The Epic Saga of a Missing DLC: A Star Wars Story
Once upon a time in a galaxy not so far away—where excitement mingled with a sprinkle of absurdity—the ‘Restored Content DLC’ for the Switch version of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 (or KOTOR 2 for brevity and to avoid any potential tangles with complex names) met its untimely demise. Disney’s legal eagles, armed with pens instead of lightsabers, deemed it unworthy of the galaxy’s approval, and now documents tell the tale.
A Brief History of the Galactic Rescue Mission
In an exhilarating twist, a group of dedicated modders came together to create the Restored Content mod. This mod was like a Jedi who stepped in to save the day by adding chunks of unfinished content that had previously been swept under the rug due to time constraints. Yes, they even threw in an alternate ending—because who doesn’t love a surprise ending like “It was all a dream!”?
Back in 2022, when hope was still alive, the anticipation was palpable. The trailer for the KOTOR 2 Switch port tantalized fans by promising the Restored Content DLC “coming soon.” But as spiel films often go, things went from “soonish” to “Oh no, not this again!” faster than a TIE fighter in a chase.
The Great Legal Showdown
Fast forward to June 2023, when Aspyr dropped the bombshell that plans for the DLC were scrapped. Co-CEO Ted Saloch, probably weighing his choices like a Jedi in a dark cave, announced, “Aspyr believed it would be able to release the content, but a third party objected and Aspyr was unable to do so.” Translation: Something between a long email chain, legal mumbo jumbo, and a “Not today!” from Disney happened.
The Aftermath: Fan Fury and Legal Wrangling
In a plot twist worthy of the most dramatic Jedi saga, players decided to unleash their fury. Lawsuits were filed, claiming false advertising; drama ensued. Game File step-stoned through this debacle with emails, Slack chats, and even a few internal conversations that smelled more like a Galactic Council meeting gone awry than a game development discussion.
The tale cuts to March 2022, where Aspyr resurrected the idea of pushing the Restored Content again while working on the Switch version. In a glimmer of hope, a Disney official kindly mentioned they were “comfortable with working with folks in the modding community.” This could’ve been easier if they’d just signaled with a glow stick instead of sending emails. Naturally, the modding team thought, “Great, let’s seal the deal!” One modder named Zbyl stepped up to play hero and agreed to endorse the paperwork—because who doesn’t want their name in the credits, right?
The Plot Thickens
However, the plot took a dark turn when 20 mins after the launch of KOTOR II, Disney decided to reap their legal whirlwind, demanding changes to the credits to ditch the gamer aliases and issue a call on the voice actors working in non-union gigs—likely seeing their assembly of modders and thinking, “Oh, this is about to get complicated.” Good luck correlating a group of 22 individuals, from voice actors to bug fixers, with real names!
As Zbyl valiantly attempted to gather signatures, Disney, like a tenacious Sith, thrust new blockers into the mix. The email from Lucasfilm read like a scene out of a courtroom drama: they couldn’t approve the DLC until their complex ‘Credit List’ was satisfied. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.
The End—or is it?
Ultimately, despite valiant efforts, the Restored Content DLC was relegated to the annals of gaming history, much like a forgotten Star Wars spin-off. As reported by Game File, the legal saga wrapped up just weeks before a jury trial, quietly settling down like a peaceful Yoda, leaving all to ponder the weighty question: What truly makes a game ‘complete’?
As the Force would have it, perhaps this cautionary tale serves not just as a reminder of legal entanglements but also as a testament to gamers’ eternal quest for completion. May the next DLC venture into smoother waters! Or at least join the KOTOR universe devoid of courtroom drama.
