According to a recent report, Electronic Arts could be moving Star Wars: The Old Republic to a third-party studio as they make efforts to concentrate on Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
Star Wars: The Old Republic Could Be Leaving Bioware
According to a recent report, EA is on the verge of an agreement to move the classic MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic from under Bioware to a third-party developer Broadsword Online Games. Sources close to IGN have state that a signed letter of intent between the two parties Broadsword and EA has already been submitted. A deal is expected to pass possibly as soon as this month.
What this will mean for The Old Republic?
What this deal would mean is The Old Republic would be taken under the wings of Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot developer Broadsword Online. This studio is run by former Mythic Entertainment co-founder and Bioware VP Rob Denton who has worked on The Old Republic in the past. So the online title would not be going to completely unfamiliar hands.
EA has already issued a statement which confirms that they are looking to move the MMORPG to a different studio after 12 years of operation:
Almost 12 years after launch, Star Wars: The Old Republic remains a success and continues to grow its dedicated and passionate community. We’re so proud of the work the team has done, and the future of the game and the community continues to be very bright. We’re evaluating how we give the game and the team the best opportunity to grow and evolve, which includes conversations with Broadsword, a boutique studio that specializes in delivering online, community-driven experiences. Our goal is to do what is best for the game and its players.
Statement given by EA via IGN
The current team working on The Old Republic consists of around 70 to 80 people. Around half would have to move to Broadsword should this deal go through. The rest of the team would be integrated back into EA’s other projects or may have to find opportunities elsewhere.
Content updates are still planned for The Old Republic. The next one is patch 7.3 and there is an upcoming PvP season. More updates are expected further down the line. EA will still remain as the publisher behind the game if the deal goes through. While Bioware can then move on to focus on other single-player titles. Currently, they are working on the upcoming Dragon Age and Mass Effect games.
Bioware’s Current Projects
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is currently in development, which will see the return of a familiar face Solas. Out on the warpath, Solas the game’s antagonist. He has plans to destroy the world but by what means is still unclear. Previously the devs shared the new title would be keeping “Bioware RPG” at its core. Players will take charge of decision-making. But there won’t be “right choices” to make just your own.
Updates have been coming out in drips and drabs, with no announced release date as of yet. Back in October last year, Bioware announced they have completed the alpha.
Mass Effect 4 is also still under a light veil of secrecy. Previously gaining a teaser confirming the continuation of the series. However, little else has been shared about the next entry. The last update appeared as a blog post confirming on N7 Day that pre-production development is going “very well”. We could be waiting a while for this one. But in the meantime, players can relive or experience for the first time Mass Effect Legendary Edition. This contains Mass Effect 1, Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3. You can check out our review in Mass Effect Legendary Edition Review Impressions: Is It Worth It?
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