By Ben Irving, Producer, BioWare

Today, Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ is celebrating its five-year anniversary…and it is hard for me to believe that I am the one with the honor of writing this – the Five Year Anniversary Producer's Blog.

I started on this project six years ago, excited, enthusiastic and energized – this was the realization of a goal I had pursued for years. I knew fate had smiled on me when I became part of the BioWare team I had admired for so long, working together with the amazing team at Lucasfilm to create a game in the Star Wars™ universe, the most beloved galaxy in all of fiction. Giving gamers the chance to live out their own Star Wars story adventures in the Old Republic universe has been a truly incredible experience, and one for which I'm deeply grateful. That was our mission and the beginning of this amazing journey.

As I look back on the past five years that have led me from launch crunch, to the reincarnation of Revan and on through the delivery of six expansions including notorious Hutts, the re-awakening of an evil Emperor and the introduction of the most evil family in Star Wars - I realize that there is one part of this journey that stands out for me above all others…the relationship I have with you, the fans. My work on this game would not be as rewarding or as humbling, and definitely not as challenging (!) were it not for all of you and your commitment over the years. Building a game that evolves over time and continues to grow along with the community is a rare experience and one that I will be grateful for being a part of for my entire life. For those of you who have seen me at Cantina events or on our livestreams, you know that at times it takes the stoicism of a Jedi Master, which I am not, but it has taught me so much about the value of community and commitment. It is with that humble and grateful heart that I want to say thank you to all of you for being here over the years to share the journey with us and to help us translate the epic adventure that is Star Wars into a game you could love and share with your friends and families.

In honor of the Five-Year Anniversary we have lots of rewards  to share with you in the game today; my favorite is the ‘Celebration Jawa' – but there are tons more. Plus, we are premiering the official Star Wars: The Old Republic Character Portrait Collage  today for its first reveal – this is a collage made up of player characters that you have sent us that have been brought to life in this game. This game is the tapestry of your stories, your adventures, your achievements and your commitment to us, the game and Star Wars!

I'd like to wish each of you an amazing holiday and I invite you to share the joy of a great story with someone you care about this season as we open our Chapter 1 Trial of Knights of the Eternal Throne  and prepare for more adventures to come in the New Year!

May the Force™ be with You!

Ben Irving, Producer


Download the full collage: http://www.swtor.com/swtor5/collage-project