Prior to the events of the game, the first ancient Sith Empire returned after the galaxy had believed them to be extinct for over a thousand years. The game is set during a previously unexplored era in Star Wars canon, several centuries after the end of Knights of the Old Republic.

It has since become free to play, though accessing some areas of the game still requires a paid subscription. The game, which was first announced in late 2008, was released on Decemas a subscription-based model. The game is a sequel to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. Star Wars: The Old Republic, often referred to as The Old Republic, SWTOR, and TOR, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) produced by Electronic Arts' BioWare division.