EA
Star Wars: The Old Republic is changing developers, no longer under BioWare
EA has revealed that the long-running Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO will change hands from BioWare to a different studio.
EA is about to close an agreement for an external studio to replace BioWare in the development of Star Wars: The Old Republic, the successful MMORPG set in the universe created by George Lucas. According to sources consulted by IGN, Broadsword Online Games will take over the project, although Electronic Arts will continue as the publisher of the game. The company has partially confirmed this story by admitting that there has been contact with the developer.
Both parties have already signed a proof of intent, which they intend to transform into a concrete agreement this same month. In this way, the developers of Ultima Online and Dark: Age of Camelot will take responsibility for the future of The Old Republic. It should be noted that the founder of this company is none less than Rob Denton, a former vice president of BioWare who worked on the title during its first phases.
What will happen to the BioWare team?
BioWare will now focus on games like Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and the next Mass Effect. Currently, The Old Republic team is made up of about 70 or 80 people, more than half of which are expected to end up on Broadsword. The rest will be able to position themselves at other EA companies, although layoffs are possible, according to IGN.
EA has issued the following statement after the news went public, in which they recognize having conversations with Broadsword:
“Almost 12 years after launch, Star Wars: The Old Republic remains 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.”
Star Wars: The Old Republic is available on PC.
Source | IGN