Star Wars: The Old Republic's Rise of the Hutt Cartel will be the very first digital expansion in the game's young life. Players who pre-ordered this expansion by January 7th, 2013 can now jump in and explore the planet of Makeb.

Rise of the Hutt Cartel will feature a battle for Makeb between the Republic and the Empire, adding to the excitement of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game. But lying in wait is the Hutt Cartel, who have seen fit to toss some new droids and battle stations into the mix.

The expansion will also include new weapons, armor, abilities, and raises the level cap to 55. The Old Republic is also receiving Game Update 2.0, titled Scum and Villainy, which is set to give players who hit Level 55 quickly a lot of content. This content includes a new Operation, new Legacy Achievements, four Hard Mode Flashpoints, and 5% Guild XP Bonus for playing in a guild.

For players who haven't pre-ordered Rise of the Hutt Cartel, the expansion will go live on April 14th, 2013. Learn more about it in this video from BioWare and let us know if you're going to join in the fray!

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