What to expect in Update 7.8.1 in SWTOR!

The developers have released a ton of info about what is coming up in Update 7.8.1, the next big update to Star Wars: The Old Republic! Update 7.8.1 focuses on the continuation of the main storyline, Galactic Season 10, and two new romance date night stories for Kira and Torian.

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What is in Update 7.8.1?

• Master’s Enigma Storyline (new story)
• Date Nights (Kira and Torian)
• Galactic Season 10 (Altuur and PH4 return)
• Spring Abundance Festival (March 10)
• Cartel Market

When is Update 7.8.1?

It’s official – March 10, 2026!

What is coming later?

• March 10, 2026 – Game Update 7.8.1 – Master’s Enigma
• March 2026 – Producer’s letter, news update, DX12 info
• May 4th events and rewards
• May 2026 – Update 7.9 Developer Livestream
• May/June 2026 (Spring) – Game Update 7.9 – Legacy Reborn
  • Legacy Reborn Storyline, finale of LoTS
  • PvP Season 10
  • Introducing the next story Era
  • “you can expect quite the shake-up across the galaxy”
• June/July 2026 – Nar Shadda Nightlife Event with new reward(s)
• July/August 2026 – Game Update 7.9.1
  • Galactic Season 11
• October/November 2026 – Feast of Prosperity with new reward(s)
• PTS testing for 8.0 later in the year
• December 2026 – 15th Anniversary
• December 2026? Game Update 8.0

Livestream recording:

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Twitch Drops

From now until March 10, to get the Yavin Poster Decoration watch 1 Hour of any SWTOR streamer starting at launch until the end date 14 days later. By the way, I’m live every morning 8 – 10 am Pacific every weekday morning, at twitch.tv/swtorista if you want to come say hi!

Twitch Drops are a way of gaining rewards by watching players play Star Wars: The Old Republic on the Twitch live-streaming service, where gamers often share their screen while playing games and chatting with the audience. Players have long asked for Twitch drops to be added to the game, and the developers have now put in the back-end work to make this possible for players to gain rewards from.

SWTOR Twitch Drops Guide

Once 7.8.1 launches, to get the T2-26 Scout Walker mount watch 5 Hours of any SWTOR streamer starting at launch until the end date 28 days later. By the way, I’m live every morning 8 – 10 am Pacific every weekday morning, at twitch.tv/swtorista if you want to come say hi! I’ll be streaming plenty on launch day.

Story Update – Master’s Enigma

Update 7.8 .1 will bring the next part of the SWTOR story to the game.

German & French Delay

There is an important caveat for the non-english voice acting (German & French): At the launch of Update 7.8, and now 7.8.1, players using a French or German client will be able to play Galactic Threads with English voices, and subtitles in their native language, but German and French recordings will be coming in the future, date to be announced. The reason the voice acting for these two language is likely delated even with the SAG-AFTRA voice actor’s union resolving their strike is that German and French voice actors do not have a unified Voice Actors union, unlike the US having SAG-AFTRA. This makes any negotiation with voice actors  complicated and per-person or per-agent, so it sounds like the developers have decided to at least get the English voice acting out rather then delaying the story even further.

Caught Up

If you are trying to find out if you are caught up, these are all the areas and quests you would need to complete to start the new story:

• Ossus
• Dantooine
• EXPANSION: Onslaught (Onderon & Mek-Sha)
• FLASHPOINT: Objective Meridian
• Echoes of Oblivion
• Spirit of Vengeance
• FLASHPOINT: Secrets of the Enclave (Dantooine Flashpoint)
• EXPANSION: Legacy of the Sith (Manaan)
• FLASHPOINT: Ruins of Nul
• Digging Deeper
• Manaan
• Ruhnuk
• Interpreter’s Retreat on Voss
• FLASHPOINT: Shrine of Silence (Optional)
• Kessan’s Landing on Ord Mantell
• Minboosa District on Hutta
• Galactic Threads
• …then the new story.

Story

SPOILER WARNING: Skip this section if you do not want any story spoilers about what is coming up in the story!

