BioWare Proposed SWTOR Reboot Before EA Board Rejected It
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Former BioWare lead designer James Ohlen developed a plan to reboot Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) in 2015, aiming to make it more like the classic single-player RPG Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR). The proposal, called 'The New Republic', gained support from Lucasfilm leadership but was ultimately rejected by the Electronic Arts (EA) board due to the high cost of SWTOR's original launch. Ohlen has since left BioWare and founded his own studios.
Facts First
- James Ohlen designed a SWTOR reboot plan titled 'The New Republic' in 2015.
- The proposal gained Lucasfilm support from Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni.
- The EA board rejected the project citing SWTOR's $300 million launch cost.
- Ohlen left BioWare in 2018 and later founded Archetype Entertainment.
- SWTOR later released expansions offering single-player KOTOR-like experiences.
What Happened
In 2015, former BioWare lead designer James Ohlen spent six months compiling a design to reboot the multiplayer game Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR). The proposed reboot, referred to as 'The New Republic', aimed to make SWTOR more similar to the 2003 single-player RPG Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR). Ohlen presented the plan using a mock-up trailer to key stakeholders, successfully convincing then-Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and now-Lucasfilm president Dave Filoni. Filoni suggested setting the game a couple hundred years before the fall of the Republic could allow for a tie-in. Ohlen also convinced Patrick Söderlund, the boss of EA Worldwide Studios. However, the Electronic Arts (EA) board of directors rejected The New Republic project because they remembered spending $300 million on the launch of SWTOR.
Why this Matters to You
If you are a fan of classic, story-driven Star Wars games like KOTOR, this reveals that significant efforts were made to steer the long-running multiplayer SWTOR back towards that style. The later release of SWTOR expansions titled 'Knights of the Fallen Empire' and 'Knights of the Eternal Throne' suggests the development team may have incorporated some of these single-player concepts into the existing game. For players, this could mean the available SWTOR content already reflects a move towards more narrative-focused experiences.
What's Next
James Ohlen has moved on from BioWare, which he left in 2018 after 22 years. He founded Archetype Entertainment, where he directed the third-person sci-fi RPG 'Exodus', scheduled for release next year. Ohlen announced his departure from Archetype at the start of this year, citing burnout, and has since co-founded a smaller studio called Arcanum Worlds, where he is currently writing campaign books for Dungeons & Dragons. Meanwhile, Casey Hudson, the director of KOTOR, is developing a new game titled Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, which is intended for release before 2030. This could indicate continued interest in the Old Republic era from key original creators.