BioWare recommits to Star Wars: The Old Republic in addition to Dragon Age 4 and Mass Effect 5

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The MMO lives on as its creative director departs

Star Wars: The Old Republic
(Image credit: BioWare/Electronic Arts)

BioWare has reaffirmed its commitment to Star Wars: The Old Republic while development on Dragon Age 4 and Mass Effect 5 rumbles on.

Yesterday on July 18, a BioWare blog post announced that Charles Boyd, a 16-year BioWare veteran and creative director on Star Wars: The Old Republic, would be departing the studio. The blog post makes no mention of who Boyd's replacement will be, but emphasizes that development on the MMO will continue without its leader.

"It's always sad to see someone you appreciate go, but I wish Charles all the best in his next adventure," writes Gary McKay, BioWare general manager. "He leaves SWTOR in excellent hands with an incredible team that will carry forward our vision for the game. We are committed to SWTOR’s future as we continue to work on the next Dragon Age and Mass Effect."

As for Boyd himself, the veteran creative pens a farewell note thanking players for taking part in Star Wars: The Old Republic, and hypes up "exciting things in the works" for the MMO. There's also the promise of new "storylines and planets and gameplay and characters" for the ongoing game, which celebrated its tenth anniversary earlier this year.

It's easy to see why BioWare is keen to reaffirm its commitment to Star Wars: The Old Republic in the wake of Boyd's departure. With Dragon Age 4 in active development and Mass Effect 5 being on the way, it'd be easy to assume BioWare would be shifting resources off the MMO with these two high profile projects on the go. It's no doubt a relief for millions of players around the world that BioWare is persevering with its hit Star Wars game.

Last we heard, Dragon Age 4 was in the "middle of production" as of earlier this year in February 2022. 

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer
Freelance Writer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.