Announced at the 2025 Game Awards, the new role-playing game from Arcanaut Studios and Lucasfilm Games tells an all-new story helmed by accomplished game director Casey Hudson.
In Fate of the Old Republic, you step into the role of a Force user on a journey through a galaxy on the edge of rebirth at the end of the Old Republic. The brand new narrative single-player action role-playing game was announced on stage at this year’s Game Awards.
But could this really be a better game than the KOTOR remake?
It’s a fresh story and a new experience. With a completely new narrative in the Old Republic era, rather than just retelling an old story, this means that surprises and original characters, rather than replaying something that has already been experienced and spoken about for years. It is designed as a spiritual successor, so it can build on what made KOTOR great while telling a new tale with modern storytelling techniques.
The Fate of the Old Republic is led by original talent. Casey Hudson is at the front of the project. Casey, a key creator of the original KOTOR and Mass Effect, which could mean a strong emphasis on narrative depth, character choices, and that RPG feel.
Because Fate of the Old Republic is being built from the ground up with Unreal Engine 5 and modern design sensibilities, it has the potential to offer combat and systems that feel contemporary, not just remastered or upgraded old mechanics, which will make FOTOR have modern gameplay expectations.
The Fate of the Old Republic doesn’t have to stick to the original game’s narrative beats, structure, or legacy content. It means it could innovate more boldly. The KOTOR remake must balance nostalgia with modernization, which can be a tricky thing and may lead to compromises that please neither the new players nor the old players.
The KOTOR remake has had nothing but trouble in development. From studio changes and uncertainty about progress, which might lead to delays, lower fan confidence, or even design issues. Fate of the Old Republic is still early in development and is shaping up as a brand new AAA RPG with fresh momentum rather than trying to fix an existing legacy game.
A new title can be marketed to both old fans and newcomers without requiring knowledge of the KOTOR game. Potentially making it more welcoming for modern audiences. A remake, by contrast, might attract mostly existing fans or nostalgia-driven players, with the risk that young players skip it in favor of new experiences.
With this being said, some players only want a faithful KOTOR experience, so the remake could absolutely still win for nostalgia and canonical storytelling, but if you value a fresh design, narrative ambition, and modern gameplay, Fate of the Old Republic might very well be the more exciting game.
