Be Cautious – Why Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic is Already a Double-Edged Lightsaber

There were hopes that the long-awaited Knights of the Old Republic remake would be present at The Game Awards, but spiritual successor Fate of the Old Republic proved to be an announcement that might be even more thrilling. As if another Star Wars game set in the Old Republic era wasn’t enticing enough, Casey Hudson is directing the game. His past work directing Knights of the Old Republic and the Mass Effect trilogy has made him well respected in the industry, but as exciting as this new project sounds, gamers may be better off keeping their expectations in check instead of getting their hopes too high. Yes, the first look at Fate of the Old Republic was a fantastic sneak peek, but it also features plenty of reasons to be wary.

Fate of the Old Republic’s Trailer Was Incredible… But There Are Two Glaring Issues

Even from the first moments of the Fate of the Old Republic trailer, I was hooked. The art design, music, and cinematography of the trailer were beautiful, but unfortunately, it was also a stark reminder that it’s merely just a conceptual cinematic and not actual gameplay footage. Of course, it’s possible that Fate of the Old Republic‘s finished product could look just as good, or even better, when it’s finally finished. However, the studio making the game is incredibly new, and when I say new, I mean really new.

Arcanaut Studios Isn’t Even a Year Old Yet

According to its official website, newcomer Arcanaut Studios was officially founded in July of this year. That’s a very young company to be taking on a blockbuster franchise like Star Wars. Of course, with Casey Hudson at the helm, there’s definitely more promise in that, since he’s already had experience with it, but the director has also had to travel a rocky road as of late. Casey Hudson hasn’t been with BioWare for several years now, and his attempts at paving his own way in the industry have been met with obstacles that may also get in the way of Arcanaut Studios.

Since Leaving BioWare, Casey Hudson’s Journey Hasn’t Been Smooth

• In 2014, Casey Hudson left BioWare to pursue other opportunities, but eventually came back in 2015.
• He left BioWare for a second and final time at the end of 2020.
• In 2021, Hudson announced the formation of his own studio, Human Origin.
• Human Origin was shut down in 2024 without ever shipping a game.

Building a new studio from the ground up is definitely no easy task, and unfortunately, Hudson’s independent endeavor couldn’t properly take off. When it comes to studio shutdowns, lay-offs, and game cancellations, the past few years have been brutal for the industry, and according to Humanoid Origin’s official statement, the closure was due to “an unexpected shortfall of funding.” Of course, just because Hudson’s first studio failed doesn’t mean that Arcanaut Studios will face the same fate, but it’s definitely an important detail to take into consideration. On the bright side, announcing Fate of the Old Republic at The Game Awards and igniting so much hype this early on will hopefully make it easier to find strong funding this time around.

The KOTOR Remake Has Been Cursed, and Fate of the Old Republic Can Hopefully Save Itself From the Same Development Hell

The anticipated KOTOR remake was officially announced back in 2021. When it comes to game development, four years isn’t exactly the longest time to wait, but updates on the title have been practically silent, with only small hints and rumors suggesting that the project is still in the works. The remake was originally being developed by Aspyr, but in 2022, Saber Interactive took over its production. Between whispers of internal issues, the announcement trailer being removed from the internet because of an expired music license, and rumored conflicts about creative direction, the KOTOR remake has started to feel more like a pipe dream than something that’s truly possible.

Fate of the Old Republic can hopefully avoid these same pitfalls. Since Casey Hudson is already well-versed in what makes KOTOR so good, it’s promising that he’s on board for a spiritual successor, but his dry spell in the industry is also troubling. Hopefully, Fate of the Old Republic‘s development will be made by a well-oiled machine that has a shared vision in mind, but only time will tell.

Fate of the Old Republic is Years Away, But it’s Hopefully Worth the Wait

There’s no telling when Fate of the Old Republic will be ready, especially since the studio is so new. What the game teases is practically perfect, but just because the reveal trailer looks fantastic doesn’t mean that it’s going to live up to the expectations it’s already starting to build. The Game Awards was a big moment for Star Wars fans in general, because Fate of the Old Republic wasn’t the only announcement from the franchise. Racing game Star Wars: Galactic Racer was also present, so it will be interesting to see how long each project takes to actually arrive. The KOTOR remake and Quantic Dream’s Star Wars Eclipse have been kept in the dark for years now, and this new offering of Star Wars games hopefully doesn’t require years of waiting with barely any updates. Fate of the Old Republic is promising something that many Star Wars fans have been waiting for, but it’s important not to get one’s hopes up.

Developer(s)

Arcanaut Studios

Publisher(s)

Lucasfilm Games

Number of Players

Single-player

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