It’s never nice when we hear of job losses, and the latest to face cruel cuts are the Star Wars: The Old Republic developers at BioWare.
Released in 2011 for PC, Star Wars: The Old Republic is an MMORPG that has been going strong for well over a decade. Star Wars: The Old Republic tells the story of a “tenuous peace between the re-emergent Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic.” For added reference, this PC-exclusive MMORPG is set 300 years after the events of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and 3,600 years before the Star Wars movies.
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Sadly, even good things can’t last forever and while BioWare hasn't stated that it’s ending development of the MMORPG anytime soon, it doesn't look too promising when its talented employees face layoffs.
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As reported by Eurogamer, while BioWare will no longer be working on Star Wars: The Old Republic, duties will now be handed over to Broadsword Online Games, a studio that has developed a much lesser-known MMORPG called Ultima Online. While many employees will have the opportunity to take up new roles with publisher Electronic Arts, some will face being cut altogether. In a letter published on the official BioWare website, the general manager of BioWare, Gary McKay broke the news. McKay explained that while “most of the current team will be invited to accompany Broadsword Online Games to support Star Wars: The Old Republic, unfortunately not every role will make the move.”
“This is the hardest part of this transition, and these decisions were not made lightly," he continued. “We are of course doing everything we can to support the affected team members, who have an opportunity to find new roles within EA. In addition, we’re aware that the team members who are being asked to move to a new studio will also be adapting to change, and we will be working with Broadsword to make the transition as comfortable as possible.”
McKay also mentioned that Broadsword will be “working tirelessly to [ensure] these worlds and these communities continue to thrive and grow” the MMORPG, and “exciting new features planned that the team is not quite ready to talk about yet."
In related news, another Star Wars game is seemingly in trouble, and that’s the Knights of the Old Republic remake. Reports suggest that the remake is facing a troubled development and an insider claims that the game is never coming out.
Featured Image Credit: BioWare/EATopics: Star Wars, Knights Of The Old Republic, EA, Bioware, PC