Star Wars: The Old Republic Is Reportedly Getting Handed Over To A Third-Party Studio

Development responsibilities for Dark Age of Camelot.

The fact that the studio is headed by former BioWare Vice President Rob Denton might be one of the key reasons why EA and BioWare decided to go with Broadsword. Denton played a major role during SWTOR’s early development and has also had extensive experience in the MMORPG industry, including co-founding Loric Games and Mythic Entertainment.

The decision to outsource the Star Wars MMORPG’s development, should it push through, will allow BioWare to focus on other major projects and franchises such as Dragon Age and Mass Effect while Electronic Arts continues to publish the game.

The agreement between the two companies is already underway, with a signed letter of intent. Finalizing the deal is expected to occur as early as this month. If the agreement goes through, it is projected that over half of the current development team, approximately 40 individuals, would transition to Broadsword. The remaining team may have the opportunity to secure positions at EA or be affected by potential layoffs.

“Almost 12 years after launch, Star Wars: The Old Republic remains a success and continues to grow its dedicated and ionate 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,” EA said. “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.”

BioWare has continually been working to update and improve SWTOR since it launched in 2011. More recently, the studio has implemented a host of new features to modernize the game including the release of a 64-bit client and the opening of a cloud-based test server in preparation for moving the servers to the cloud.

With the potential change in the development team, the future roap for SWTOR remains uncertain. However, players and fans of the game will undoubtedly be eager to see how this transition unfolds and what lies ahead for the beloved Star Wars MMORPG.