Sony's Move Crushes Hopes for Star Wars KOTOR 3
Rumors suggest that Sony has dashed hopes for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 3 The reports have emerged as part of a wider discussion on the game's troubled remake Fans are left wondering whether they will ever see the highly anticipated sequel
A recent industry rumor suggests that Sony has dealt a major blow to the hopes of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 3 ever seeing the light of day, despite plans for the game to be made after its original cancellation in 2005. This news comes as part of a larger report on the current state of the troubled Star Wars: KOTOR remake.
Initially announced in September 2021, the KOTOR remake was indefinitely delayed last summer. The game was originally being developed by Embracer Group-owned Aspyr Media, with sister company Saber Interactive joining the project in May 2022. However, three months later, Saber took over the entire development. Amid reports of a troubled development cycle, many industry insiders are now questioning whether the KOTOR remake will ever be released.
According to YouTuber 100% Star Wars, sources from Aspyr indicate that the development of the KOTOR remake was progressing better than previously believed before the sudden switch of developers. The latest video from the YouTuber, posted on May 23, also suggests that KOTOR 3 was part of Aspyr's long-term plans for the franchise, with the developer intending to start work on it after remaking the first two installments. However, things fell apart in mid-2022 when Aspyr presented a vertical slice of the game to Lucasfilm and Sony, who were negotiating a console exclusivity deal with Embracer at the time.
While Lucasfilm apparently loved the demo, Sony was not impressed, citing that it was not "cinematic enough." This led to the firing of several lead developers, as reported by the same source. This claim was previously mentioned in a Bloomberg story from July 2022, which broke the news of the indefinite delay of the KOTOR remake. As a result of the studio switch, around 70 developers out of the project's 200-strong team reportedly left Aspyr.
The latest video on the much-awaited KOTOR remake sheds light on Aspyr's original plans for the game. The developers had intended to introduce combat mechanics inspired by Final Fantasy 7 Remake and planned on gender-swapping some minor characters. Additionally, they aimed to expand the game's quests significantly. Despite these changes, Aspyr was committed to staying true to the original game, and thus, it had no plans to introduce any new gameplay mechanics. With the project's future now uncertain, the prospect of KOTOR 3 seems like a mere fantasy.
