Star Wars The Old Republic News

Watch the MMOs.com chant "I am with the force and the force is with me," again and again and again and again on this weeks Grindfest Friday, Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Where: https://www.twitch.tv/mmosdotcom

When: That depends on where you live:
7PM EST
4PM PST

If you can't make it you can always watch on the MMOs.com YouTube channel once its uploaded.

The first update for Star Wars: The Old Republic - Knights of the Eternal Throne went live earlier today. Entitled "Defend the Throne," the update boasts several "new features and adjustments" that "fans have been asking for."

The update's key features are as follows.

• A galaxy full of new enemies, uneasy alliances, and unlimited possibilities
• Five new uprisings
• ‘Master Mode’ difficulty for story chapters
• Stalwart Leader Cartel Pack

You can find more information on the official website or watch the brand new trailer, which is embedded below.

BioWare's first MMORPG Star Wars The Old Republic turns 5 today. In those 5 years the game has had undergone dramatic changes. Initially launched as a subscription based title, SWTOR sold an astonishing 2 million copies within two weeks and had over 1,700,000 active subscribers in early 2012. Those subscriber numbers quickly plummeted as the game's dearth of end game content became apparent. Less then a year after launch, the game ditched the mandatory subscription and found a new lease on life. Numbers stabilized and SWTOR became a huge money maker for Electronic Arts.

Five expansions later, the game now has a bright future and the developers are eager to help players celebrate the 5th Anniversary with a bundle of rewards:

[singlepic id=64648 w=550 h=338 float=none]

Players need to log in between December 13, 2016 - January 16, 2017 and visit the Anniversary vendor on the Republic or Imperial Fleet to claim their rewards.

The SWTOR team has also put together an infographic highlighting some of the game's achievements over the past 5 years:

• 87 Million Characters Created.
• 1.5 Billion Player-Hours spent in-game.
• 53%/47% Split Between Light and Dark Side Players.
• Over 340 Hours of Voiced Storytelling In-Game

Watch the 5-Year Celebration Trailer below or read the Producer's Letter for more information on the game's exciting journey.

Star Wars: The Old Republic's latest major expansion, Knights of the Eternal Throne, went live yesterday for everyone that maintained an active subscription from October 25th to November 27th. The expansion is free to all subscribers, but the aforementioned users get a 3-day head start on the rest of the playerbase.

The story of Knights of the Eternal Throne is as follows.

As commander of the Alliance, you – known across the galaxy as The Outlander – have fought many battles. But your greatest fight yet lies ahead, as the new Empress of the Eternal Empire musters her vast army for war against you and your allies. Together with your loyal friends, you will risk everything in an all-out battle for the throne, and a chance to rule the galaxy in the name of the Republic or Empire!

Everyone that didn't maintain an active subscription during the required timeframe will be able to play the expansion on December 2nd. New players will even be able to jump straight into the new storyline with a free boost to level 65.

You can read more about Knights of the Eternal Throne on the official website.

Star Wars: The Old Republic's next major expansion, Knights of the Eternal Throne, was formally unveiled today with the release of the "Betrayed" cinematic trailer. The trailer serves as a prequel to the story of the expansion.

Knights of the Eternal Throne is described as follows.

Knights of the Eternal Throne puts the player at the center of their own explosive battle to rule the galaxy. As the Outlander, a veteran of the Great Galactic War, players will have the power to make their mark based on their light and dark side choices. Stakes are high as the player faces the most powerful villains in the galaxy including Emperor Valkorion and Empress Vaylin, as you lead the fight to take control of the Eternal Throne!

Ruling the galaxy offers expanded power and influence through the new Galactic Command system. Alone or with friends, players can ignite light and dark side battles, face all-new erupting confrontations known as Uprisings, and unlock powerful rewards. In the latest expansion, players will be able to customize their combat encounters with three challenge levels, giving everyone the option to play their way.

Pre-order rewards for the expansion have also been announced. If you are subscribed on October 25th, you will receive bounty hunter Shae Vizla as a companion, whereas, if you are subscribed on November 27th, you will receive a Rapid Recon Walker mount. Staying subscribed from October 25th to November 27th will net you 3 days of early access to the expansion.

Knights of the Eternal Throne is scheduled to launch on December 2nd. You can find more information on the official website.

Star Wars: The Old Republic's seventh PvP season is coming to a close, which means that it's time for this season's rewards to be announced. This season, Bioware has several interesting rewards available, including the titles "The Fearless and Inventive" and "Giradda's Kind of Scum," and the Acklay mount seen below. However, to be able to afford either of those, your highest rating for the season has to have been 1625 or higher.

You can find the full set of rewards here.

Bioware announced today that Star Wars: The Old Republic - Knights of the Fallen Empire's Bonus Chapter, Shroud of Memory, is now live. Available now for players that were subscribed from January 11th to August 1st, Shroud of Memory allows you to play as the Assassin Droid HK-55.

Shroud of Memory is described as follows.

Put your head inside the mind of the legendary Star Wars™ Assassin Droid when you play AS HK-55 in a new bonus chapter, Shroud of Memory. On September 7, Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ – Knights of the Fallen Empire gives you a chance to be HK-55 and make a daring escape from the renowned galactic villain known as the Shroud! When HK-55 finds himself a pawn in the Shroud’s nefarious galactic plot, you’ll need to use all of his combat skills and wit to protect the Alliance from utter annihilation! Team up with new Droid Companion -- Z0-0M -- in your mission, and prepare for mayhem, ‘meatbag’-eradication, and lots of laughs!

The rest of the Knights of the Fallen Empire saga is available now for all subscribers. Those that are interested in trying Knights of the Fallen Empire out before they subscribe can play through the first chapter for free.

Star Wars: The Old Republic's epic, story-based content of twists and turns is about to come to an end. The final chapter of Knights of the Fallen Empire, "The Battle of Odessen," will see players face off against Arcann on August 11th. Those who were subscribed to the game before July 1st will be given early access to the chapter on July 9th.

The story of The Battle of Odessen is as follows.

In The Battle of Odessen, Arcann launches a full-scale assault against the Outlander’s base. Still recovering from a shattering betrayal of the now-renegade droid, SCORPIO, the Outlander’s Alliance must rally to defeat Arcann’s forces in a desperate battle to determine the fate of the galaxy.

The events of The battle of Odessen will "[set] the stage" for the upcoming expansion Knights of the Eternal Throne.

Are you ready for the final showdown?