The recent announcement that Electronic Arts is closing BioWare and canceling the next installment of the Mass Effect series has drawn significant attention. In the wake of this news, BioWare issued a public message to its fans, but the omission of Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) from this farewell has been called "heartbreaking" by the MMO's lead writer, Caitlin Sullivan Kelly.
Launched in 2011, Star Wars: The Old Republic was BioWare's first foray into large-scale multiplayer gaming, set in the universe of its popular Knights of the Old Republic RPGs. Despite its age, the MMORPG continues to receive updates and expansions. In 2023, however, development responsibilities for SWTOR were transferred from BioWare to Broadsword, the studio also managing Ultima Online, with BioWare focusing on other projects.
Kelly, who previously worked at BioWare and now supports SWTOR under Broadsword, took to Twitter to voice her disappointment. "No mention of the game that’s been going for almost fifteen years," she posted. "That supported the studio and all of its projects with income and manpower and time sometimes to our own detriment. Heartbreaking."
Kelly recounted that Dragon Age: Origins was the title that inspired her to enter the game development industry. She also shared that her initial draw to Star Wars: The Old Republic was precisely because it was a BioWare game, adding, "I can’t help but feel sad that the studio a lot of us loved, even before we worked there, leaves us out of the history book."
Meanwhile, Casey Hudson, director of Knights of the Old Republic and co-creator of Mass Effect, is reportedly working on a new spiritual successor to the KOTOR series, which is anticipated to launch in the coming years.