Highlights
- Fans are suing Aspyr Media and Saber Interactive for failing to release promised DLC for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2.
- Aspyr initially promised to include the DLC, but later canceled the plans and offered disappointed fans a free Star Wars game instead.
- The plaintiffs in the lawsuit argue that they were misled and deserve refunds from Aspyr since they would not have purchased the game without the promised DLC.
Fans are now suing Aspyr Media and Saber Interactive for not releasing the previously promised DLC for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2. KOTOR 2 was infamous for its rushed development cycle, with original developer Obsidian Entertainment being forced to cut out a lot of the game’s biggest ideas in order to have it released by the mandated December 2004 launch date. Talented fans have since restored this deleted content through massive KOTOR 2 mods, which have helped elevate the game’s status among players to near the level of its beloved predecessor.
Longtime Star Wars port developer Aspyr Media seemed to be aware of the cult following the expanded Knights of the Old Republic 2 has gained, as it initially promised to include the extra material featured in the now-iconic Restored Content Mod as DLC for its KOTOR 2 Nintendo Switch port when it was released back in 2022. Unfortunately for the legions of players looking forward to it, Aspyr eventually canceled these DLC plans in January, instead offering disappointed fans a free Star Wars game of their choosing as compensation. This wasn’t enough to quell the outcry from these players, and some have even started to take legal action.
As reported by TheGamer, certain fans filed a class-action lawsuit against Aspyr Media and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 Switch port publisher Saber Interactive back in July under the legal counsel of lawyer Ray Kim. This lawsuit, titled Malachi Mickelonis v. Aspyr Media, Inc. et al, is being held over the canceled DLC, with the plaintiffs arguing that they would not have purchased KOTOR 2 for the Switch without the promise of said DLC and thus are entitled to refunds from Aspyr.
According to the case filing from Kim, the affected players were excited at the advertised inclusion of the KOTOR 2 DLC, to the point where the Switch port was briefly at the top of the Nintendo eShop’s charts. The primary plaintiff, Malachi Mickelonis, was reportedly waiting for said DLC to be released before playing KOTOR 2 at all, following the general sentiment that the game is incomplete without the restored content. The lawsuit then notes that Mickelonis and others felt “duped” after the KOTOR 2 DLC’s cancelation, hence the legal action being taken against Aspyr and Saber Interactive.
Many Knights of the Old Republic 2 fans could empathize with the plaintiffs in this recent lawsuit, as the content included in the now-canceled KOTOR 2 DLC is considered to be some of the best in the game. On the other hand, it can be argued that Aspyr did offer affected players their choice of a free Star Wars game as a consolation – including the PC version of KOTOR 2 that can support the Restored Content Mod. In any case, Malachi Mickelonis and the other plaintiffs are pursuing a jury trial, and Aspyr has until October 4 to respond.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 is available now on PC and Switch.
Source: TheGamer
