The Old Republic is getting a PvP space combat expansion

BioWare is set to add player versus player space battles in an upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic expansion pack. Supporting 12v12 combat, the Galactic Starfighter add-on promises to offer a “variety of unique starships, a wide set of customisation and upgrade options, multiple battle zones and gameplay modes”.

Active The Old Republic subscribers will be offered early access to the expansion starting on December 3, with preferred status players joining on January 14, 2014. Galactic Starfighter will launch as a free expansion for all players on February 4. Active subscribers as of November 1 will receive an exclusive Galactic Starfighter early Gunship unlock and custom Gunship paint jobs.

BioWare Austin general manager Jeff Hickman said: "Our goal with Star Wars: The Old Republic has always been to immerse players into their own Star Wars adventure and huge space battles are a vital part of fulfilling that fantasy. Galactic Starfighter will be a deep experience that will continue to grow over time. We can't wait for both our current and new players to get their hands on it soon."

In April, we named Star Wars: The Old Republic one of the 31 best free games to play.