BioWare refocuses on single-player games, ditches Star Wars MMO

BioWare will be handing Star Wars: The Old Republic to another team, so it can focus efforts on upcoming single-player games.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is an MMO that was originally released in 2011, and received several content updates over the years, amassing thousands of players. Developed by BioWare, the game is essentially a multiplayer sequel to the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic games, which were developed by the same studio.

Now though, BioWare will be handing over control to a new development team, so they can focus on upcoming single-player releases, most notably Mass Effect 5 and Dragon Age 4, which reportedly won’t be releasing anytime soon.

It makes sense that BioWare would want more freedom to work on new projects, especially following the disastrous launches of recent games, like Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem, both of which failed to impress critics or fans.

BioWare’s parent company EA announced it’s currently in the midst of conversations with Broadsword Online Games, arranging a deal that would see half of the current Old Republic development team move across to Broadsword, with the rest looking for new roles within EA or other studios. Broadsword has a history of supporting online MMOs/RPGs, making them a good choice for the Old Republic.

In a statement regarding the switch in developer, EA stated: it will “give the game and the team the best opportunity to grow and evolve, which includes conversations with Broadsword, a boutique studio that specialises in delivering online, community-driven experiences. Our goal is to do what is best for the game and its players."

Star Wars RPG fans haven’t had the best of luck recently when it comes to Old Republic games. The upcoming remake of the original Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which was set to be a PlayStation 5 exclusive, has been plagued with internal development problems, leading to speculation that it’ll never be released, nor will we be getting a third entry in the series.

Additionally, Nintendo Switch players who bought Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II were left disappointed after it was announced the highly-anticipated “Restored Content” update was to be cancelled. The update would have brought more dialogue, missions, an expanded ending and more companion abilities, but will no longer be going ahead.