Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic

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No doubt you have seen the trailer already, and if you are like me, a fan of the Knights of the Old Republic series, you’re hyped. Let’s break it down first, and then I’ll speak on what to expect.

We open the trailer with a wide shot of a starship, a female is piloting the ship as it reaches its target location.

The ship looks much like the Fondor Haulcraft from Andor, though the cockpit and engine design differ.

In the next scene, we see two characters and a droid approach a Sith Interdictor Cruiser that has crashed on a planet.

In the ship’s remains, we see something drawing power from it and glowing orange.

A large shape appears in the expelled steam, and the female (Bastila Shan?) ignites a blue-bladed lightsaber.

The game’s title appears: Star Wars: The Fate of the Old Republic. Game Director Casey Hudson, who directed the KOTOR series and now runs his own game studio, follows. A last scene appears with the game website URL SWFOTOR.COM, which announces that this will be a PC and Console title, and the game engine will be UNREAL Engine 5 and the tagline FATE IS IN YOUR HANDS.

So what does this all mean? Is this KOTOR 3? What is this game? Is it canon?

Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic (FOTOR) is going to be a brand-new epic narrative single-player action role-playing game from Arcanaut Studios, developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. FOTOR will be developed by a new studio launched by Casey Hudson, the director of the original Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the Mass Effect trilogy. Blending innovative storytelling, memorable characters, and heart-pounding combat. FOTOR will immerse you in an unforgettable experience where every decision deepens your journey toward the light…or the darkness.

“When we developed the original KOTOR, we wanted to create a definitive Star Wars experience — crafting an adventure that consisted of all the things we dreamed of doing as Star Wars fans,” Hudson told StarWars.com in an exclusive interview. “Now, 25 years after we started work on that game, our aspirations are equally ambitious. Fate of the Old Republic represents an opportunity to explore a contemporary vision of a definitive Star Wars experience, using state-of-the-art technology and game design, and an all-new story crafted specifically to deliver on the combination of player agency and immersion in Star Wars that was at the heart of KOTOR.”

FOTOR will not be a direct sequel or continuation of KOTOR, as much of that game falls into the legends umbrella; the previous series will inspire it. Although the team is keeping details under wraps, we expect new characters, a choose-your-own-adventure-style approach like in KOTOR, and an all-new story that will be canon.

What do we know now about FOTOR?

First, you will have the opportunity to play as a force user, lightsaber and all. You will be aligned either with the Jedi or the Sith during the end of the Old Republic era, around 1000 BBY, and near the beginning of the Galactic Republic era that lasted until the Rise of the Empire, shown in Episodes I-VI.

Second, don’t expect to see a release of FOTOR until at least five years from now, so fall 2029 or sometime in 2030. Consider saving up for the PlayStation 6 or a future gaming PC to play this title. The game is in the very early stages of development, and current turnaround times for big games are 3-5 years, with most releases occurring 5 years after announcement. The good news is that, unlike previous Star Wars titles, this one will likely be released with few delays. The studio has its ducks in order, and there is passion and expertise behind its development.

Since this is an RPG, you can expect to have loads of character customization and will be free to make your own decisions on the direction your character takes. It appears to be a modern take on the KOTOR-style game, and you will determine the story’s outcome. The team is providing the tools you need to craft your own experience in the Star Wars Universe, and it will be up to you to see it through.

If the game holds to these goals, it will be unlike anything the gaming community has experienced in a long time, a cinematic RPG that lives up to the hype and immerses you in the story. While the Jedi Survivor series came close, FOTOR looks to take the next step more broadly.

How the game will look in the end remains to be seen. Like any title, there is always the chance the game is never completed, as any project could be canceled at any point, but based on the background noise we have been hearing, this might turn out to be the start to a series of games. Gamers know that the well of good games has been getting pretty dry.

Regardless, SWRPGGM will keep you up to date on the series, and we might even add more Old Republic era content to the site. What we have released is shown below. Until then, MTFBWY!