New Star Wars The Old Republic update reinvigorates the classic MMORPG's planets

Back before FF14 won my heart, it was Star Wars: The Old Republic, not World of Warcraft, that first sold me on the idea of MMORPGs. I already had a lot of love for the galaxy far, far away, and while it's not explicitly Knights of The Old Republic 3, SWTOR does have the storytelling chops to follow in the footsteps of the iconic Bioware and Obsidian RPGs. Add in the ability to experience those tales in co-op with your friends, and its availability as a free Steam game, and it's certainly worth trying. To give you one more reason, it's just had a fresh injection of life.

Star Wars: The Old Republic update 7.7 has just landed, and its headline feature is an expansion of the dynamic encounters system first introduced with patch 7.6. Somewhat akin to the likes of WoW's World Events and FF14's Fates, these missions are designed to make the various planets spread across the MMORPG's galaxy feel alive, ensuring that there's always things to do no matter when you visit. Following their initial testing on Hoth and Tatooine, they're now being expanded to seven more worlds.

With the launch of the Dynamic Worlds update, you'll now see such encounters springing up across Tython, Korriban, Hutta, Ord Mantell, Coruscant, Dromund Kaas, and Ilum. If that tempts you to return to the free Steam game – or begin your adventure for the first time – the new Eras Window is an ideal addition. This feature presents an easy way to check back in on your full progression so far, including summaries, cinematics, and visual guides covering all parts of the main storyline as well as what lies ahead.

The update also features the release of a new max-difficulty 'master mode' for the Relentless Replication raid, putting you up against the ultimate version of the Propagator Core XR-53. Manage to overcome it and you'll claim new achievements and rewards, including legendary augments and the Replication Throne mount. Beyond that are additional customization options for several playable species, improvements to the world map, the introduction of a galaxy map button in the mission log, and two Cartel Market armors inspired by Disney+ smash hit Andor.

Star Wars The Old Republic update 7.7 is out now. You can play for free on Steam. Read through the full patch notes courtesy of Broadsword and EA to catch all the individual changes.

Alternatively, if Andor has you craving some galactic action, try another of the best Star Wars games on PC, or perhaps seek out the best co-op games in 2025.

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