Star Wars fans have been riding a wave of rumors for a good chunk of this year. From rumblings on a sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, to speculation for a game based on The Mandalorian series, it seems the fanbase has been holding its breath just waiting for a crumb of official news. Luckily, there has been one glint of hope from perhaps the biggest Star Wars gaming rumor of this year, that developer Aspyr would bring back the iconic Knights of the Old Republic in the form of a full remake. PlayStation's September Showcase finally confirmed the anticipated title, and now many fans are just waiting to hear more.
For those waiting to know what they can expect from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake, there could be some information in the initial rumors that surrounded the game. Numerous sources reported on different aspects of the KOTOR Remake earlier this year, with many of them having to do with potential gameplay features and the team behind development. While it would be unwise to take all of the remake's rumors as gospel, some did come from reliable sources such as industry insider Jason Schreier. Now that the game actually exists, KOTOR Remake's other rumors could give insight on what to expect.
KOTOR Remake Looks Like It's Getting Proper Support
One of the primary aspects of KOTOR Remake's initial rumors was that the game would be helmed by developer Aspyr. While the company may be relatively unknown compared to many other of the industry's biggest names, Aspyr has built up a reputation among Star Wars fans. Over the past few years, Aspyr has been focused on creating remasters for classic Star Wars titles on modern consoles, with Star Wars: Republic Commando serving as the developer's most recent project. They may not be full-fledged remakes as KOTOR Remake promises to be, but they still demonstrate an important familiarity with the property.
Looking at Aspyr's previous catalogue of work, it would be understandable to have some concerns over whether or not the developer will have the resources to create such a hefty remake. Previous rumors suggest, however, that Aspyr will have all of the tools it needs. Earlier this year, Aspyr's parent company Embracer Group announced that the developer would be given a $70 million budget for a triple-A release related to a licensed property. When KOTOR Remake rumors first began to circulate, some believed that this budget could be connected. Now that the game is official, it's entirely possible, and this would give KOTOR Remake a budget akin to most other triple-A titles today.
How KOTOR's Combat Could Be Reworked
Along with rumors of who would be developing the KOTOR Remake, many speculated on how the game's combat will look. While the original KOTOR is certainly an icon of the RPG genre, its combat system is a relic of TTRPGs that just aren't as prominent in the industry today. Around the time that KOTOR Remake rumors were at their height, YouTuber MrMattyPlays claimed that KOTOR's combat would get an overhaul, and those suggestions could very well turn out to be factual. While Aspyr hasn't confirmed anything itself, it seems like a very plausible move.
If these combat system rumors turn out to be true, KOTOR Remake could go in a number of directions. Many fans have cited Final Fantasy 7 Remake as a potential source of inspiration, as that game took a similarly archaic combat system and updated it for modern RPG expectations. KOTOR Remake could also set a new standard for lightsaber combat by introducing something completely new, creating a fresh combat system for one of the most iconic Star Wars games in history. It would certainly be a big deviation from the original KOTOR's core experience, but it might be a necessary change in the long run.
KOTOR 3 Probably Isn't Happening
Unfortunately for some fans, the confirmation of KOTOR Remake likely disproves rumors that Knights of the Old Republic 3 could be happening. When insider Jason Schreier made comments about a KOTOR related project late last year, some suggested that it could be a long-awaited sequel to KOTOR 2. While this is an interesting prospect, it seems more like wishful thinking in the grand scheme of things.
The fact that Aspyr's rumored project is KOTOR Remake and not KOTOR 3 works heavily against those initial rumors, especially considering how early in development KOTOR Remake is. Given this is set to be one of Aspyr's biggest projects to date, all resources will likely go to it. On top of that, it seems unlikely that Disney and Lucasfilm would greenlight a project that could potentially interfere with the new Star Wars canon that's been getting built up for the past few years. So while this will likely be a huge audition for Aspyr to determine if it will get to work on future Star Wars titles, it probably won't serve to tease KOTOR 3.
Out of all possible Star Wars projects, a full remake of Knights of the Old Republic has been one of the most requested over the years. It should be said that even though KOTOR Remake does exist, the rumors about the game's content are still exactly that, just rumors. It's probably going to be quite some time until fans get more information outside of the game's initial reveal, but until then, the remake's rumors serve as a decent baseline moving forward. Time will tell if the Knights of the Old Republic Remake turns out to be everything fans have been hoping for.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake is currently in development.