The developers showcased a new teaser trailer for the story, showing the player on Darth Nul’s ship, the Enigma. transcript

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In the new story, we will be exploring these story beats:

• Jadus has returned, offering a potential alliance
• The Empire or Republic leadership arrive on Odessen to discuss the Mandalorians and Nul’s holocron
• Uncover the mysteries of Darth Nul’s research vessel, The Enigma
• Familiar faces Theron Shan, Lana Beniko, Tau Idair, Arn Peralun, Major Anri and Darth Rivix
• Full overview

Master’s Engima story revealed, coming in Update 7.8.1

The ship itself is creepy and hundreds of years old, now over run by nature.

If you want to learn more in-depth what the developers said about the story, in great detail, see this guide!

Date Nights

Two new Date Nights are coming to the game, one for Torian and one for Kira. Date nights are repeatable romance quests for players who are currently romancing these specific companions and are caught up in the story.

SWTOR Date Night Guide

Torian

For anyone who maybe hasn’t played through the bounty hunter story yet, Torian is a Bounty Hunter specific companion character, who then comes back during the events of KotFe as the leader of his clan, which is Clan Cadera. That clan’s got a very interesting, colorful past, lots of drama happening there, that obviously affects Torian. And that’s kind of the theme here of, this date is about identity, specifically Mandalorian identity and being in a clan and what it means to lead. And these are all things that Torian is going to chat with the player about while cooking and making a traditional Mandalorian dish called Tingalar, which is a very, very spicy dish. That’s one of Torian’s favorites, and the player and he get to spend some time making this dish together.

This Date Night will have an achievement with a reward of Torian’s Cutting Board, a decoration, for completing his date night 5 times.

Kira

We also have Kira Carsen. Kira is a Jedi Knight companion. She has gone from Padawan to Jedi Knight to just going around the galaxy trying to solve problems. [Spoilers] She came back in during the Echoes of Oblivion Story, she had found where the physical body of the old Sith Emperor was and needed the players’ help to eradicate it. She’s really grown into her own as a Jedi. In this date night, you’re going with her to Tython to help repair some of the damage to the Jedi, buildings and, and things around there that all the things that have happened. Lots of things have happened on, on Tython. She’s there in the reconstruction efforts, and this date revolves a little bit about around not only her coming into her own as a Jedi, but also as potentially a leader, a mentor, what her path is forward now that she’s matured and like sees where she wants to be within the Jedi order.

This Date Night will have an achievement with a reward of Restored Statue, a decoration, for completing her date night 5 times.

Spring Abundance Festival

The Spring Abundance Festival will be returning March 10, 2026! It will likely last about a month until April 6, 2026. It’s a simple event, with many of the activities being non-combat related, including egg hunting, fishing, and protecting the farm. If you have not played it before, it also has a short story quest available as well.

Dantooine Spring Abundance Festival Event Guide

You can learn more about the event in the Spring Abundance Festival Guide including all the rewards for the current and past version of the event.

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There will be a new silly reward called the Mobile Abundance Basket, a pet item which has eggs in a floating basket, available for tokens from the vendor.

Cartel Market

Very few Cartel Market items were highlighted during the announcement.

The developers showcased the Shadow Sentry which is already out –  love this set.

You can see more about this beautiful outfit here.

Update 7.8c New Cartel Market Additions! Shadow Sentry Armor and Sabers!

A new item they did show off is the Dantooine Invasive Flora Decoration Bundle – it’s a  big bundle of decorations. You get multiple versions of each vine type including dead, alive and glowing, and they seem to fit on walls, floors, and ceiling hooks.

Galactic Season 10

The theme for Galactic Season 10 coming with Update 7.8.1 (likely starting March 10, 2026) is Secrets of the Syndicate. This and next season are going to be different from previous ones – you will be able to to earn the Companions and rewards from previous seasons if you missed them, in addition to some new rewards.

If you are unfamiliar with Galactic Seasons, check out the Galactic Seasons Guide.

SWTOR Galactic Seasons Guide and Rewards – Season 9, Flashpoint Resurgence!

