It was a long time ago that a galaxy far, far away last saw a major expansion, but BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic is still alive and kicking, and due its next big slab of content soon. Available as part of the free-to-play MMO's optional subscription, Onslaught will add a new story arc centred around two new planets as the war between the Galactic Republic and Sith Empire resumes on October 22nd.

Players will get to explore the hostile jungle world of Onderon, and the pirate city of Mek-Sha, once and asteroid base and now a hive of scum and villainy. So, good times times for any scoundrels, gunslingers or other cool fun space people. Probably a bit awkward if you're one of those straight-laced Jedi sorts, though. Whichever side you back through the story, all roads lead back to Corellia for a new Flashpoint, and a battle at a strategically vital shipyard at the end of the expansion's plot.

For high level players, there's also a new Operation that'll take players to Onderon's moon, Dxun. Much like the planet below, it's full of angry wildlife that has attracted the attention of both Trandoshan hunters and the moustache-twirlingly villainous Czerka Corporation.

I've been meaning to return to The Old Republic for a while. While undeniably wonky at launch, it grew into a decent follow-up to Knights Of The Old Republic, even if the MMO elements grind up against the more traditionally story-driven RPG bits. I've got a good chunk of story to catch up on before I'll be ready to start the new Onslaught stuff, but I'm looking forward to it once I can find the time.

Back in July, Fraser Brown broke down the pros and cons of diving into Star Wars: The Old Republic in 2019. As with other MMOs, more recent story arcs tend to be more polished than the oldest content, but there's a lot to like here, with loads of fully voice-acted and branching dialogue. You can also recruit an extremely murderous Ewok to join your party.

Sweetening the deal a little, any player with an active subscription between September 1st and the expansion's launch October 22nd will unlock the squid-headed Nautolans in the character creator. You can read the details on unlocking Nautolans here, and grab the game direct from its official page.