Star Wars: The Old Republic celebrates its 5th anniversary on December 20, 2016.
Almost 5 years have passed since EA released the MMORPG SWTOR. A lot has happened, and we have reported on quite a bit. Let’s take a look back in time:
From Subscription to Free-to-Play: The Last 5 Years
- The game survived less than 1 year with the subscription model. It then switched to free-to-play on November 15, 2012. According to EA, the number of members at that time was under 1 million.
- EA then found itself on a balancing act. Incentives had to be created to encourage subscriptions without disadvantaging other players. One possibility was expansions. Paying players benefited from visual bonuses and early access.
Galactic Stronghold Brings Long-Awaited Housing Feature to the Community
- Just over a year after the switch, space battles were finally announced in the form of a new expansion called Galactic Starfighter : SW:TOR – Secret of the Space Ship Addon Unveiled. Finally, players could embark on missions with their own spaceship. The continued development was a sure sign that the game was doing better again.
- Star Wars: The Old Republic – Introduction to Housing: A feature that many players wished for was introduced with Galactic Strongholds. Back then as now, many desire housing in all sorts of games. But critics are always present, as personal apartments do not bring real content. However, they can provide atmosphere when implemented correctly.
- And it was a success. The project lead of Star Wars: The Old Republic, Matt Bromberg, spoke about the game at a press conference. They had more than a million players again: Star Wars: The Old Republic – More than a Million Active Players. Reason enough for a new expansion called: Star Wars: The Old Republic – Shadow of Revan.
- At some point, Star Wars decided to discard all lore outside of the movies and animated series. SWTOR content no longer officially belonged to the canon. Your concern was that this would spell the end for the game. But that was not the case: SWTOR: Future Secured, License Set, Excitement for New Trilogy.
BioWare: 2015 Will Be the Big Year!
- Despite this high number of active players, the publisher was not particularly happy. Star Wars: The Old Republic is reportedly generating less revenue than the previous year according to EA. According to developers, there was no cause for concern yet; they still had the mentioned expansion. SWTOR: 2015 Will Be the “Big Year,” says Bioware. To match that, they published some statistics: SWTOR: Interesting Facts and Figures About Star Wars: The Old Republic.
- Nevertheless, players remained concerned. Despite all the announcements, they feared a content drought: SWTOR MMO Outlook 2015: Long Content Drought Until Movie Release? Shortly thereafter, plans for the MMORPG were released: SWTOR: Bioware Brings Back the “Real” Star Wars.
- EA also appeared to be becoming more satisfied. The game was seen as a role model: SWTOR: EA Sees MMO as Role Model for Successful F2P Title. But another problem wasn’t long in coming; a specific class change upset you: SWTOR: Patch Upsets Many Players.
- All of this was forgotten, however, because another, the largest add-on to date was announced: Star Wars: The Old Republic – Knights of the Fallen Empire.
Knights of the Fallen Empire Reverts to Old Strengths: More Story, Less Undesirable MMO Aspects
- It was supposed to rejuvenate the game in 2015. It was a small fresh start. The story received more emphasis, and the less popular “MMO aspects” became less important. The Future of SWTOR: Does the Expansion Bring a Fresh Start? Did we perhaps receive the successor to Knights of the Old Republic? SWTOR: The Secret Successor to KOTOR?
- The closer the expansion came, the more was published about it: SWTOR: With the Expansion Comes Story, Cinematics, Choices, Monthly New Stuff. However, you were not happy about this. It felt like you were being kept in suspense. SWTOR – Players Frustrated, Community Manager Promises: New Infos About the Expansion Coming Soon!
- Just an announcement is enough to turn a popular expansion into a hated one, at least for a few. SWTOR: Players in Uproar Over Level Synchronization. But shortly thereafter, the expansion finally appeared: SWTOR Preview: Knights of the Fallen Empire Begins – This Is New, This Is Different! But the joy was short-lived, as a change to the companions caused dissatisfaction: SWTOR: BioWare Under Criticism – Players Vent Frustration in the Forum. The developer yielded.
