Unleash the Force! Star Wars Fans Take Legal Action Over Missing KOTOR 2 DLC

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 made a commitment to include the DLC, but later reneged on their plans and instead provided disappointed fans with a free Star Wars game. The plaintiffs in the legal action claim that they were deceived and are entitled to a refund from Aspyr, as they would not have bought the game without the promised DLC.

Aspyr Media and Saber Interactive are facing a lawsuit from fans who are dissatisfied with the absence of the promised DLC for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2. KOTOR 2 had a rushed development, prompting original developer Obsidian Entertainment to cut significant elements from the game to meet a mandated December 2004 release. Enterprising fans have since restored the deleted content through extensive KOTOR 2 mods, boosting the game's popularity and reputation among players, almost reaching the level of its beloved predecessor.

Recognizing the passionate fanbase that emerged for the expanded Knights of the Old Republic 2, long-time Star Wars port developer Aspyr Media initially pledged to include the additional content from the famous Restored Content Mod as paid DLC for the KOTOR 2 Nintendo Switch port upon its release in 2022. Unfortunately, Aspyr later revoked these DLC plans in January, offering disappointed fans a free Star Wars game of their choosing as compensation. This gesture proved insufficient to appease the outcry from players, leading some to pursue legal action.

As per a report by TheGamer, in July, a group of fans filed a class-action lawsuit against Aspyr Media and Saber Interactive, the publisher of the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 Switch port. The lawsuit, titled Malachi Mickelonis v. Aspyr Media, Inc. et al, was initiated under the legal guidance of lawyer Ray Kim. It is centered around the cancellation of the DLC and the plaintiffs' argument that they only purchased KOTOR 2 for the Switch because of the promised DLC. Consequently, they believe they are entitled to refunds from Aspyr.

Kim's case filing states that the players who were affected expressed great excitement over the advertised inclusion of the KOTOR 2 DLC. This excitement led to the Switch port briefly reaching the top of the Nintendo eShop's charts. The main plaintiff, Malachi Mickelonis, had been eagerly awaiting the release of the DLC before playing KOTOR 2, as many felt that the game was incomplete without the restored content. Mickelonis and others felt deceived after the cancellation of the KOTOR 2 DLC, prompting them to take legal action against Aspyr and Saber Interactive.

A significant number of Knights of the Old Republic 2 fans can relate to the plaintiffs in this recent lawsuit. The content that was supposed to be included in the now-canceled DLC is highly regarded as some of the finest in the game. However, it is worth noting that Aspyr did offer affected players a consolation in the form of a free Star Wars game, including the PC version of KOTOR 2 that supports the Restored Content Mod. Regardless, Malachi Mickelonis and the other plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial, and Aspyr has until October 4th to respond.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 is available now on PC and Switch.

Source: TheGamer