The Old Republiccould be under new management as BioWare shifts focus
It sounds like things are shifting at Electronic Arts and BioWare. Anew report from IGNsays EA is nearing an agreement to hand development and operation ofStar Wars: The Old Republicto a third-party studio.
According to IGN’s report, Broadsword Online Games—developer ofUltima OnlineandDark Age of Camelot—would take the reins. The deal is expected to be final as soon as this month.
Over half of the 70 to 80 people on the coreOld Republicteam are expected to move to Broadsword. Those remaining with EA will reportedly have an opportunity to look for other roles in the company, but could otherwise see layoffs.
Star Wars: The Old Republicwill keep getting updates, including the upcoming 7.3 patch, and EA would remain publisher.
On the BioWare side, the team will focus its resources on current single-player efforts. This includes bothDragon Age: Dreadwolfand the next entry in theMass Effectseries.
We reached out to Electronic Arts for comment, and a spokesperson provided the following response:
“Almost 12 years after launch,Star Wars™: The Old Republicremains a success and continues to grow its dedicated and passionate community. We’re so proud of the work the team has done, and the future of the game and the community continues to be very bright. We’re evaluating how we give the game and the team the best opportunity to grow and evolve, which includes conversations with Broadsword, a boutique studio that specializes in delivering online, community-driven experiences. Our goal is to do what is best for the game and its players.”
A new era for the republic
Star Wars: The Old Republichas been running for quite a while, having launched back in 2011. It addedfree-to-play optionsa year later, and has since rolled on with expansions and content updates.
It’s not surprising that EA wants to keep itsStar WarsMMO running. But moving it from BioWare does draw some attention back to the developer.
BothDreadwolfandMass Effectare in development, though we haven’t heard much recently from either project. The newDragon Agehaspassed an alpha milestoneand received a subtitle, while we haven’t heard much about the newMass Effectsince itsreveal.
Somesenior talenthas alsoleft the company, though former executive producer Mark Darrah has returned as a consultant to work onDreadwolf. Additionally, EA reportedly toldVentureBeatthat theMass Effectteam is helping with production of the newDragon Age.
All this seems to point towards a push to get something out the door for BioWare. HopefullyThe Old Republiccan at least find a good home for the players still adventuring in it.
