Same-Gender Love Coming to SW: TOR After Launch

Stephen Reid, BioWare's senior online community manager for Star Wars: The Old Republic, recently stated that "same gender romances with companion characters" will be added after the MMOG launches at the end of the year.

That's a seemingly 180-degree turn after the MMO's producer Cory Butler previously confirmed that the relationships will not be available to players. Even community manager Sean Dahlberg said that the terms "gay" and "lesbian" do not exist in the Star Wars universe. "As I have stated before, these are terms that do not exist in Star Wars. Thread closed," Dahlberg stated.

But according to Reid, same gender romances with companion characters in Star Wars: The Old Republic will be a post-launch feature.

"Due to the design constraints of a fully voiced MMO of this scale and size, many choices had to be made as to the launch and post-launch feature set," he said on the official SW:TOR forum. "Because The Old Republic is an MMO, the game will live on through content expansions which allow us to include content and features that could not be included at launch, including the addition of more companion characters who will have additional romance options."

BioWare is still shooting to get the Star Wars MMO out the door by the end of the year, but there's talk that the game won't be done until early 2012. Electronic Arts CFO Eric Brown made this revelation at this year's Citi Tech Conference, echoing familiar words that PC gamers have grown accustomed to hearing since the early days of id Software's Quake: we're not done until it's done.

"We have a date set internally [for calendar Q4], with a lot of assumptions around it," he said. "We're not done until we're done. … We're not going to know with enough certainty to publicly announce a release date."

  • Goldengoose
    Is it really that big of a request from gamers for same sex relationships? Suppose it shows what type of fans will be playing this game if they have the majority vote ^^
    Reply
  • Thunderfox
    "I see your Schwartz is as big as mine. Now let's see how well you handle it."
    Reply
  • amk-aka-Phantom
    Even community manager Sean Dahlberg said that the terms "gay" and "lesbian" do not exist in the Star Wars universe. "As I have stated before, these are terms that do not exist in Star Wars. Thread closed," Dahlberg stated.

    They don't, but only because there ARE no gay/lesbian payrings in any existing Star Wars movies/games/books/comics. Not because it's accepted or anything.

    Okay... take a deep breath... I don't care about MMOs... just keep it out of Mass Effect 3, BioWare.
    Reply
  • alidan
    looks like yet another game where i will be playing female.

    honestly, same sex relationships are so much more interesting than opposite ones, but thats probably because im so SICK of the drama that opposite sex one have that is easily resolved with very little thought... at least in fiction, at least same sexed ones the drama doens't always have that easily solvable solution.
    Reply
  • SoiledBottom
    I can see it now

    George Lucas's next digital remix of Star Wars

    Bar scence....female patrons wearing flannel shirts with sleve's cut off and wallets with chains on them and male patrons dressed as assorted village people
    Reply
  • SoiledBottom
    Part 2

    Luke and OBI get there ship with no trouble and everyone has a fabulous time
    Reply
  • Jazzmain
    Since Star Wars is somewhat based off an Roman society architecture I'm pretty sure that same sex was going on then
    Reply
  • stingstang
    GoldenGooseIs it really that big of a request from gamers for same sex relationships? Suppose it shows what type of fans will be playing this game if they have the majority vote ^^It's not about who's playing the game. It's not even about playing the game as a homosexual character. It's about the OPTION to do so. It's about the variety of different gameplay. It's evolution, that thing Christian's don't like.
    Reply
  • back_by_demand
    I suppose it had to happen eventually, even though it's nothing new, I remember a lesbian kiss in Enter The Matrix and even trying it on with same-sex neighbours in The Sims.

    And to all those who are freaking out about this, also realise that these are not real people, and even if they were they are also ALIENS.
    Reply
  • killerclick
    I will never play this game. Not because of homo stuff but because I don't play MMOs. I want another KOTOR, single player, with actual voice acting, story and content.
    Reply