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Posted by: Matt Liebl

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EA and BioWare have announced Rise of the Hutt Cartel, the first digital expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Set to arrive in spring 2013, Rise of the Hutt Cartel will be available for $9.99 for those who are alreadyThe Old Republic subscribers. Free-to-play players can purchase the digital expansion for $19.99.

Rise of the Hutt Cartel sends players to Makeb, a dual-faction planet where players will "continue their battles with the merciless Hutt Cartel." Along the way you'll meet new allies, encounter new enemies, and uncover new technology. To accomodate this new experience, the level cap will be raised by five levels to 55.

"We know our fans want to keep experiencing the classic Star Wars storylines they love, and that's what we're delivering with the Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion," said Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer at BioWare Austin. "The planet Makeb is shaping up to be one of our most breathtakingly beautiful settings and the clash with the Hutt Cartel is epic and exciting."

Although Star Wars: The Old Republic was released as a subscription-based MMORPG, the game adopted a free-to-play model after subscription numbers quickly dwindled following its launch. BioWare and EA now offer players a choice to pay a monthly subscription and unlock all of the content, or play for free with some limitations. Regardless of a player's subscription status, everyone can experience the complete storylines of the eight Star Wars classes, all the way to level 50 without having to pay a monthly fee.

You can pre-order Rise of the Hutt Cartel today from the online store. Doing so before January 7, 2013 will reward you with five days of Early Access to the new content.

Tags: Star Wars: The Old Republic, Rise of the Hutt Cartel