Casey Hudson has set a timeline for his newly announced Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic project. The former BioWare lead said the team will announce a release date before 2030.
Hudson framed the promise with a joke about his age. “I’m not getting any younger!” he reportedly said when discussing the timeline. It’s no secret that game development takes a long time, and Hudson is promising a date announcement before 2030, not that the game will necessarily release by then.
Hudson is best known for directing the original Knights of the Old Republic and the Mass Effect trilogy during his time at BioWare. He was also heavily involved with the production of BioWare’s failed live service shooter Anthem.
Hudson’s is keen to get it out sooner rather than later
Hudson’s new outfit Arcanaut Studios appears to be in early stages. Reports suggest the team was formally established in July 2025, meaning development is likely still ramping up. This makes the “before 2030” window both ambitious and realistic for a AAA RPG.
In Casey’s X post, he remains adamant that the game will release prior to 2030, and that the year is not some kind of target he is aiming for. While many have cast doubt on this, including veteran reporter Jason Schreier, it is Hudson’s own legacy that casts the most doubt on this.
Thanks to his own reporting on the story of Anthem’s troubled development, it is now understood that the game took approximately seven years to make, only one of which was spent getting to grips with any real development.
Modern large-scale RPG development typically takes six to eight years or more. A studio founded in mid-2025 announcing a release date by late 2029 would be a pretty aggressive timeline, especially while simultaneously building out staff and production pipelines.
Why this matters for Star Wars fans
The Old Republic era has seen limited new game content in recent years outside of the ongoing MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic. A new single-player title from the director of the original KOTOR carries significant weight with fans who have been waiting decades for a proper follow-up.
The gaming industry has seen several high-profile Star Wars projects announced early with little follow-up. Both Star Wars Eclipse from Quantic Dream and the KOTOR remake have faced uncertainty around development status. Similarly, not every big budget Star Wars game has landed with fans, with games like Star Wars Outlaws performing poorly despite the strong IP.
