The remake of Star Wars KOTOR (Knights of the Old Republic) is alive and well. That’s the promise made to the countless fans of the game by Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch, speaking to IGN. The executive also said the studio is ‘dedicated to making sure consumer expectations are exceeded’, which likely hints at several years of development still needed. Indeed, Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors recently admitted the game needed more than a year of production.
As most of our readers surely remember, the Star Wars KOTOR remake was officially announced in September 2021’s PlayStation Showcase after Jason Schreier revealed the game’s existence in April. At the time, Aspyr Media (which took care of so many re-releases of classic Star Wars games) was in charge of making the game. Not much was shared about the project other than the studio’s goal to rebuild the game from the ground up with the latest technology to match the groundbreaking standard of innovation established by the original, all while staying true to its revered plot. Sony was also involved financially, having secured a console exclusive deal for its PlayStation 5 console (the game is also planned for PC).
Unfortunately, the project hit a major roadblock in July 2022 when a demo/vertical slice presentation to Sony and Lucasfilm was rejected, leading to the Star Wars KOTOR remake being put on hold. The following month, Embracer (which owns Aspyr Media) revealed that the game had been passed to another developer within the group. It was later learned that the studio was Saber, known for games like World War Z, Snowrunner, Evil Dead: The Game, and the upcoming Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.
Saber, if you’ve been reading the news, has now detached itself from the Embracer Group, snatching studios like 4A Games, 3D Realms, New World Interactive, Mad Head Games, Zen Studios, and Slipgate Ironworks. However, the Star Wars KOTOR remake will still be published by Embracer.
The original game was turn-based and derived directly from Wizards of the Coast’s d20-based Star Wars Roleplaying Game ruleset. Needless to say, it is likely this remake will feature a similar overhaul to what we’ve seen with the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy.
