Star Wars: The Old Republic team will ‘carry forward’ on development following creative director’s departure

Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) is BioWare’s MMORPG set in the galaxy far, far away. The Western RPG studio has been supporting the game for over 10 years now, with the most recent expansion being Legacy of the Sith back in February. Now, BioWare has announced the departure of the SWTOR creative director, Charles Boyd, as well as its plans for the future of the game.

The BioWare blog takes the time to talk about Boyd and his 16-year run at the studio. Gary McKay, general manager at BioWare, said: “It’s always sad to see someone you appreciate go, but I wish Charles all the best in his next adventure. 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.”

BioWare does not specifically name a new creative director, but it talks about members of the design leadership team for SWTOR. Eric Musco will continue to support SWTOR as its Lead Producer, and he has an impressive 10+ year history at the studio. Ashley Ruhl, the narrative director, will oversee the storytelling of the game going forward, alongside lead writer, Caitlin Sullivan Kelly. Alan Copland will continue to work as the UX director, while George Smith oversees the SWTOR gameplay team as gameplay design director.

The galaxy must move forward

Some SWTOR fans may be concerned about the loss of its creative director, but there is already more content coming in the immediate future. BioWare confirms in the blog that a content update, Game Update 7.1, will be released on August 2. This new update will include bug fixes and new content, such as daily mission arcs for Imperial and Republic players on planet Manaan.

A difficult new Operation will be available for players to tackle as teams of eight, and there will be improvements to the Weapons in Outfitter system. Finally, the update will include some key story revelations regarding the Sith lord whose relics are being hunted by Darth Malgus.