Star Wars

BioWare Explains Why It Didn't Make A Knights Of The Old Republic Sequel

One of the writers on BioWare's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic has revealed what happened to a planned sequel and why Obsidian develop KOTOR 2.

Tom Chapman

Tom Chapman

13th Jul 2022 13:18

BioWare

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Back in 2002, the Star Wars franchise was in something of a limbo. George Lucas had just delivered Attack of the Clones as the most divisive entry in the prequel trilogy, while the same year, Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast debuted to rave reviews. Jump forward to 2003, BioWare changed things forever for Star Wars with Knights of the Old Republic. 

As the first chapter in the now-acclaimed Knights of the Old Republic saga, BioWare's game was set 4,000 years before the main events of the Skywalker Saga. Here, the tyrannical Darth Malak has unleashed a Sith armada on the Galactic Empire. It's since been held as one of the greatest games of all time, and while it's often pipped to the post by KOTOR 2 from 2004, its legacy is unrivalled. 

Why Didn't BioWare Make Knights Of The Old Republic 2?

Knights of the Old Republic 2003

Writing in a Reddit AMA, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic writer Drew Karpyshyn explained why there was never a sequel from the developer and how things ended up falling under Obsidian. When asked if BioWare had plans to continue the story, Karpyshyn confirmed the studio didn't have time to think about it.

"We actually didn't have a chance to get that far. Various partners (publishers, etc.) made it clear they wanted a sequel in 1 year," said Karpyshyn. "And we didn't feel that was realistic for the quality we wanted to deliver. So we never even started discussions about what we would do next." It was probably for the best, as Knights of the Old Republic II was panned upon release due to being a buggy mess that cut a tonne of content. It only really found its fame in later years. 

In another comment, Karpyshyn confirmed that while he's played KOTR 2, he feels it was a rushed game: "I did play it. I thought the story was great - very different from my style/vibe, but still good. But there were a lot of little things - bugs and other small design issues - that hurt my experience. For me, it really emphasized the importance of having enough time to properly polish a game before release... which Obsidian didn't have. (And which is why we passed on it.)"

 

Will There Ever Be A Knights Of The Old Republic 3? 

If you've been keeping your finger on the pulse of the Force, you might know that LucasArts was once working on a full-blown Knights of the Old Republic III. Designer John Stafford has previously said that the team has "wrote a story, designed most of the environments/worlds, and many of the quests, characters, and items." The 2008 book Rogue Leaders: The Story of LucasArts revealed concepts for a female character called Naresha and a Mandalorian City.

Earlier this year, there were whispers that Knights of the Old Republic 3 could be back on the cards, with journalist Jason Schreier saying that "nobody's going to guess" which studio is working on the game. It was implied it will be a relative unknown, but still, there are us loyal Jedi who hold out hope BioWare could wing a lightsaber. Either way, with Aspyr working on a remake of the OG Knights of the Old Republic, the series isn't frozen in carbonite just yet. 

Tom Chapman

About The Author

Tom Chapman

Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.

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