Star Wars Fans Launch Petition for Knights of the Old Republic 20th Anniversary Remake

Some fans are formally requesting Electronic Arts and Lucasfilm remake Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for the game's 20th anniversary in 2023. Rumors of such a remake surfaced earlier this year, but EA has not made any official announcement. BioWare developed the critically-acclaimed Star Wars RPG for PC and Xbox. Upon release in 2003, it quickly became considered one of the best and most impactful stories in the old Star Wars expanded universe, selling out within days and winning numerous awards. The game has sold more than 3.2 million copies worldwide. Knights of the Old Republic's story takes place 4,000 years before the Galactic Empire's rise, during an era when the Republic was at war with the Sith Empire. The Sith Lord Darth Malak leads a Sith Armada against the Republic, and only the player's customizable character can stop him. Players begin as one of three mundane classes, but soon unlock their Force abilities and undergo Jedi training. The story culminated in one of the most memorable twists in video game history and laid the groundwork to explore a new era of the Star Wars universe, something Lucasfilm is reportedly flirting with doing as part of Disney's new Star Wars canon.

The petition, which has more than 4,000 virtual signatures at the time of writing, wants to see the Knights of the Old Republic story preserved but recreated using modern video game technology. Here is the request from the Change.org page:

"Most of you already know of the story of Knights of the Old Republic, so it's pretty unnecessary to go over it. You are here because you have played it, you know it's story and would like to see it remade for it's 20th Anniversary. The same story, but built from the ground up using a modern game engine and graphics for the upcoming generation of consoles: Xbox Series X and PS5. And of course PC.

"I can't stress enough, don't change the story, don't take from the story either. As that will most likely upset and frustrate fans of the original. Please, leave the story as it is. Everything else though, can be built from the ground up. Game engines and graphics have came a long way since the early 2000's. Knights of the Old Republic's game engine was the Odyssey engine, since 2013 all games BioWare have developed made on EA DICE's Frostbite 3 engine. So imagine how a remake might look."

The petition also points out that, by happenstance, Electronic Arts, who currently holds the Star Wars video game license, now owns BioWare (Obsidian, who developed the game's troubled sequel that became a cult favorite, is owned by Microsoft). BioWare still operates Star Wars: The Old Republic, the 2011 MMORPG set 300 years after Knights of the Old Republic that picks up some story threads leftover by both the original game and its sequel. BioWare is busy improving on Anthem, making Dragon Age 4, and coming up with whatever the next Mass Effect will be (not to mention remaking the original), so it's unclear if the studio has the time or desire to take on a Knights of the Old Republic remake.

For those looking to experience or revisit the original Knights of the Old Republic, the game is playable on PC and Mac via Steam and EA's Origin store. It's also available as an app for Android and iOS devices.