Season 10 in Update 7.8.1 will have the rewards from Season 1 and 3, with companions Altuur and PH4-LNX.

Season 11 in Update 7.9.1 will have the rewards from Season 2 and 4, with companions Fen Zeil, and Amity.

The developers made it clear that these seasons are both returning past rewards due to player demand as well as giving them some developement breathing room to work on an expansion for the end of the year, Update 8.0, likely for December 2026.

Returning Rewards

While we don’t have 100% of the details about the returning rewards, the developers said:

• Rewards from Seasons 1 and 3 are returning in GS10
• Players will also see new rewards added to the tracks and vendors
• You will not be able to earn the old achievements, but you can earn new achievements that will grant you the old rewards
• Companion Gifts on the Galactic Seasons Vendor have been discounted and during the season, Gifts for Altuur and PH4-LNX will have an even greater discount
• Decorations from Seasons 1 and 3 will return
• Vendors will be updated with previously retired seasonal rewards
• After Seasons 10 & 11 are completed, Seasons 1 – 4 rewards will be added to the Vendors
• Classic Cartel Packs Updated with Retired Market Items:
  • New Gold Weapon Pack
  • Additions to Silver Mounts, Silver Armor, and Silver Weapon Packs
• Objectives for these seasons focus on using their respective companions (so no old ‘catching cheaters’ objectives)
• ALL earlier rewards from the original seasons will be re-released with these new seasons
• Previous Achievement-only rewards will have new achievements, but the original achievements will remain tied to their original season
• Datamining shows new objectives, Venture Across the Galaxy – Earn 200,000 Personal Conquest Points across your Legacy with PH4-LNX as your Companion. And a similar one for Altuur.

It looks like you will be able to earn most or all of the past season 1 & 3 rewards.

New Rewards

The new reward seem to be minimal, except for the cool new mount.

Companion Mount

We will be seeing a cool new companion mount, which I would guess is for Rank 100 on the track… this will be the new Event Horizon mount!

Road Ahead in 2026

What’s coming after Update 7.8.1?

• March 10, 2026 – Game Update 7.8.1 – Master’s Enigma
• March 2026 – Producer’s letter, news update, DX12 info
• May 4th events and rewards
• May 2026 – Update 7.9 Developer Livestream
• May/June 2026 (Spring) – Game Update 7.9 – Legacy Reborn
  • Legacy Reborn Storyline, finale of LoTS
  • PvP Season 10
  • Introducing the next story Era
  • “you can expect quite the shake-up across the galaxy”
• June/July 2026 – Nar Shadda Nightlife Event with new reward(s)
• July/August 2026 – Game Update 7.9.1
  • Galactic Season 11
• October/November 2026 – Feast of Prosperity with new reward(s)
• PTS testing for 8.0 later in the year
• December 2026 – 15th Anniversary
• December 2026? Game Update 8.0

“Why are we not talking about 8.0 features TODAY?” The developers want to wrap up the previous expansions first. They say they will time reveals as other content comes out. They are trying to be transparent with roadmap though.

May the 4th

The developers mentioned potentially having…

• login rewards
• sub rewards
• double xp
• sales

After  7.8.1

What will be coming up after 7.8.1? While we don’t have many hints yet, we do know that there will eventually be…

German & French Voice Acting for Galactic Threads

At the launch of Update 7.8, players using a French or German client will be able to play Galactic Threads with English voices, and subtitles in their native language, but German and French recordings will be coming in the future, date to be announced. The reason the voice acting for these two language is likely delated even with the SAG-AFTRA voice actor’s union resolving their strike is that German and French voice actors do not have a unified Voice Actors union, unlike the US having SAG-AFTRA. This makes any negotiation with voice actors  complicated and per-person or per-agent, so it sounds like the developers have decided to at least get the English voice acting out rather then delaying the story even further.

Date Nights

There are about 28 romanceable companions and the developers were hoping to release more date nights in the cadence of 1-2 Companion Date nights per Galactic Seasons. We do not know when the next date nights will come.

