Xbox has added achievements to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel, 23 years after the 2003 original.
Xbox added the achievements to both games on 12 November 2026, and in some cases they unlock for progress you’ve already made. Jason Ronald, Xbox’s VP of Next Generation, announced it in an Xbox Wire post celebrating 25 years of Xbox.
For the first time ever, players can now earn achievements in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords, BLiNX: The Time Sweeper, and Conker: Live and Reloaded.
Jason Ronald, VP Next Generation, Xbox
Where the achievements work
The achievements work on Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles once you install the latest system update. Xbox Wire says that “in some cases, achievements may unlock based on progress you’ve already made”. Xbox also says it worked with each game’s developers and publishers so the achievements “fit the spirit of each title”.
They also apply on PC. Both KOTOR games are among 21 original Xbox games added to PC through Xbox backward compatibility on the same day, bringing that library to 25 games. Playing them that way requires Windows 11, is available only in select markets, and may require a game purchase or Game Pass subscription.
KOTOR first came to PC after its Xbox launch. None of the sources says the Nintendo Switch version gets anything, and Xbox hasn’t said whether achievements apply on original Xbox hardware.
Xbox hasn’t announced any gameplay, performance, or content changes for either game. Its note about improved performance and stability covers the four original Xbox games that came to PC in July, and KOTOR isn’t among them.
An awkward few weeks for BioWare
The timing stands out. According to Game Informer, EA confirmed in October that it’s closing BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and KOTOR. The closure is part of EA cutting roughly 400 jobs (about 3% of staff).
We’ve made the decision not to move forward with this development, which means we’re closing the studio and our Edmonton workspace.
EA, in a letter quoted by Game Informer
The achievements didn’t come from BioWare, or from Obsidian Entertainment, which made KOTOR II, but from Xbox, according to ComicBook.com. KOTOR’s director, Casey Hudson, now leads Arcanaut Studios, where he’s working on Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, according to Space.com.
Star Wars fans have a bigger anniversary on the way, with a yearlong Star Wars 50th celebration that will see the original film return to cinemas on 19 February 2027. Xbox doesn’t tie the achievements to it, though; it frames them around its own 25th birthday.
How KOTOR has aged
BioWare released KOTOR in 2003 with help from LucasArts. Casey Hudson directed it, Drew Karpyshyn wrote it, and James Ohlen designed it. It scored 94 on Metacritic, according to ComicBook.com. A year later, Obsidian took over for The Sith Lords, which scored 86. The original reached another console only in 2021, when it launched on Nintendo Switch.
ComicBook.com’s verdict is that the graphics and gameplay haven’t aged well, but the writing, story, characters, and quests have. For anyone who’s been looking for an excuse to replay either game, a fresh list of achievements is a reasonable one.
