One of Ubisoft’s future projects that’s so important it closed out its Ubisoft Forward event around Summer Game Fest 2023 is the Star Wars Outlaws game from developers Massive Entertainment.
Massive, who made the multiplayer live-service The Division series, are jumping headfirst into a huge single-player adventure. While many thought Outlaws might go the multiplayer route given Massive’s background, the Swedish devs are looking to continue the single-player Star Wars momentum generated by Respawn’s Jedi series.
Looking to head back to the galaxy far, far away? Here’s everything we know so far about Star Wars Outlaws right now.
Star Wars Outlaws: All details so far
Star Wars Outlaws character and story details
Kay Vess is the protagonist. She’s a thief and a scoundrel portrayed by Humberly González, who unexpectedly becomes one of the galaxy’s most wanted criminals. Kay draws the ire of elite crime lord Sliro, who places a massive bounty on Kay after a failed job.
To achieve freedom from this bounty, Kay will need to “pull off one of the greatest heists the galaxy has ever seen.” Doing so will require good standing and reputation with several iconic Star Wars crime syndicates like the Pykes and the Hutt Cartel, as well as a plethora of funds. Her companions include Nix, a cute but also very useful rare Merqaal, and a droid companion by the name of ND-5, a reprogrammed BX-series droid commando. Kay will need to assemble a crew of other companions to pull off the heist.
The story takes place in the heat of the civil war between the Empire and the Rebellion, canonically between The Empire Strikes Back and the Return of the Jedi films.
Star Wars Outlaws gameplay details
At its core, Outlaws is a third-person action-adventure title featuring ranged combat, stealth, thrilling action set pieces, spaceship travel and combat, and more.
In the extended look at gameplay from the Ubisoft Forward event from June 12, we get to see Kay sneak through a restricted area under the control of the Pykes, one of the many syndicates. After she’s discovered, the encounter shifts from stealth gameplay to an exciting cover-based third-person shootout, before turning into a speeder-bike chase scene.
During the gameplay, we see the ways Nix can help out Kay. During stealth, players have the option of using Nix to attack enemies, distract them, or interact with objects. During combat, Nix can also be sent to retrieve health packs and weapons.
On a larger scale, Kay will have to manage her reputation with various factions and make crucial decisions. After the shootout and the speeder chase are resolved, Kay’s reputation with the Pykes decreases drastically. Later, Kay meets a broker but also has an encounter with an Imperial officer. The player chooses not to bribe the officer, and while it appears Kay completes the mission with more money, the officer calls for Kay to be arrested, leading to Kay getting an Empire wanted level and forcing her to escape the planet.
How Kay interacts with these various factions will influence the world around her, impacting the kinds of jobs she can take, how she interacts with vendors and the quest givers, and how welcome she is in certain areas.
All planet details for Star Wars Outlaws
The story of Star Wars Outlaws takes place in the galaxy’s Outer Rim, where smugglers, scoundrels, and crime lords are an even bigger threat than the Empire.
According to creative director Julian Gerighty in an interview by EDGE magazine, there will be at least four planets, with a possibility of five. Gerighty confirmed one of the game’s explorable locations is the icy planet Kijimi visited during The Rise of Skywalker. Players should expect each planet to be different in terms of aesthetics, Imperial presence, population density, and settlements.
Gerighty compared the explorable size of each planet in the game to “two to three zones in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.” During his interview with EDGE, Gerighty “repeatedly” emphasized that all explorable locations were handcrafted.
When does Star Wars Outlaws release?
Star Wars Outlaws officially releases on Aug. 30, 2024. Players can get up to three days early access by pre-ordering the Gold or Ultimate Edition, and Ubisoft+ Premium subscribers can start playing the game‘s Ultimate Edition on Aug. 26.
