BioWareis letting go of an undisclosed number of employees, as it moves the ongoing development ofStar Wars: The Old Republicto the team at Broadsword. When the news hit thatThe Old Republicwas switching developers, the community felt conflicted. Though it never reached the height ofWorld of Warcraft’s popularity,Star Warsfans made the vast galaxy inThe Old Republictheir home for many years. The game allowed them to live out theirStar Warsfantasy – be it as a Dark Lord of the Sith, a hotshot Smuggler, or a ruthless Bounty Hunter – and now it felt like that fantasy was being put on life support.
The agreement established between Electronic Arts and Broadsword Online allowsBioWare to focus onDragon AgeandMass Effectin a full capacity, while still providingThe Old Republicplayers with a steady stream of content. Broadsword is led by former Mythic Entertainment co-founder Mark Denton, who also worked onStar Wars: The Old Republicin its early days. Though the new development team is projected to be made up from half of its former BioWare crew, it was rumored that not all the developers would be making the move.
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In a new blog post by General Manager Gary McKay and Executive Producer Keith Kanneg, it was indeed confirmed that BioWare would be laying off some of its developers fromThe Old Republicteam. The rest will either be reassigned to work onMass EffectandDragon Age, or be transferred to Broadsword Online Studios. While layoffs are always concerning to read about, it shouldn’t hinder the continued support ofThe Old Republic, and given thatDragon Age: Dreadwolfis eyeing a Summer 2024 release, its new team members should help the game reach all remaining development milestones.
As for the longterm future ofStar Wars: The Old Republic, Keith Kanneg is among the leadership transferring to Broadsword, which will hopefully ensure stability and consistency in Game Update 7.4 and beyond. ThoughThe Old Republichas enjoyed several expansionsover the course of its decade-long history, the content packs have gotten smaller, and the community is worried that the team at Broadsword Online Games will continue the trend rather than reverse it. As bleak as the immediate reaction is amongThe Old Republicfans, it is ultimately a better option than discontinuing development altogether.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolfand the nextMass Effecttitle will certainly receive a significant boost fromThe Old Republicdevelopers that stay within the company, while those who will be transferring to Broadsword will receive adequate support to ensure a seamless transition. The unfortunate reality of the situation is that someBioWaredevelopers are being let go, but one can hope that they will find gainful employment with relative ease.
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