Update - September 29
Earlier today it was reported that Sony had hidden the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake trailer from its YouTube channel and removed the original announcements that were made on Twitter during the 2021 PlayStation Showcase, leading some to believe that the game had been canceled.
Now, Sony has provided some clarification on the reason for the decision in a statement to Kotaku, confirming the teaser trailer was removed due to an expired music license.
"As part of normal business, we delist assets with licensed music when the licenses expire,” the statement reads.
The only music featured in the announcement trailer for KOTOR Remake was the Star Wars theme song, so it appears the removal was down to copyright issues with Disney.
It's unclear at this time when the trailer could be reinstated on the channel, and as of writing, there's no official word from Aspyr or Embracer Group if the game is still in active development.
Original story
Sony has hidden the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake trailer and deleted the game's initial announcements posts online.
On September 28, speculation that the highly anticipated KOTOR Remake had been canceled kicked off after a post on the Gaming Leaks and Rumours subreddit reported that the 2021 PlayStation Showcase reveal trailer that was published to the official Playstation Youtube channel had been delisted (via Kotaku).
If you now try to search for the trailer on the platform, you'll not find any sort of official video from Sony, only reuploads from other fan and media channels.
But that's not all. Twitter user Crusader3456 later shared a thread showing that Sony has also gone ahead a deleted the original announcement tweet that was posted during the 2021 PlayStation Showcase. Using the Wayback Machine will show you the now-deleted tweet.
The only official mention of the Star Wars game is now featured only in a tweet from the PlayStation account, which lists several announcements from the event. Otherwise, Sony seems to have scrubbed any mention of the Remake from the internet.
Although an official cancelation has not been announced by Aspyr and Sony, it hasn't stopped fans from wondering if this means the end for the KOTOR Remake.
The game was originally announced as a PS5 exclusive and is being developed by Aspyr under parent company Embracer Group after the latter acquired the studio in 2021. However, it's also expected to be released on Xbox Series X|S at some point in the future, so perhaps the game is still alive in some aspect.
Back in May, Embracer Group revealed its quarterly report for Q4 (FY 2022-2023), which listed every game in active development. KOTOR Remake was listed, meaning that the game was still being worked on, but there hasn't been any update since.
Recent reports show that Embracer is making cuts across its many studios by shutting down Saints Row developer Volition and putting others up for sale - including Gearbox Entertainment, the developer of the Borderlands franchise. The decision comes after a reportedly rough year for the holding company, after "a "groundbreaking strategic partnership" worth $2 billion fell through at the last minute (via PC Gamer).
The sudden removal of any mention of the KOTOR Remake could mean that Embracer is making further cuts by canceling the game. Neither the publisher, Sony, nor Aspyr have commented on the rumors right now.
For more, check out our list of the best Star Wars games, as well as our guide to every upcoming game releasing this year.
