Disney closes LucasArts, holds onto affected licenses

Disney sent a tremor through the Force today with the announcement that it's closing developer LucasArts and halting all projects. Game Informer reports the entertainment giant is shifting the company it bought last year "from internal development to a licensing model" as well as laying off the majority of its staff.

Though LucasArts' more recent releases flagged in quality due to shaky leadership, the studio is best remembered in PC gaming circles by its fantastic '90s adventure lineup and early '00s Star Wars greats. It's easy to rattle off some of its bests: Monkey Island, Maniac Mansion, Grim Fandango, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dark Forces, Battlefront, and plenty more. And though Disney still keeps ownership of those and the rest of LucasArts' remaining properties, it's unknown how the House of Mouse plans to license them.

Only a Sith deals in absolutes, after all, and we still have a possibility of seeing a different developer take up the mantle of LucasArts' legacy.

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Omri Petitte is a former PC Gamer associate editor and long-time freelance writer covering news and reviews. If you spot his name, it probably means you're reading about some kind of first-person shooter. Why yes, he would like to talk to you about Battlefield. Do you have a few days?