Developer Saber Interactive has formally confirmed that its remake of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is “alive and well,” but refrained from saying when fans will see a glimpse of it.
The PlayStation 5 remake of the beloved 2003 RPG has been in limbo for years, and was even feared to have been canceled altogether at one point. But there was a renewed sense of optimism after Saber Interactive split from its parent company, the Embracer Group. There was initially no official statement on the status of the Star Wars: KOTOR remake, but it was claimed Saber would continue to work on it regardless. Comments by Embracer also suggested it would remain involved, as well.
In an April 2 interview with IGN, Saber’s CEO Matthew Karch was specifically asked about the KOTOR remake and, mercifully, his answer was unambiguous: “It’s clear and it’s obvious that we’re working on this. It’s been in the press numerous times. What I will say is that the game is alive and well, and we’re dedicated to making sure we exceed consumer expectations.”
This news should alleviate fans’ fears that the KOTOR remake has been quietly canceled. What’s less clear, though, is how far along development is. At the very least, Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors has already ruled out the remake launching within the next 12 months, so it obviously needs more time in the oven. A new trailer or gameplay footage would be warmly received, but we still don’t know when any sort of update will be shared.
The project changed hands from Aspyr to Saber in 2022, just under a year after its initial announcement, with a Bloomberg report claiming the remake’s original design director and art director were laid off after an internal demo failed to impress partners Sony and Lucasfilm Games. Development also apparently hit a standstill, so there’s no telling if any of Aspyr’s original work was kept or if Saber began development from scratch.
Published: Apr 3, 2024 10:11 am