Aspyr Media, the publisher of the highly anticipated Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II (KOTOR 2) for Nintendo Switch, has previously come under fire for canceling its promised Restored Content DLC. Now, Aspyr's CEO has come forward to shed some light on the situation, citing that a "third party" was behind the cancellation of the DLC.
Initially, Aspyr had raised expectations by announcing the DLC in the game's trailer, promising its release in the third quarter of 2022. However, the release window came and went. In June 2023, Aspyr declared the DLC's cancellation, offering download codes for one of seven other games, including KOTOR 2 on Steam, as a form of compensation.
Since then, this decision has sparked a class-action lawsuit. Malachi Mickelonis, representing himself and others similarly affected, filed against Aspyr in July 2023, alleging deceptive advertising on behalf of the publisher. In the lawsuit, Mickelonis expressed his sense of deception and frustration at the unreleased KOTOR 2 DLC, on behalf of himself and other disappointed fans.
Moreover, Mickelonis sets out his claim that he and like-minded gamers were waiting for the release of the Restored Content DLC before playing the base game, to have a more complete experience of the game. Instead, the promised DLC was never released. The lawsuit is calling for a trial by jury and seeking various forms of relief, including attorney fees and disgorgement; a legal term for the forced giving up of profits obtained by illegal or unethical acts.
Aspyr's co-CEO Ted Saloch has since broken the silence on the issue. In a court filing, Saloch states that the company had intended to release the KOTOR 2 DLC but was thwarted by objections from a third party, leaving Aspyr "unable to do so". Currently, the studio is seeking for the lawsuit from Mickelonis to be thrown out, with a hearing scheduled for the end of November.
Throughout this endeavour, KOTOR fans have been repeatedly frustrated by the lack of transparency from Aspyr on the status of the Restored Content DLC. Now, the revelation of the cause behind the DLC's cancellation provides more questions than answers, with questions being raised regarding why Aspyr opted not to disclose this information when the DLC was canceled.