Is Star Wars: The Old Republic Worth Playing in 2024? (2024)

Star Wars: The Old Republic was released in 2011 as a sequel to the critically acclaimed Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series. In the decade since its release, Star Wars: The Old Republic has received expansion packs, content updates, and a move from a subscription to a free model. 2023 was a rough year for the MMO, however, with care of the game moving hands from BioWare to Broadsword Online Games, a move which made some anxious about the game's future.

Not all hope is lost when it comes to Star Wars: The Old Republic. The MMO still has hundreds of hours of content to explore and, while it's still too early to know exactly what Broadsword Online Games intends to do with the MMO, its specialization as an MMO developer is an indication of good things to come.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is Great For New Players

Hundreds of Hours of Story to Play

People who have never played Star Wars: The Old Republic will get the most out of it in 2024. There are eight classes in total to choose from; each class has its own unique story that takes 30-60 hours to play from start to finish in just the base game alone, while the expansion packs add dozens of hours. All in all, there are hundreds of hours of story content for new players, with fun new characters to meet, new Star Wars lore, and a bunch of new planets to explore. All in all, it's a game that definitely "feels" like an old school Star Wars experience.

A Single-Player RPG vs MMO

Star Wars: The Old Republic is a story-forward MMORPG. It's very possible to play it as a single-player game rather than as an MMO. While there are raids and PvP, they're very much optional, and players who prioritize loot, guilds, and raids more than story progression might not be happy with Star Wars: The Old Republic. Players who enjoy single-player RPGs will likely enjoy playing this game as one.

The State of Star Wars: The Old Republic in 2024

A Must For Star Wars Fans

Anyone who enjoys Star Wars and video games should still play Star Wars: The Old Republic in 2024. It's set during an exciting time in Star Wars history and, even though it isn't a part of Disney's official canon, it's still a compelling part of Star Wars Legends lore. It also gives multiple perspectives on various factions, letting players experience Jedi, Republic troopers, bounty hunters, smugglers, and Sith lords. There aren't any other Star Wars games like it out there today.

Broadsword Online Games as a Developer

BioWare specializes in creating single-player experiences, with Star Wars: The Old Republic being an anomaly in its repertoire. Its only other multiplayer online game, Anthem, was not well received and no longer receives support. BioWare has since made a move back towards what it's best known for. Rather than sending Star Wars: The Old Republic into maintenance mode or shutting down its servers, Star Wars: The Old Republic has been transferred to Broadsword Online Games, a developer that specializes in MMOs that can nurture the future of the game. While Star Wars: The Old Republic still plays like a single-player RPG today, it's likely Broadsword Online Games will take it in new directions during 2024 and beyond.

The Old Republic is Still Free to Play

Despite the hundreds of hours of content and multiple expansion packs, there is no subscription fee for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Notably, there isn't a "pay-to-win" scheme either, and it's perfectly playable and enjoyable without spending a cent on it. That alone makes it worth playing in 2024 over other games with endless microtransactions, season passes, and loot boxes, especially for a title under EA.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

MMO

Franchise

Star Wars

Platform(s)

PC

Released

December 20, 2011

Developer(s)

BioWare

Publisher(s)

Electronic Arts

ESRB

T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Sexual Themes, Violence

How Long To Beat

130+ Hours

See at Official SiteSee at Steam