One of BioWare's most beloved and critically-acclaimed games remains Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which was followed by a well-received sequel and an MMO that was also met with a mostly positive response. Since EA acquired the rights to the Star Wars license from Disney, fans have been hoping for a Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 3 from the studio, but it's been years with no announcement. And apparently it's because EA doesn't want BioWare to make it.

This is according to Kotaku's Jason Schreier, who claims that BioWare has tried to make Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 3 happen, perhaps even "more than once," but the studio hasn't been given the green light. This is unfortunate news for fans holding out hope for the possibility of KOTOR 3 since EA's Star Wars licensing deal with Disney.

Hopes were high after EA signed its licensing deal with Disney, and the possibility of KOTOR 3 seemed even more plausible once writer Drew Karpyshyn returned to the studio. However, Karpyshyn has since left BioWare yet again, and if Schreier's sources are correct, fans really shouldn't hold their breath for a new KOTOR.

Something else that gave fans hope for Knights of the Old Republic 3 was when the Xbox One was made backward compatible with some original Xbox games. One of the headlining titles for original Xbox backward compatibility was the first Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, leading to some speculation that it was being released as a way to generate interest in a new title.

Some hope was similarly ignited when a Knights of the Old Republic remaster was released for mobile devices, and when Disney made KOTOR's Mandalorian Wars canon again. Unfortunately, it seems that none of this has helped convince EA to pursue KOTOR 3.

However, with EA struggling to develop a hit game with the Star Wars license, perhaps it will reconsider developing KOTOR 3. After all, the publisher was criticized for rushing Star Wars Battlefront (by its own admission) and for using predatory monetization practices in Battlefront 2, so it could stand to regain some faith from Star Wars fans.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 3 is not currently in active development.

Source: Den of Geek