One of the biggest titles revealed at The Game Awards this week was Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic. We knew that a Star Wars game was going to be announced and there was speculation that it would have something to do with the Old Republic. And while that may be the case, it's not the long-awaited remake of the beloved 2003 RPG Knights of the Old Republic. It does, however, have ties to the game.
Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic is being developed by Arcanaut Studios, a new studio comprised of veteran developers and led by Casey Hudson. For those unfamiliar, Hudson was the director of the original Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic at BioWare.
“When we developed the original KOTOR, we wanted to create a definitive Star Wars experience — crafting an adventure that consisted of all the things we dreamed of doing as Star Wars fans,” Hudson told StarWars.com. “Now, 25 years after we started work on that game, our aspirations are equally ambitious. Fate of the Old Republic represents an opportunity to explore a contemporary vision of a definitive Star Wars experience, using state-of-the-art technology and game design, and an all-new story crafted specifically to deliver on the combination of player agency and immersion in Star Wars that was at the heart of KOTOR.”
One of the biggest questions following the reveal of Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic is whether or not it has anything to do with Knights of the Old Republic. In short, no, this is its own thing — a completely separate and standalone story. The game will introduce new characters for an all-new story.
It was confirmed that Fate of the Old Republic is not a direct sequel or continuation of KOTOR. However, it is being viewed as a spiritual successor to the classic game, "built by the people who helped shape that legacy," GM of Lucasfilm Games Douglas Reilly stated.
“Throughout my two decades of working on Star Wars games, including Star Wars: The Old Republic, I have been fortunate to see firsthand just how much these stories mean to our fans," Reilly added. "For us, this new project is about honoring that legacy by creating something in the same tradition of a deep, cinematic, choice-driven role-playing game. Reuniting with Casey has been a tremendous honor, and we are pouring all of our shared passion and experience into building the next great chapter.”
Fate of the Old Republic is still in early development, so story details remain scarce. Even so, the cinematic trailer delivered a strong sense of excitement and mystery, with a dark, moody tone and striking atmospheric visuals. Fans may have tuned into The Game Awards hoping for a KOTOR remake, but what we got instead looks like a promising spiritual successor.
"We’re still early in development, with many challenges ahead,” Hudson said. “I’m grateful to have enjoyed the support of KOTOR fans for many years, and I look forward to embarking upon this journey together, sharing more of what we’re doing as soon as we can!”
Fate of the Old Republic wasn't the only Star Wars game announced this week. Also revealed at The Game Awards was Star Wars: Galactic Racer, a new runs-based, high-stakes racing game set in the lawless Outer Rim.