Developer Blogs

Star Wars™ has always been a continuing saga from the moment that the phrase ‘Episode IV’ scrolled upwards onto movie screens. With those words an ongoing, epic story was born, and Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ continues the tradition.

I’m Charles Boyd, a writer here at BioWare Austin for Star Wars: The Old Republic and I wanted to share a sneak peek at the story behind Game Update 1.2. The development team has designed each of our game updates to shed a bit more light on the state of the galaxy and the ongoing war between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire, with new story details and hints about the future spread across every piece of content. Game Update 1.2 will be our biggest update yet, but your adventure in a galaxy far, far away is just getting started!

Note: The next section contains information about Game Update 1.2’s story and may spoil the game for some. Read on at your own risk!

The Treaty of Coruscant is nothing but a shattered memory. War burns across countless worlds, and champions of both the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire have already won incredible victories and inflicted terrible losses on each other’s militaries and governments. The Republic’s leaders promise to redouble their military’s efforts, initiating more aggressive campaigns than any seen in decades, while the Empire’s Dark Council seeks to recoup recent losses and drive back their enemies in increasingly deadly ways. Both sides struggle to control critical resources necessary to continue fighting.

All of this turmoil presents opportunities for previously-unseen threats to rise up and take advantage of the anarchy, erupting onto the galactic stage and threatening star systems everywhere with total annihilation. Both the Republic and the Empire will have to count on their bravest, wisest, and canniest heroes to overcome these renegade elements before they can tip the scales of war against either side.

First, you will be called upon to return to the embattled world of Corellia, joining their faction’s forces to carry out missions in an all-new district known as the Black Hole. Refineries in the Black Hole process a rare and unstable starship fuel called hypermatter that’s necessary for all starship travel, and a critical component of fleet operations for the Republic and the Empire. Hoping to play both sides for maximum profits, a corrupt Corellian councilor has seized control of the entire district, hiring the toughest mercenaries and deadliest criminal scum available to lock down his holdings, effectively enslaving the refinery workers, and brutalizing anyone who tries to stand against him. Whether the councilor’s new regime stands will be up to you.

Next, the Lost Island Flashpoint will challenge teams to hunt down the madman responsible for the recent rakghoul plague outbreak on the planet Kaon. This brilliant and vengeful scientist has created advanced strains of the horrifying disease that could endanger the lives of every sentient being alive, and his labs are full of the bloodthirsty results of his research. Worst of all, the man has no compunction against spreading his ‘refined’ plague to planets near and far; it’s possible that such rampant destruction may even be his ultimate goal. Of course, even if players manage to stop the worst of the scientist’s plans, a few rakghouls may still manage to escape and spread terror across the stars….

Finally, Operation: Explosive Assault will take groups of elite players to the planet Denova, where a renowned crew of mercenary defenders has joined forces with a veteran Imperial assault force and captured this vital world from both the Republic and the Empire. Denova’s extensive deposits of baradium ore – used to manufacture the most powerful military-grade explosives ever designed – could give this new army the power to challenge any force in the galaxy, but their ultimate goals are as mysterious as their motives. But some other, unknown force may be manipulating events from behind the scenes – a force with plans that are darker and more dreadful than anyone has yet imagined.

This is all just the very beginning of what we have in store for you in the coming months. We’ve got more Flashpoints, more Operations, more Warzones, and a lot of other new surprises on the way – after all, it’s a big galaxy, full of undiscovered wonders, unforeseen dangers, and aliens beyond our comprehension, and we want you to experience it all!

Charles Boyd
Writer

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