New Investment Group Fuels Excitement for Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic
In a thrilling twist at The Game Awards 2025, fans were treated to the unexpected announcement of Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, a highly anticipated successor to the iconic Knights of the Old Republic series. The new title is being developed by Arcanaut Studios, helmed by none other than Casey Hudson, the original director of KotOR, and a talented team comprised of several BioWare veterans.
Fast forward a year since that electrifying reveal, and we now have some insights into how this ambitious project is being funded. Reports suggest that an investment group called GreaterThan Group, founded by Simon Zhu, the former president of global investments and partnerships at NetEase, is stepping in to back the development of Fate of the Old Republic.
After over a decade spent securing funding for various game projects, including collaborations with notable studios like Devolver and Second Dinner, Zhu left NetEase in 2025. His exit came amid a significant pullback by NetEase from gaming investments, leading to abrupt cancellations and closures that affected numerous studios. One such victim was Hudson’s last venture, Humanoid Origin, which was forced to shut down after losing funding.
As Zhu observed, while big tech companies have recently diverted their focus towards AI investments, GreaterThan Group is looking to revitalize the gaming sector. With a roster of “very successful individuals” from the gaming and tech industry backing them, Zhu aims to rescue talented developers who have been left in limbo due to the industry’s turmoil.
His belief is that players shouldn’t have to choose between satisfaction and artistic integrity. “Let’s give the best creator the opportunity to work on a dream project. Everyone wins,” Zhu emphasizes. This sentiment resonates strongly in an industry that has historically treated its developers poorly, suggesting that GreaterThan Group might serve as a much-needed balancing force within the gaming landscape.
But that’s not all; Zhu’s ambitious group is also investing in another exciting venture named BulletFarm, founded by David Vonderhaar, a former design director on the Call of Duty: Black Ops series. Vonderhaar has teased that their upcoming project could offer a unique twist, likening it to “if David Lynch made shooters.”
Zhu is optimistic about the future, stating that GreaterThan’s mission is to demonstrate that it’s possible to achieve profitability while also providing quality entertainment in a genuine and ethical manner. If they succeed, it might just set a positive precedent in the gaming industry.