A lot can happen to games that get stuck in development limbo. They can get passed around like a hot potato, stopped and restarted several times, and even canceled. Saber Interactive’s Knights of the Old Republic remake has experienced many of these trials and tribulations, but has eluded the worst of them: cancellation. According to studio CEO Matthew Karch, the project is still “alive and well” despite the myriad challenges it’s faced after six years in the oven.
Speaking to IGN on April 2, Karch clarified that the ever-elusive Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – Remake’s heart is still beating in the development infirmary. He didn’t elaborate any further about how far along the project is, when we can expect it to release, the nature of its PlayStation 5 timed exclusivity—nothing. Karch merely told IGN that, yep, the Knights of the Old Republic remake ain’t dead yet.
“It’s clear and it’s [obvious] that we’re working on this,” Karch said. “It’s been in the press numerous times. What I will say is that the game is alive and well, and we’re dedicated to making sure we exceed consumer expectations.”
Saber Interactive recently escaped the clutches of Embracer Group, with the latter selling the former to a private investor group for $500 million just this past March. Given its long development period and the fact that it has changed hands in the past, some fans have speculated that the KotOR remake may never see the light of day, so Saber’s recent change of ownership may have seemed like a good reason to reassure people that it’s still in the works.
Kotaku has reached out to Saber Interactive for comment.
Formally announced during the PlayStation Showcase in 2021, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a full-fledged remake of the beloved 2003 role-playing game. The project was originally spearheaded by Aspyr, the Texas-based developer behind the remastered ports for Star Wars: Battlefront, OG Tomb Raider, and Star Wars: Jedi Knight. However, the road got rough for the project after it was shuffled from Aspyr to Saber Interactive in 2022, with Embracer Group saying at the time that the reason was “to ensure the quality bar is where we need it to be for the title.” Though it was originally slotted for a 2022 release, before it got shifted to Saber, developers at Aspyr said that a 2025 release was looking more realistic. While Saber may have effectively started from scratch after taking over the project, if things are “alive and well” as Karch said, then maybe we’ll actually see the remake next year. Fingers crossed.
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