Star Wars: The Old Republic – Rise of the Hutt Cartel

Development and release

Developed by BioWare Austin, the same studio that created the main game, Rise of the Hutt Cartel features the Hutt species as the main antagonists, seeking to become a galactic superpower. Makeb is described as a beautiful world with towering geological formations, ravaged by ecological disaster. Lead writer Hall Hood compared the pack to a huge summer blockbuster, and senior designer Brian Audette stated it would feature the most ruthless enemies players have faced.

Announced on December 18, 2012, the expansion entered public testing on February 20, 2013. Pre-orders before April 13, 2013, included three in-game items. It was released worldwide on April 14, 2013, and later made free to subscribers.

Reception

Critical reception for Rise of the Hutt Cartel was mixed, with a Metacritic score of 71 and a GameRankings score of 71.33%. IGN's Leif Johnson gave a positive review of 7.6 out of 10, praising the storylines and planet but criticizing droid missions and noting the impact of a tightened budget. GameSpot awarded 7.5 out of 10, liking the new romances and stating it may not be a renaissance but offers fresh content.

PC Gamer's Chris Thursten gave 63 out of 100, praising Makeb but calling it too little too late for all but the most dedicated fans. Sophie Prell of The Penny Arcade Report praised the voice-acting and pacing but called it like a map pack and found the same-sex romances shallow and limited. BioWare's handling of same-sex romances drew criticism; Kyle Orland of Ars Technica reported varied reactions, while The Guardian's Mary Hamilton called Makeb a problem from reasonable decisions leading to a weird place.

James Stephanie Sterling of Destructoid called it an inelegant solution. Executive producer Jeff Hickman apologized for the delay in adding same-sex romance. Both Cytharat and Lemda have been noted in retrospect as examples of LGBT representation in Star Wars.