EA in talks to move Star Wars: The Old Republic away from BioWare

Publisher Electronic Arts may be getting ready to move MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic to a new home at a third-party studio. According to a report published by IGN, the publisher is "nearing an agreement" to transition the game's development and operations to Broadsword Online Games.

Broadsword Online Games operates ongoing MMORPGs Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot. Its Founder and President Rob Denton is a former BioWare executive and helped develop Star Wars: The Old Republic in its earlier days.  

Portions of the current core development team for The Old Republic are expected to move to Broadsword to continue operating the game, though others will remain at EA to find new roles, or potentially be laid off. Content updates, like the version 7.3 patch and upcoming seasons, will continue as planned. Following the transition, BioWare is expected to focus its resources on ongoing single-player projects like Dragon Age and Mass Effect.

Following the report in IGN, EA issued an official statement on the matter:

Almost 12 years after launch, Star Wars: The Old Republic remains a success and continues to grow its dedicated and passionate community. We’re so proud of the work the team has done, and the future of the game and the community continues to be very bright. We’re evaluating how we give the game and the team the best opportunity to grow and evolve, which includes conversations with Broadsword, a boutique studio that specializes in delivering online, community-driven experiences. Our goal is to do what is best for the game and its players.

Star Wars: The Old Republic first launched in 2011 for PC, and adopted a hybrid free-to-play and subscription model in 2012. To date, the game has seen seven major expansions. The current one, Legacy of the Sith, launched in February 2022.