential date may no longer apply with the shifting of the guard. Recently, someone lightly insinuated that perhaps 2024 would be possible, which Bloomberg Jason’s Schreier suggested claimed was wishful thinking unless Saber were to “pare down the scope of the project.”
Thus, in line with the original report, 2025 may be more realistic, but it could still reasonably be beyond that. It depends on what Saber salvages, scraps, and/or restarts, and what comes up between now and its eventual release. Expecting it anytime soon or even news about it at theDisney and Marvel Games Showcaseis unrealistic, as sad as it is to say.
Development changing hands isn’t a good sign for theKOTOR Remake, no matter how anyone tries to spin it, but it doesn’t mean it’s all over. If it keeps on track from hereon, then fans should hopefully get a beautiful final product in theKOTOR Remake. If things keep going south, then fans will definitely have plenty of reason to worry.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remakeis in development.
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