Romanceable Companions

• Akaavi Spar
• Andronikos Revel
• Arcann (Update 7.4.1)
• Aric Jorgan (Update 7.5.1)
• Ashara Zavros
• Corso Riggs
• Doc
• Elara Dorne
• Felix Iresso
• Jaesa Willsaam
• Kaliyo
• Khem Val
• Kira Carsen (Update 7.8.1)
• Koth Vortena (Update 7.4.1)
• Lana Beniko (Update 7.4.1)
• Lieutenant Pierce
• Lord Scourge
• Mako
• Malavai Quinn
• Nadia Grell
• Raina Temple
• Risha
• Tharan Cedrax
• Theron Shan (Update 7.4.1)
• Torian (Update 7.8.1)
• Vector
• Vette (Update 7.5.1)
• Zenith

Seasons

We will see the continuation of PvP Seasons and Galactic Seasons – Galactic Seasons Season 10 will be starting in Update 7.8.1,  Season 11 will be in Update 7.9.1 and PvP Seasons Season 10 will start with 7.9.

Dynamic Encounters

Dynamic Encounters are now available on many planets, with more likely coming in the future.

• Tatooine
• Alderaan
• Ilum
• The two Capital planets:
  • Coruscant
  • Dromund Kaas
• The four smaller starter planets:
  • Tython
  • Korriban
  • Ord Mantell
  • Hutta
• Dantooine (Biomes)

DirectX 12

In a previous developer post, the devs said…

With 64-bit now in the game, and DirectX 12 is the next item on the list the developers are working on in the background. They posted some updated information on the progress in late 2024.

We got a little more info in July 2025.

In November 2025, on a developer stream, the Executive Producer said we would get more info in his quarterly update letter by the end of 2025. Watch swtor.com for that.

In February 2026, on a developer livestream for 7.8.1, the developers said we should expect an update on DirectX 12 with the Producer Letter in March 2026. They are making sure they are doing it right, but are not ready for testing yet.

Other

Dye Changes

In the 7.6 Developer stream in late 2024, the developers mentioned some changes to dyes might be coming. We have not heard more since.

Graphic Updates

The developer have been working on graphical updates on multiple planets. So far we have seen graphical updates on…

• Character Modernization (lighting, textures, colors – ongoing)
• Preview Window
• New Alien Skin Colors
• Metallic Dyes and Textures
• Tython (waterfalls and trees)
• Korriban (lighting and textures)
• Hutta (lighting, ambient fog and trees)
• Ord Mantell (newer area)
• Ilum (ice and textures)
• Hoth (ice and textures)
• Banks / Cargo Holds
• Character Select Screen
• Font colors and sizes adjustments for accessibility

We will likely see more in future updates over time scattered between updates.

GTN Changes

In addition to the recent changes to the GTN, the developers spoke in the past about potentially adding a buy-order system – you can put in a request to buy an item at a certain price, and other players can fulfill the order. Whether this will be added or not still is unclear, now that the new GTN is up and functional. This has not been brought back up in a while and may have been shelved in favor of other projects.

Additional Servers

All SWTOR servers are now on the cloud, and the Shae Vizla server has been running for a while as the APAC server, with transfers opened with 7.4.1. A new Fresh Start server may come in the future, players have been asking for one in North America. Read More

Crafting Update

New level 80 high-end Augments were added to Crafting in Update 7.6 and 7.7, but will there be a significant re-haul of the crafting system in the future?

From an interview by Vulkk.com with the developers:

The official answer stated that while the developers “cannot provide a definitive timeline right now, a change to the Crafting system will not be implemented in the immediate future. At this time, players can continue spending credits on augments.” When the time comes that a crafting revamp will happen, BioWare said that they will give everyone plenty of time to adjust to the changes accordingly. Based on BioWare’s answer, it seems that they are planning a more significant rework to the crafting system in line with other modernizations we’ve gotten with 7.0. Furthermore, it should theoretically be pretty trivial to just add another crafting tier if that’s all they wanted to do. – August 2022