There are few Star Wars games as wildly popular as Knights of the Old Republic. The game not only revolutionized Star Wars storytelling with compelling new characters and settings, but it paved the way for other critically acclaimed RPGs like Mass Effect. Its effect on the industry as a whole cannot be understated, and there are many gamers that have been begging for some kind of Knights of the Old Republic remake for years. Ever since its initial release in 2003, there have been few signs that fans would ever get a new way to play KOTOR, but recent months have shown all of that could change.
This spring it was revealed by industry insider Jason Schreier that a Knights of the Old Republic remake was apparently in development, outside of its original publisher EA. Hype for the project skyrocketed immediately after this, and steadily carried on for some time. Now that some time has passed, however, news on the project has been increasingly quiet, with no official word from anyone that may be a part of development. The silence around the KOTOR remake is starting to become concerning to some fans, so it's worth taking a look at whether or not it's actually happening.
RELATED: Now is the Perfect Time for the Rumored Knights of the Old Republic Remake
One of the most surprising bits of information from Schreier's KOTOR remake claim was that neither EA nor BioWare would be involved in the project. Instead of the team responsible for the original game's success, Schreier said developer Aspyr would helm the KOTOR remake. This is concerning because although Aspyr has produced numerous Star Wars ports over the years, with mobile ports of KOTOR among those games, it has never been given responsibility over a full remake.
This is not to say Aspyr isn't capable, but with how protective Disney seems to be over every facet of the Star Wars franchise, it would seem unlikely for the company to hand such a massive project to a comparatively small developer. Especially considering the KOTOR remake is rumored to be a complete overhaul akin to Final Fantasy 7 Remake, it seems like a risky move on the surface.
On the more optimistic side of things, news around the KOTOR remake could be quiet simply because it is too early in development to make any big announcement. It's entirely possible that the KOTOR remake's development just started when Schreier made the announcement, in which case it would be nowhere close to making an appropriate announcement. Star Wars is known for its grand reveals, so it's likely the game's team would want to wait until it can put together something that reflects this. Anything less could be a massive blow to the game's credibility early on.
As easy as it may be to discredit whether or not the KOTOR remake is actually happening, the fact any news on the game has been so quiet could be deliberate. One of the biggest hang-ups in the Star Wars gaming community is that EA still holds exclusivity with the license. While this hasn't stopped the production of other Star Wars ports over the years, a remake of this magnitude could cause some issues down the line. It's possible that Aspyr could simply be waiting out EA's contract until it makes any big moves, similar to how Ubisoft's Star Wars title seems to be on a path toward releasing after the contract ends.
A KOTOR remake like what's been reported is enough to get almost any Star Wars fan excited, so it's reasonable to get a little worried about whether or not it's actually happening. While the initial news did come from a reliable insider, the lack of official news could be cause for concern to some, and the size of the developer seems uncharacteristically small for the franchise. Fans will just have to wait until some more time passes, and perhaps until EA's Star Wars contract expires, to see if the Knights of the Old Republic remake is actually happening.
A Knights of the Old Republic remake is rumored to be in development.