Star Wars Fans Launch Class Action Lawsuit Over Cancelled KOTOR 2 DLC
Aspyr and Saber Interactive face a class action lawsuit after the restored content mod for KOTOR 2 on Switch was cancelled.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 - The Sith Lords was
ported to Switch last year, breathing new life into the often-overlooked sequel. Better yet, the announcement trailer stated that the Restored Content Mod would be available as DLC, which as many fans will tell you, is the best way to experience the classic RPG. However, amid trouble behind the scenes,
the DLC was later cancelled, leaving KOTOR 2 just as unfinished as it is on other platforms.
Now, fans are mobilising, launching a class action lawsuit against developer Aspyr Media and publisher Saber Interactive. The suit is said to involve multiple fans who purchased KOTOR 2 on Switch, arguing that they would not have done so if not for the promised DLC. The suit argues that Aspyr and Saber are legally obligated to provide refunds, as some buyers say they never even played the game because they were waiting for the restored content.
The case,
Malachi Mickelonis v. Aspyr Media, Inc. et al, can be viewed online, showing that it was filed in July of this year. The fans and their lawyer, Ray Kim, demand a jury trial, and the defendants have until October 4 to respond.
"In 2022, Defendants [Aspyr and Saber] advertised KOTOR to users of the video console Nintendo Switch as having never-before released 'Restored Content DLC,'" reads the lawsuit. "Plaintiff and numerous other consumers were excited about the new content that Defendants claimed was 'coming soon.' In fact, KOTOR sat at the top of Nintendo’s e-Shop rankings."
But of course, the DLC was later cancelled on June 2, a few days after
we reported that all references to the restored content had been quietly removed from the announcement trailer.
"Plaintiff felt completely duped," the lawsuit continues. "In fact, Plaintiff did not even play KOTOR after purchasing it, instead choosing to wait until the Restored Content DLC was released."
This isn't too hard to believe. The general consensus in the fanbase is that you should only play with the restored content mod installed, even if it's your first playthrough. Far from being material that the original developer,
Obsidian, felt didn't fit the game, much of it was only removed due to time constraints.
Still, there are a few things getting in the way of the plaintiffs being successful here. For starters, games and in-game content are often cancelled - an unfortunate reality of the industry. Furthermore, even if refunds weren't granted, Aspyr did offer affected fans a copy of KOTOR 2 on Steam - where the mod can be played for free - or another Star Wars game altogether. It remains to be seen if these fans can argue that this didn't go far enough, and that an exception to the usual refund procedures should have been granted.