Gaming leaker Kurakasis pulled off what might be the most frustrating tease of The Game Awards 2025 season. After spending days hyping up a major Star Wars announcement and dropping hints that the title would end with “The Old Republic,” the insider dropped a bombshell clarification just one hour before the show started: it’s NOT Knights of the Old Republic. Fans who had spent the entire week speculating about the long-awaited KOTOR remake finally getting a reveal felt absolutely trolled, and the Reddit reactions were not kind.
The Setup That Led to Disappointment
Kurakasis started the hype train rolling on December 3, 2025, by posting that a big Star Wars game announcement was coming very soon. The leaker specifically clarified that it had nothing to do with Star Wars: Zero Company or Eclipse, two previously announced titles still in development. This immediately set the gaming community’s speculation machine into overdrive. What major Star Wars game could be getting revealed that wasn’t already known?
Three days later, Kurakasis dropped the clue that sent everyone into a frenzy: “The title of this game ends with ‘The Old Republic.'” For anyone who knows Star Wars gaming history, there’s one franchise that immediately comes to mind when you hear those words: Knights of the Old Republic. The beloved RPG from 2003 and its 2004 sequel are considered some of the best Star Wars games ever made. A remake has been in troubled development at Saber Interactive since being announced in 2021, and fans have been desperate for updates.
The Gotcha Moment
With just one hour to go before The Game Awards 2025 kicked off, Kurakasis posted another update: “The Old Republic game announcement title is NOT ‘KNIGHTS of the Old Republic.'” The timing couldn’t have been more calculated to generate maximum frustration. Fans had spent an entire week theorizing, getting excited, and preparing themselves for a KOTOR remake reveal, only to have the rug pulled out from under them at the last possible moment.
The Reddit thread exploded with angry reactions. One user wrote: “Teasing that it ends with ‘old republic’ to then say it’s not ‘knights of the old republic’ an hour before the show starts. I’m not sure what level this person operates at, but they definitely belong in the top tier of absolute jerks.” The post received over 300 upvotes, showing just how widespread the frustration was. Another commenter joked about possible alternatives: “Star Wars: The Old Republic is set to make its console debut!” “Star Wars: Republic Racers!” “Total War: The Old Republic!” “Star Wars: Racers of the Old Republic!”
What We Actually Got
When The Game Awards finally aired, the reveal turned out to be Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic. While technically a different title from Knights of the Old Republic, it’s being developed by Casey Hudson, the director of the original KOTOR and the Mass Effect trilogy. The game is described as a single-player narrative action RPG and a spiritual successor to KOTOR, set in the same Old Republic era but telling a completely new story.
The announcement featured a cinematic trailer showing a group of characters landing on a mysterious planet, led by what appears to be a Jedi wielding a blue lightsaber. The production is a collaboration between Hudson’s new studio Arcanaut and Lucasfilm Games. Hudson himself said in statements that the team’s ambitions are just as grand as when they created the original KOTOR 25 years ago, promising a modern interpretation of the quintessential Star Wars RPG experience with player choice and immersion at its core.
Was It Really Trolling?
Some Redditors defended Kurakasis, arguing that it should have been obvious the announcement wouldn’t be about the KOTOR remake. One user pointed out: “We already knew that was in development. Everything showcased at TGA will feature content that is entirely new to us.” Another added that leakers being discreet about a game’s title wouldn’t be necessary if it were simply a new trailer for the KOTOR remake everyone already knows exists.
The counterargument is that Kurakasis’s phrasing was deliberately misleading. Saying a title “ends with The Old Republic” when literally the most famous game with those words in the title is Knights of the Old Republic is setting up fans for disappointment. The leaker could have been more specific from the start, or at least provided the clarification earlier than one hour before the show. The timing felt like intentional drama-stirring for engagement rather than genuinely helpful information.
The KOTOR Remake Situation
Adding salt to the wound is the fact that the Knights of the Old Republic remake is in a precarious state. Originally announced in 2021 as a PlayStation 5 console exclusive being developed by Aspyr Media, the project hit major turbulence in 2022 when Aspyr was reportedly removed from development. Saber Interactive took over in 2023, but the game has been completely silent since then with no trailers, screenshots, or meaningful updates.
Legal documents and testimony from Lucasfilm Games executives have referred to the remake using the codename “Project Juliet,” and as recently as March 2025, reports indicated both a remake and potentially a sequel were in development. However, with years of radio silence and multiple developer changes, fans are understandably anxious about whether the project is even still alive. Any tease involving “The Old Republic” naturally gets KOTOR fans’ hopes up, which is exactly what happened here.
Kurakasis’s Track Record
To be fair to Kurakasis, the leaker does have a solid track record of accurate predictions. They were the first to reveal that Respawn and Bit Reactor’s strategy game would be called Zero Company. They’ve accurately leaked titles for other unreleased games before official reveals. Their information usually pans out, which is why the gaming community pays attention when they post.
But accuracy doesn’t necessarily equal helpfulness or good faith communication. There’s a difference between leaking information to inform fans and leaking information in a way that maximizes drama and engagement. The way this particular leak played out, with the vague initial tease followed by the last-minute clarification, felt more like the latter. Whether intentional or not, it came across as playing with people’s emotions for attention.
FAQs
What did Kurakasis leak about Star Wars?
Kurakasis teased that a major Star Wars game announcement was coming and that the title would end with “The Old Republic.” An hour before The Game Awards 2025, they clarified it was NOT Knights of the Old Republic, frustrating fans who had been speculating all week.
What was the actual Star Wars announcement?
The announcement was Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, a new single-player RPG directed by Casey Hudson, the creator of the original Knights of the Old Republic. It’s a spiritual successor to KOTOR rather than the long-awaited remake.
Is the KOTOR remake still happening?
The Knights of the Old Republic remake is reportedly still in development at Saber Interactive, but it has been silent for years with no trailers or updates since the project was first announced in 2021. Its status remains unclear.
Who is Casey Hudson?
Casey Hudson is a legendary game director who led the original Knights of the Old Republic at BioWare, as well as the Mass Effect trilogy. He’s now heading up Arcanaut Studios and directing Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic.
Why were fans so upset about the clarification?
Fans spent an entire week excited about a potential KOTOR remake reveal based on Kurakasis’s hints. The clarification that it wasn’t KOTOR came just one hour before the show, which felt like deliberate trolling rather than helpful information.
Is Fate of the Old Republic connected to KOTOR?
Fate of the Old Republic is set in the same Old Republic era as KOTOR and is described as a spiritual successor, but it tells a completely new story rather than remaking or continuing the original games’ narrative.
When will Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic release?
No release date or platform information has been announced yet for Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic. Only a cinematic trailer was shown during The Game Awards 2025.
Conclusion
The Kurakasis leak saga perfectly encapsulates the frustrating relationship between gaming insiders and the communities that follow them. On one hand, leakers provide valuable information that generates discussion and builds anticipation. On the other hand, vague teases followed by last-minute clarifications can feel manipulative and designed more for personal engagement than genuine community service. While Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic looks genuinely exciting with Casey Hudson returning to the franchise he helped define, the way the information came out left a sour taste for many fans who were hoping for KOTOR remake news. The lesson here is that if you’re going to leak information, clarity and good timing matter just as much as accuracy. Otherwise, you risk turning excitement into frustration, even when the actual announcement is something people should be happy about.