After a brief one-day delay, the 'Rise of the Rakghouls' update for Star Wars: the Old Republic went live this morning. This first meaty update for the MMORPG, brings with it the new content for higher level groups as we detailed when it was initially revealed.

"This first Game Update will show everyone how serious we are about expanding Star Wars: the Old Republic, and there's much more to come," wrote game director James Ohlen.

In his design notes, Ohlen promised another "major" update next month. In addition, he detailed several features in the works for improving the game including guild banks, PVP ranked matches, and interface customization.

Ohlen also hinted at the potential for dynamic events in the game world as part of future updates. "You never know when the Republic might strike Dromund Kaas, if a mysterious alien fleet could appear in the Core Worlds... or when the Rakghoul plague of Taris might infect the rest of the galaxy. Changes are coming, and they'll affect everyone," he wrote.

With the first month of subscription coming to a close for those who got into the game early, the promise of more to play figures to be an important factor in whether the game's rapid population boom can be maintained.