A convenient snippet of the E3 demo that was reserved entirely for The Old Republic, right here for everyone. Promises include a new HK Assassin droid, an increase to the level cap, a new PVP warzone, the Cathar as a playable race (most famous for Juhani from the first KOTOR game), and a new planet, Makeb. The video's right here for full details.

Like a relentless machine, BioWare continues to roll out updates for Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR). From Rise of the Rakghouls to the new Legacy system, the development team has focused on delivering new content alongside a range of quality of life improvements demanded by the fans. With their next update on the horizon, the team shows no signs of slowing down.

Game Update 1.3 - Allies - introduces a strong blend of tools intended to make forming groups much easier, along with even more ways to customize how we play. Currently undergoing internal testing, the update should be available on the public test server soon and live later this summer.

As well as a great video from James Ohlen, we were able to catch a presentation on the update, at London’s recent Comic Con, by technical design director Emmanuel Lusinchi. We also had the opportunity to put some questions to lead designer Daniel Erickson, asking for his thoughts about previous SWTOR game updates and what fans can look forward to beyond the upcoming patch.

MMOs, people are finding out with the Project Copernicus debacle, are difficult to make and manage. Bioware has spoken in an interview with PC Gamer about the creation of the Old Republic, as well as the recent layoffs. 

"The MMO is the toughest part of the game industry without a doubt, and we live in tough economic times in general. [...] We have a large development team still, definitely one of the biggest in the industry, and we have a very complete and detailed plan for the rest of the year." 

You've already heard about the 1.3 patch's huge changes in the video a few days ago. But if you wanted more, PC Gamer has an interview. They ask a lot more specific questions about the PVP instances, the groupfinder, and the Legacy perks, and if you need to know more, it's definitely worth reading. 

It's unfortunate, but not entirely surprising after SWTOR's drop in subscribers and EA's subsequent 'reassessment' of the studio - Bioware confirms they have laid off an unspecified number of employees. Much like 38 Studios, we hope only for the best of the now ex-employees and hope that their termination went slightly better than it did in the picture above.

The new patch preview for Star Wars: The Old Republic is live. The important elements- this patch is putting in a group finder, making it easier to find allies to group with (hence the name), but no, they will not be cross-server. Legacy system is also getting updated, adding new mounts, experience modifiers for PVP, and the like. Social gear will also fit the armor type of whatever class is using it, which means you can look how you want to look. Lastly, server transfers are coming, and a new Augment system is being added to crafted gear. The video has the full breakdown!

Bioware really wants you to play The Old Republic, so they've put out yet another free weekend pass, in case you and a few buddies haven't bought Diablo III and want to mess around. As usual, it only applies to new accounts, so you can't use your last character again, and it runs out late Monday night.

It's time to talk Star Wars with Bioware. The bi-weekly Q+A's second session starts up, including guild capacity caps, the Alacrity stat, and issues with Huttball. There's some spoilery stuff in there, though, hidden behind a log-in, that talks about storyline stuff with the Sith Warrior. 

Lots of cool stuff today for Star Wars fans like you and me, celebrated by both The Old Republic and Clone Wars Adventures! In Clone Wars Adventures, you've got a limited time to snag a free pile of boost points, a highly rare double-bladed lightsaber, and a discount on a Jedi Membership. And if you haven't already picked up The Old Republic, now's a good time, as it's on sale. The standard game comes at 35$, and the Digital Deluxe is slashed from 80$ to 45$. Both of these offers end May 6th!

Talk of SWTOR in decline has been circulating for a while now, and Bioware has dismissed the claims. But now, talking to Lead Designer Daniel Erickson, they say that instead of declining, population is increasing. "We've seen a huge increase in activity with 1.2 as people return to see all of the new content," he says. The Rakghoul outbreak, PVP and PVE, and all of the new planned content is on the table behind the link.