Highlights
- Sony explains that the KOTOR remake trailer was made private due to expired licenses.
- The development issues surrounding the KOTOR remake led to some believing it might have been canceled.
- While the KOTOR remake may not be dead, fans will likely have to wait for a long time as the project faces significant delays and changes in direction.
Sony has explained why the Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic remake trailer was recently made private, saying that it was because of expired licenses. However, given that the KOTOR remake announcement tweet from PlayStation was simultaneously deleted, it is unlikely to provide much solace.
With the Electronic Arts exclusivity contract coming to an end this year, the KOTOR remake was poised to be one of the first Star Wars titles (excluding Lego Star Wars) not overseen by the publisher in over a decade. Aspyr was best known for bringing games to different platforms, including the original KOTOR and its sequel, before the opportunity to remake the beloved RPG. Unfortunately, it was reported last year that several directors were fired following the presentation of a vertical slice, and development was subsequently paused. Despite the lack of updates regarding the remake itself, Aspyr's owner, Embracer Group, stated earlier this year that the company would be restructured after a $2 billion deal failed to materialize. Considering these corporate and development struggles, the KOTOR remake trailer being hidden understandably made a cancelation seem imminent.
Stephen Totilo, a video game reporter at Axios, took to Twitter to state that after questioning both Disney and Sony about the delisted KOTOR remake trailer, Sony claimed that assets with licensed music are taken down when such licenses expire. The natural follow-up to that, which Totilo noted in the same tweet, is to question why a music license would expire for an upcoming game. There have been no further updates regarding this situation at the time of writing.
Although the remake may not yet be dead, fans should not expect it for some time. Shortly after several directors were fired, Saber Interactive took over the project entirely from Aspyr. Given that Aspyr had only gotten so far as a vertical slice, it is unlikely that the KOTOR remake will see the light of day for several years, if ever. At least for now, stakeholders seem interested in keeping the project alive.
The KOTOR remake is not the only Star Wars video game project known to be in the works, with Quantic Dream and Ubisoft developing Star Wars Eclipse and Star Wars Outlaws respectively. Eclipse is understood to be similar to previous David Cage titles, a predominantly narrative adventure with branching paths that is not expected until 2027. Outlaws is seemingly much further along and was revealed in the summer during the Ubisoft Forward presentation.
The Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake is currently in development for PC and PS5.
