According to an insider report, EA and Bioware want to sell their MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic. A studio that previously worked under EA and now manages games like Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot is said to be interested.
What does the report say? Bioware wants to focus on single-player games like Dragon Age and Mass Effect 4 in the future. An MMORPG that constantly needs to be updated with new content apparently stands in the way.
According to IGN, a contract is reportedly being worked on behind the scenes between EA and Broadsword Online Games. This would transfer SWTOR into the hands of the new developer. Of the approximately 70 to 80 employees currently managing the MMORPG, about half are also expected to be transferred.
Is this bad news? Not necessarily. Broadsword Online Games is the company of Rob Denton, who previously developed MMORPGs for EA with Mythic Entertainment and worked as Chief Operating Officer at Bioware on SWTOR from 2006 to 2013.
The company currently manages the two MMORPGs Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot. So, there is experience for the further development of The Old Republic.
SWTOR is still popular 12 years after release, but currently, the momentum is gone
How is SWTOR generally doing? The MMORPG received its last new expansion in 2022. Legacy of the Sith was rather disappointing. While the revisions of classes, Shared Targeting, and the story were small highlights, overall the scope was much too limited.
The story, for instance, offered only about 3 hours of gameplay.
Although further updates have followed in the last 15 months, including a raid and the introduction of the 64-bit client, there is a general feeling that Bioware and SWTOR have lost their momentum.
A new company could thus bring fresh air into the dusty MMORPG.
What does EA say about it? They stated that the MMORPG is still a great success even after 12 years, but they are looking for ways to allow the game to grow further. This also includes discussions with Broadsword.
Almost 12 years after its release, Star Wars: The Old Republic is still a success and allows its engaged and passionate community to continue to grow. We are very proud of the work that the team has done, and the future of the game and the community still looks very promising. We are considering how we can provide the best opportunities for the game and the team to grow and evolve. This also includes discussions with Broadsword, a studio that specializes in creating online experiences supported by the community. Our goal is to do the best for the game and its players.
In fact, SWTOR is among the most successful MMORPGs ever, even if it has been quiet around the game lately. It was released on the Steam platform in 2019, where it surprised many with over 30,000 players at peak and over 90% positive reviews at launch.
Bioware and EA also seemed surprised by how much revenue SWTOR generated. In 2019, the company announced that over 1 billion dollars in revenue had been generated.
Therefore, a sale to a new studio that is already managing two classic MMORPG gems today and regularly providing updates does not necessarily have to be bad news.
What do you think about a possible sale of SWTOR?