- They could not resist looking beyond again: SWTOR: Bioware Developers Talk About KotFE and the Future of MMORPG. The game progressed steadily. The last quarter of 2015 was a major success for EA. The hype around the Star Wars film supported Star Wars: Battlefront and the MMORPG. They achieved the highest number of subscribers in 3 years: Battlefront and SWTOR in Soaring Heights: MMORPG Has Most Subscribers in 3 Years.
- The game progressed steadily. The last quarter of 2015 was a major success for EA. The hype surrounding the Star Wars film supported Star Wars: Battlefront and the MMORPG. They achieved the highest subscriber number in 3 years.
- Not everyone found the new content a reason for joy. Two groups felt neglected: SWTOR: Raiders and PvPers Complain – Will There Soon Be Something for Them? And this did not change quickly: SWTOR: Where Is Fresh Group Content?
- At the beginning of 2016, the servers were addressed. Mega-servers are no longer new: SWTOR: Mega-Server? First Hints of Server Merging. Shortly thereafter, no distinction was made between PvE and PvP servers anymore: SWTOR: No More Separation Between PvP/PvE Servers.
The Year 2016: Announcement of Knights of the Eternal Throne
- After about 4 years, some may wonder if the game is still worth it. We addressed this question: SWTOR: Is the Game Worth It in 2016? Pros and Cons of Knights of the Fallen Empire.
- The future was secured in any case. BioWare wanted to talk about it again, which has become routine: SWTOR: Future Secured – Star Wars MMORPG is a Huge Success, Says Bioware. Just as there was criticism, as a new feature was hidden behind a paywall: SWTOR: New Customization Options – Weapon Tuning. But there was reconciliation: SWTOR: Weapon Tuning Soon Also Outside the Cash Shop.
- And it doesn’t stop there. Knights of the Eternal Throne was announced: SWTOR: Next Expansion for 2016 Announced.
As it’s a birthday celebration, there is a gift for you. You will receive a speeder with the code CelebrationCantina16, which you can redeem through your account.
And What Does BioWare Think?
EA must be satisfied. The game has recovered from its initial downward spiral and is on the rise. And BioWare? James Ohlen, Director of Design, addressed this:
Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ celebrates its five-year anniversary on December 20, 2016 – thanks to you, our fans. Our journey began more than ten years ago. At that time, we had the vision of giving players and Star Wars™ fans the opportunity to be at the center of their own saga in the Star Wars universe. And we have succeeded. We have created the largest Star Wars universe to date and brought it to life online. Since then, our fans have had the chance to become an honorable Jedi, a dark and deadly Sith Lord, or a cunning smuggler. We wanted to express our love for this epic in a way that allows players to craft their own story through their choices.
Our goal was to provide you, our players, with the fun of a true Star Wars adventure. We wanted you to explore the galaxy with the sleekest speeders and jetpacks. Or ride on the backs of such well-known creatures as the Rancor or Bantha to visit your friends on the fleet or in the cantina. But most importantly, it was vital for us that you follow your own path on the dark or light side of the force – and that you are never alone in doing so. Hundreds of thousands of other players have embarked on this adventure – not to mention the personal alliances you can form with your companions, each of whom has their own unique personality – some are trustworthy, like Theron Shan or Lana, while others are only out for their own advantage or chasing credits. All this and more comes alive in The Old Republic™ – and you can share this experience with your friends.
Star Wars: The Old Republic has already brought forth much, such as the rebirth of the notorious Darth Revan, or the rise and fall of Darth Malgus. Not long ago, we encountered one of the most dangerous families in Star Wars – with the eternal Emperor Valkorion, his son Arcann, and his equally evil and powerful daughter Vaylin. Whether guild colleagues or friendships, this game has fostered a community that has one thing in common – the love for Star Wars and for The Old Republic.
We here at BioWare want to thank you for that. We are honored by your loyalty and support over the past five years. We are grateful that you have been with us from the beginning and shared your saga with us. And for your visits to our worldwide cantina events. You have made our dream come alive. Celebrate with us with the hashtag #SWTOR5 as we start the countdown. Happy anniversary!
May the Force be with you!
