Star Wars
How Aspyr Lost the Star Wars License and What It Means for Classic Game Preservation
Lucasfilm reportedly severed ties with its go-to remaster studio after two high-profile failures cost nearly $40 million.
The $40 Million Breakup
Lucasfilm has ended its partnership with Aspyr, the Austin-based studio that handled most Star Wars remasters for the past several years. Insider outlet The Star Wars Garrison, citing unnamed sources close to the matter, reported the split came after two major failures: the troubled development of the original Knights of the Old Republic remake and the disastrous launch of the Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection. The partnership reportedly cost Lucasfilm close to $40 million.
Battlefront's Broken Launch
The Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection, released March 14, 2024, should have been a straightforward win. Bundling two beloved PlayStation 2-era shooters with modern online play was a proven formula. Instead, the collection shipped with widespread server problems, missing features, bugs across both titles, and a general lack of polish that earned it Mostly Negative reviews on Steam. Players who had waited years for a proper remaster of Pandemic Studios' originals found themselves with something closer to a rough port than a celebration.
The KOTOR Problem
Before Battlefront, Aspyr's handling of the Knights of the Old Republic remake had already raised red flags. The project was eventually handed off to Saber Interactive, a move that signaled Lucasfilm's growing dissatisfaction. The remake's troubled pre-production under Aspyr set the stage for what came next. Combined with the Battlefront collection's failure at launch, the two incidents formed a pattern Lucasfilm apparently decided it could no longer tolerate.
What Dies With the Partnership
Aspyr was reportedly working on more than just Battlefront. The studio had a rerelease of Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds in development, along with additional Jedi Knight titles. Those projects now appear dead or reassigned. For fans of classic Star Wars strategy and shooter games, the pipeline has effectively dried up. Aspyr had been the primary source of Star Wars remasters, and without it, the pace of classic game preservation in the franchise will slow considerably.
Guild Wars 3 Taps Star Wars Composer
In separate industry news, ArenaNet revealed that Kazuma Jinnouchi is serving as lead composer on Guild Wars 3. Jinnouchi's résumé spans the Star Wars, Metal Gear, and post-Bungie Halo franchises. He's joined by contributing composers Asuka Ito, known for Rhythm Heaven and PilotWings, and Maclaine Diemer, a longtime Guild Wars 2 contributor. ArenaNet audio lead Chase Thompson described the approach as "respecting the legacy" of the series' orchestral sound. The studio released a video showing the creation of the game's main theme, which leans heavily on sweeping orchestral arrangements.
Source material: thegamer.com — this piece is based on that published source material.
