Rise of the Hutt Cartel is the first of several expansions for the popular MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic. Taking inspiration from and loosely basing its setting, premise and gameplay off of BioWare’s single-player RPG Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, The Old Republic is BioWare’s first MMORPG and last game from the studio taking place in the Star Wars universe. The main game released in December 2011, with Rise of the Hutt Cartel arriving roughly a year and a half later in April 2013. Since the release of Rise of the Hutt Cartel, there have been 7 other expansions, with the most recent arriving in December 2022.
Rise of the Hutt Cartel is the recipient of mostly favorable reviews, with several scores falling in the 70% average. Criticisms of the first expansion include its lack of significant new content, though it does increase the player level cap and provide a brand-new location to explore. Interestingly, The Old Republic is both one of the most expensive video games ever produced and one of the fastest-growing MMORPGs in history, with over a million subscribers in just a matter of days. Although originally a premium title, Star Wars: The Old Republic is now free-to-play, including all of its expansions and additional content.
Star Wars: The Old Republic – Rise of the Hutt Cartel Premise
The Old Republic allows players to create a character and pick a side between its two main competing factions, the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire, and then proceeds to shuttle them through a series of RPG-style quests that see their presence within the faction grow as they become either more aligned with the light or the dark side. Rise of the Hutt Cartel introduces a new side plot in which a coup within the notorious Hutt Cartel sees the faction begin to challenge both the Galactic Republic and Sith Empire for supremacy.
Much of the new content that Rise of the Hutt Cartel introduces takes place on the planet Makeb, the sole new location in the expansion. Much of this content is level 50 and up, indicating that the expansion is intended for players who have completed much of The Old Republic‘s main quest line. The expansion raises the level cap to 55 and introduces a new major questline in which players attempt to stop the formation of a Hutt army. Additionally, Rise of the Hutt Cartel unlocks the opportunity to replay certain older missions at the new level cap for more challenge.
Star Wars: The Old Republic – Rise of the Hutt Cartel Main Characters
In addition to the player character, there are several important characters playing critical roles within the plot of Rise of the Hutt Cartel. Primary among them is the antagonist Toborro, whose ambitions for the Hutt Cartel lead him to pay off the defense force of the planet Makeb and establish a vital mining operation there. Main characters in Rise of the Hutt Cartel include:
- Toborro: Toborro is the primary antagonist of Rise of the Hutt Cartel and the current leader of the titular faction. Following the death of the previous leader, Toborrow seizes power within the cartel and chooses Makeb as the hub for their operation thanks to its abundant supply of isotope-5.
- Szajin: Szajin is a fellow Hutt and high-ranking member of the Hutt Cartel, as well as Toborro’s right-hand. If players choose the Dark Side path and are aligned with the Sith Empire, he plays a much more critical role in the main quest of Rise of the Hutt Cartel.
- Shalim Avesta: Shalim is a new character that serves as an ally to the player if they are on the Light Side path. They are the leader of the Makeb resistance trying to expel the Hutt Cartel from their home planet.
- Katha Niar: Katha Niar is an imperial agent that becomes the player’s ally and contact on Makeb if they are on the Dark Side path.
Games in the Star Wars: The Old Republic Series
In addition to the main game, there are 8 total expansions for Star Wars: The Old Republic. The most recent of these saw its release in December 2022, and there are currently no plans for further expansions to the game. The main game and expansions in The Old Republic include:
- Star Wars: The Old Republic (2011)
- Rise of the Hutt Cartel (2013)
- Galactic Starfighter (2014)
- Galactic Strongholds (2014)
- Shadow of Revan (2014)
- Knights of the Fallen Empire (2015)
- Knights of the Eternal Throne (2016)
- Onslaught (2019)
- Legacy of the Sith (2022)
Star Wars: The Old Republic – Rise of the Hutt Cartel Cheats
As an MMO, there are no official cheats available for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Not only would cheating disrupt the balance of the game, it also results in players getting banned from their accounts. Due to the nature of the game, there are also no officially supported cheat engines that have trainer files available for The Old Republic.
Star Wars: The Old Republic – Rise of the Hutt Cartel Cheats FAQs
Is Rise of the Hutt Cartel worth playing?
As the first expansion to The Old Republic, Rise of the Hutt Cartel at least introduces a level cap increase and a new location. That said, there’s only one main quest chain awaiting players depending on whichever side of the force they’re following.
What level is Rise of the Hutt Cartel?
Players need to be at least level 50 before attempting any of the content in Rise of the Hutt Cartel, especially anything taking place on new location Makeb. With the new level cap, there are also additional challenges for players that reach level 55.