Star Wars: The Old Republic gets long awaited patch 7.1 update

The Team at BioWare has finally launched patch 7.1, entitled “Digging Deeper” for their MMO in a galaxy far, far away.

Over the last year we’ve seen just how stretched thin this team has become. Originally the Legacy of the Sith, a new expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic, was delayed from its 14th December 2021 release and pushed to 15th February 2022. While such delays can happen it was then further announced that the expansion would launch without various features. The “weapons in outfitter” feature being one of these launch day casualties. As it was one of the most requested features to be added to the game for many years, fans did not take the delays lightly. It allows the player to imprint the appearance of a weapon onto a current weapon of the same category. The “weapons in outfitter” feature managed to get added into SWTOR during patch 7.0.2 which went live in late April, two months after the new expansion launched.

7.1 brings with it something endgame players are always lacking in SWTOR. A new operation (raid) to overcome. “Digging Deeper” introduces the R-4 Anomaly, originally this operation was supposed to launch not long after the expansion but then was delayed until an unknown date. Sadly this new piece of content is only available for eight player groups and not the preferred 16 that larger guilds have come to enjoy. In the R-4 Anomaly, players will go toe to toe with a Sith cult intent on salvaging materials from an ancient weapon of devastating destruction. Expect to have four big bad bosses to deal with, as you work to end their plans.

A long time fan favourite, the water planet of Manaan also receives some new content in the form of a daily quest area. Manaan featured heavily during the new story arc that Legacy of the Sith brought to the game when it launched in February. As with other dailies in SWTOR, players will have several rewards waiting for them locked away behind reputation ranks. Completing the daily and weekly missions for the faction improves your status; and gets you a little closer each week to the reward you may be after.

For the past few years SWTOR has taken an interesting approach when it comes to the games on-going story. Due to the nature of the game, small bits of story content are dropped at various intervals. Though sometimes there is far too long a gap to keep you interested. Update 7.1 brings with it some new story as well. You can expect more information about Darth Malgus to be revealed and even some backstory for the Jedi padawan Sa’har Kateen.

Game changes; 7.1 brings with it some additions to the UI (user-interface) options. Notably the ability to customise subtitles as well as a new icon colour selection wheel for the players combat styles. Several small tweaks to the character window have also been made. Along with UI changes the developers have implemented some class balance changes. A full readout of nerfs and buffs can be found here.

If you are an active player in the Star Wars: The Old Republic community, or perhaps considering returning. Then head on over to the SWTOR website and redeem the code “LOTSMALGUS” to get your hands on a new Darth Malgus banner decoration for your stronghold. The offer ends 8th August 2022.