Star Wars: The Old Republic Game Update 7.9.1c went live yesterday, September 22, and its headline is short: Hidden Chain invasions are active again. The same patch notes say they go inactive when Game Update 8.0 launches, so the window is already on a clock.

Why it matters

The invasions are the main source of the Hidden Chain armor set, and they are tied to a storyline that Update 7.9 "Legacy Reborn" wrapped up in June. Broadsword has not named any other way to earn that gear after 8.0 turns them off. Swtorista, a community site, reports the developers want to bring the armor back in some form later, with no path decided. We could not find that on an official page, so treat anything you want from these invasions as a now-or-maybe-never item.

The details

  • What they are: Hidden Chain invasions arrived in Update 7.6 (December 2024) as a special kind of Dynamic Encounter. You spot them by their map icon on Tatooine, Hoth, Rishi and Ilum, call in friendly faction forces, and push back Heta Kol's crew. Solo or grouped both work, per SWTOR.com.
  • What they drop: Hidden Chain armor pieces, plus Conquest Commendations, Tech Fragments and progress on the encounter achievements.
  • How long you have: until 8.0, "Masters of the Force." There is still no release date. Broadsword's 8.0 reveal post from August 13 gives no day, and the target has been holiday 2026 since the summer livestream. Community sites expect it near the game's 15th anniversary in December. Plan on weeks, possibly two or three months, and do not bank on the long end.
  • The rest of 7.9.1c: the Galactic Seasons objective "Sweeping Ruhnuk and Kessan's Landing" now opens the galaxy map when clicked; Amity's "Pummeled Peace" weapon and Fen Zeil's blue cybernetic are now on the Seasons vendor; and cybernetics and facial hair no longer render with a metallic sheen. Full list in the official patch notes.

If you already play, add a lap of the four planets to your weekly routine and check the map on each one for the invasion icon; that is the whole trick. If you lapsed after the 7.9 finale and care about the Hidden Chain look, one subscription month before the holidays covers it, and it lines you up for 8.0 anyway. If you never cared about the armor, nothing here needs you, and the player count picture says the servers will still be busy when you come back for the expansion.