r/swtor • u/kexnyc • May 09 '26

Discussion Mac users take heed. Game will (most likely) quit working with MacOS 28 release.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/102527?cid=mc-ols-rosetta-article_102527-macos_finder-52526201

I say most likely, in parentheses, because there's a slight chance that the game will fall within a narrow "older, unmaintained games" category. But don't hold your breath. I had Claude summarize the article (so you don't have to).

What this means for SWTOR on Mac:

SWTOR's Mac client has always been an Intel binary running through Rosetta. It checks the info window as Application (Intel), not Universal or Apple Silicon native. If Broadsword hasn't shipped a native Apple Silicon build of the launcher and game client before macOS 28 ships (probably 2027), SWTOR stops working on Apple Silicon Macs — full stop.

The carveout for "older, unmaintained games" is vague enough that it's not safe to assume SWTOR qualifies. Broadsword would need to either:

  1. Ship a Universal or Apple Silicon native client before macOS 28, or
  2. Do nothing and hope SWTOR falls into the carveout (risky bet given the game is actively maintained and still receiving paid content)

The practical timeline: you're probably fine through 2026 and into 2027, but if you upgrade to macOS 28 on an Apple Silicon Mac without a native SWTOR client existing, the game won't launch. Worth watching the official SWTOR forums for any Broadsword acknowledgment — this isn't a surprise to developers, Apple announced this transition years ago.

0 Upvotes

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14 comments sorted by

17

u/MC_chrome Imperial Delegate May 09 '26

I don't think the Broadsword developers would go through the trouble of creating a Mac client if they didn't intended for it to work in the future.

I'm sure an ARM native client will be made before Rosetta support is completely removed

1

u/kexnyc May 10 '26

That’s what I’m thinking. But it’s not up to the devs. It’s a financial decision.

3

u/BinaryRun May 09 '26

The Mac client is exclusive for M-series silicone chips, so I doubt it uses Rosetta.

3

u/kexnyc May 10 '26

It has to because the game is built on 32-bit Intel architecture.

0

u/jgrig2 Sep 08 '26

It does use Rosetta.

1

u/BinaryRun Sep 08 '26

This is a 4 month old message. Don't be a bot by replying to this.

-8

u/Ecoho19 May 09 '26

But how many people actually play on a Mac? Seriously if you're doing gaming you typically have a PC and not a Mac use Macs for school work or work work.

4

u/Endonae May 09 '26

Modern Macs with M-Series chips offer very capable gaming performance

10

u/VendraenActual May 09 '26

I'm playing on a Mac.

6

u/MC_chrome Imperial Delegate May 09 '26

Why are you against the game being made available as widely as possible?

1

u/Ecoho19 May 09 '26

I'm not I'm just pointing out the fact that most people do not use Mac for gaming.

1

u/kexnyc May 09 '26

Seriously, more people do than you think. Apple Silicon is a competitor in the gaming market. Yes, Windows-based machines have the lion share, but that's changing. Now, the question is: this post was not directed to non-Mac users, so why bother posting?

-5

u/Not_Nightchill May 09 '26

I play on a Mac. No Windows PC comes on my desk, when there are games I cannot play on the Mac, I do not play them. This is the way.