With struggling Embracer Group currently shutting down studios, cancelling projects, and laying off staff at a breakneck pace, it looked like the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) remake was all but dead – however, developer Saber Interactive is reportedly still working on the project in some capacity, according to studio insiders.
Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier posted to X (formerly Twitter) to share that he’d heard from employees of Saber Interactive who confirmed KOTOR was being worked on in some capacity, although whether it would ever be released was anybody’s guess. “Can’t say whether the KOTOR Remake will ever actually *come out*, but yes, two people from Saber Interactive tell me they’re still on it, despite recent rumors that nobody is working on the game,” the tweet reads.
The KOTOR remake has seemingly been in jeopardy for some time, with Embracer giving the development reigns to Saber Interactive (the same developer working on Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2, which was delayed this week) in September 2022 after Aspyr Media reportedly failed to impress with their internal demo of the game, according to Bloomberg. At the time, reports also said the project was put on pause while the company looked for “new contracts and development opportunities,” alongside firing the remake’s art director and design director.
Initially, the KOTOR remake was announced in 2021 as a timed PS5 exclusive that would then make its way to PC, and at this time had already been in development for three years. During the 2021 PlayStation Showcase when the remake was announced, original voice actor Jennifer Hale was also revealed to be returning to voice Bastila Shan.
KOTOR is still a much-loved game and iconic part of gaming history and has been touted as one of the best Star Wars games (as well as one of the shining stars for western RPGs). News of the remake at the time of announcement led to a whole raft of excited fan reactions, but beyond news of changing hands, employee terminations, and whispers of the project being dead, things have been pretty silent on the home front. Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors recently refused to answer a question about the KOTOR remake during a financial presentation, with his only comment on the matter being that he noticed that “anything I say to this becomes a headline.”
This most recent insider news gives hope to the KOTOR remake one day getting a release, although only time will tell whether this eventuates given the ongoing issues with Embracer Group and its subsidiaries.
Lead Image Credit: Lucasfilm Games
Leave a Reply