Star Wars: Masters Of The Force Officially Announced

Published Aug 14, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT Known as 'Cyberpunk 2077's' biggest fan, Angharad is a Welsh games writer who thrives in anything related to digital storytelling. If a video game explores the intricacies and horrors of womanhood, she is there. Thanks to previous work at GAMINGbible, GameByte, The Loadout, Game Luster, Angharad has built a strong understanding of both the digital world and what fans want from it and is eager to share her thoughts and expertise with readers. First released back in 2011, Star Wars: The Old Republic is an MMORPG which, as you can probably guess, takes place across the Star Wars universe after the establishment of a peace treaty between the re-emergent Sith Empire and the Galactic Empire. Developed by BioWare, it is known as one of the most expensive video games ever made, and thanks to it welcoming one million subscribers in just its first three days, it is also considered the fastest growing MMO of all time. However, in recent years, Star Wars: The Old Republic has taken a bit of a backseat as other MMORPGs burst onto the scene. Not only that, but with titles such as the Star Wars Jedi series and more recently, Star Wars Outlaws, also acting as competitors in the Star Wars video game market, it is no wonder that subscribers started to fall off for SWTOR. That being said, it seems as though Star Wars: The Old Republic is not going down without a fight as fans can expect Game Update 8.0 titled “Masters of the Force” to come alongside heaps of brand-new content and features. The upcoming update was first revealed last year, but now, the developers have finally shed light on what we can expect from the major release. "Since we first revealed Game Update 8.0 last year, the team has been hard at work bringing the future of Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ to life," the official blog post reads. "We’ve shared a look at many of the features and updates, but one major detail has remained hidden until now: the name of this next Era." Masters of the Force is set to launch alongside the Galaxy in Chaos storyline, featuring "the world of Ryloth, new overworld Difficulty Modes, challenging Ventures, a new 3 Boss Operation, an increased level cap, new abilities, gearing updates, quality-of-life improvements, and more." On top of that, Star Wars: The Old Republic 8.0 will also arrive alongside a myriad of brand-new features aimed at appealing to both old and new subscribers. This includes: Level cap increase to 85 New abilities across all Disciplines Combat balance updates Improved leveling experience New gearing system Quality-of-life updates As you can imagine, this is an exciting time for Star Wars: The Old Republic fans, especially those who have been avid players of the MMORPG since its launch back in 2011. As such, fans took to The Old Republic Twitter/X account to share their thoughts on Game Update 8.0. "SWTOR has survived more supposed “deaths” than Emperor Palpatine," one comment read. "Game Update 8.0 looks like another strong chapter for this legendary MMO." Another agreed, adding, "This is the biggest update I have seen in a long time! Back to SWTOR's strong points. Well done." However, with Star Wars: The Old Republic still not being accessible on consoles, it seems as though this was the update that many potential fans were looking for. Who knows? Maybe the success of Game Update 8.0 will finally convince BioWare to make that long-awaited port. Systems Released December 20, 2011 ESRB T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Sexual Themes, Violence Developer(s) BioWare Publisher(s) Electronic Arts Engine HeroEngine Multiplayer Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer, Local Co-Op Franchise Star Wars