There’s a new job posting up on the Lucasfilm careers website for a gameplay engineer position at LucasArts which mentions that “experience with open-world RPGs is a plus” and requires applicants to have at least one console title under their belts. It’s far from confirmation of such a game being in development, and it could just the company filling in a role for Star Wars: The Old Republic, though the core of that MMO’s ongoing development is being handled by BioWare.
An open-world Star Wars RPG risks diluting some of what SW:TOR is going for, but it would certainly be welcomed by fans. BioWare’s Knights of the Old Republic and it’s Obsidian Entertainment-developed follow-up remain two of the most popular games of the last console generation, and the franchise as a whole continues to be successful. This could also be a sign that the studio is working on a console port of Old Republic, given the evidence.
Of course, LucasArts doesn’t necessarily mean Star Wars. In addition to other Lucasfilm franchises like Indiana Jones and (dare I say it?) Willow, there’s also a deep catalog of past games to draw from. Not to mention the possibility that this position connects with some entirely new project. All we’ve got to go on now is that the company is looking for someone with console experience and preferably a background in crafting open-world RPGs.