Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

To finance my ‘Vette: BioWare details pricing on Star Wars: The Old Republic’s first ‘Digital Expansion’

Earnest Cavalli
By
Star Wars: The Old Republic -- Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This morning the official website for BioWare’s massively multiplayer roleplaying game Star Wars: The Old Republic was updated to spotlight the upcoming Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion. The site breathlessly describes it as the game’s first “Digital Expansion” and is quick to point out the list of new features players can look forward to: the level cap of the game will be raised from 50 to 55, a new storyline heavily focused on the criminal machinations of the globular Hutt race is introduced, and both Rebel and Imperial players will soon find themselves battling over whatever dark secret is hidden on Makeb, a new planet introduced by this expansion.

That’s all very nice, but how much is this whole thing going to cost you? According to Star Wars: The Old Republic producer EA, though the Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion is to be normally priced at $20, those who continue to pay subscription fees for the now free-to-play MMO will be eligible to purchase the expansion for a mere $10. Further, anyone who pre-orders the expansion will receive a handful of exclusive bonuses and in-game items. To wit:

Recommended Videos

All players that pre-order Rise of the Hutt Cartel will receive an exclusive Title, Holostatue, and Mini-Pet when the Digital Expansion launches.

  • The Dr. Oggurobb Hutt Holostatue: Train under the illustrious Hutt scientist Dr. Oggurobb with this portable training device that he created in his own image.
  • “Scourge of the Hutts” Title: Republic and Imperial forces that adorn this title will be feared and revered across the galaxy.
  • The Makrin Seedling Mini-Pet: Get your very own Makrin Creeper to follow you around and “creep” out your enemies! Possessing bark-like skin and grass-like nerve-rich tissues that blend in perfectly with Makeb’s environment, the Makrin Creeper has a distinguishing and eerie look!
Whether these items convince you to pre-order the expansion or not is a matter of personal taste, but we will point out that many free-to-play MMOs in the past have eventually added their otherwise for-pay expansions to the content pool of the original game, thus negating any purchase price players may have once been asked to pay. We don’t know that Star Wars: The Old Republic will eventually go this route, nor much else about EA’s future plans for the game, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re having trouble deciding between pre-ordering the Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion and feeding yourself this week.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Earnest Cavalli
Earnest Cavalli
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Earnest Cavalli has been writing about games, tech and digital culture since 2005 for outlets including Wired, Joystiq…
What’s free on the Epic Games Store right now?
Robots attacking in Industria.

Checking in on the Epic Games Store is one of the easiest ways to grow your gaming library. Epic gives out a free game or two every week, ranging from darling indies to AAA titles. All you have to do is jump on the Epic Games Store to claim the free games and they'll be added to your library to keep forever.

Keeping track of all the free titles and gaming deals can be a pain, so we're monitoring the Epic Games Store for you. We'll update this article every time a new game is made available!
What's free on the Epic Games Store right now?
These games can be picked up on the Epic Games store right now for free. Scroll down to the Free Games section of the app's Discover tab or find the individual title using the search bar. Just find and select the Get button to claim your free game. You do not have to download or install it right away.

Read more
Is Fallout 76 cross-platform?
fallout 76 nuclear winter cancelled cancel

We've all loved exploring the different regions of the wasteland in the Fallout series alone, but it wasn't until Fallout 76 that we had the chance to do so with friends. While it wasn't quite what people were hoping for at launch, years of support have made this an excellent world to explore and go on quests with friends in. While most games released in recent years support cross-platform play between consoles, Fallout 76 came out before that was the standard. If you've got a group of friends playing on different systems, will you still be able to enjoy the sights and sounds of the wasteland together? Here's what you need to know.
Is Fallout 76 cross-platform?
Fallout 76 does not support full cross-platform support. The only two platforms that can play on the same servers are Xbox and PC, but only in the case where PC players are accessing the game through Game Pass. If you are on a PlayStation console or bought the game on Steam, you will only be able to play with others on those respective platforms.

Considering how many years it's been since Fallout 76 launched, it is unlikely that cross-platform support will be added at this point. Should we be proven wrong, we will update this guide to reflect that.

Read more
Sea of Thieves beginner’s guide: 16 tips for new pirates
sea of thieves how to play solo sanctuaryoutpost 2

Cooperative piracy simulator Sea of Thieves is a game that drops players right off the plank and into the deep end of the ocean as soon as they start it up. You're left to figure out how to do almost everything alone or with a crew of friends. All of it is picked up through experience as you play, which is part of what makes Sea of Thieves interesting. There are tons of little nuances and best practices, however, that you need to become an effective pirate.

If you want to win sea battles, escape plunderers, gather treasure, and generally be the best pirate on the Sea of Thieves, there is a lot to learn. Luckily, these tips will make you an effective sailor, a deft brawler, and a smart privateer when you join up with a crew. Going it alone has its perks as well, so check out our tips for your lone pirate voyages.
Start with the tutorial mission

Read more