What Went Wrong With Star Wars Outlaws

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Ubisoft’s game titled “Star Wars Outlaws” had a lot of promising potential, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to expectations in the end. Initially, the idea of an open-world adventure set within the vastness of the Star Wars universe seemed like it would be a hit. Given the iconic IP and high anticipation, the bar was set very high. However, when the game was eventually released, it faced several difficulties right from the start and struggled to recover. Not even the powerful draw of the Star Wars brand could help Ubisoft’s ambitious project succeed.

Now, you might be wondering why Star Wars Outlaws fell short while Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, released just a year later, thrived. The answer is complex, as there were likely several factors that contributed to the disappointing performance of Star Wars Outlaws.

Three key factors contributed significantly to Star Wars Outlaws‘ underperformance and falling short of Ubisoft’s expectations. These include questionable decisions made by the publisher, the inclusion of day-one paywalled content, and a gameplay loop that felt outdated. Additionally, minor aspects such as the mandatory stealth elements and the choice of a protagonist who wasn’t a Jedi or Sith contributed to the ultimate downfall of Star Wars Outlaws.

Brand Fatigue and Misguided Choices

Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft, attributed the poor performance of Star Wars Outlaws to brand saturation. In his opinion, the game suffered due to an excessive amount of Star Wars content being released at the time, with shows like The Acolyte, Skeleton Crew, and Tales of the Empire watering down public interest in the brand. This left Star Wars Outlaws in a challenging position.

While it may appear that Guillemot is shifting blame towards fans for Ubisoft’s issues with Star Wars Outlaws, this interpretation seems rather contrived. After all, other Star Wars media have received favorable reviews. Instead, the game’s negative reception was likely due to a combination of misguided decisions, numerous bugs, clunky gameplay, and poor design choices. Even though post-launch patches were generally effective in meeting the studio’s goals, they came too late to salvage Star Wars Outlaws’ tarnished reputation. Many players had already abandoned the game following Guillemot’s comments and reluctance to acknowledge responsibility.

Modern Gaming’s Gatekeeping Shut the Door on Star Wars Outlaws

In regards to Ubisoft’s launch of Star Wars Outlaws, one area where they seemed to stumble was by restricting content initially available. Specifically, the Jabba’s Gambit mission could only be accessed by those who bought either the Gold or Ultimate Editions. By withholding content from the majority at release, many players were left with a negative initial impression, and some even dismissed Star Wars Outlaws as merely a cash-grabbing move.

Ubisoft subsequently explained that Jabba the Hutt would feature prominently in the main narrative, not hidden behind a premium barrier. Despite being categorized as additional mission content linked to the Season Pass, many gamers found it troubling within a solo game environment, particularly considering it was prepared at launch. Including such content as extra features or in the core game might have lessened some of the dissatisfaction players felt towards Star Wars Outlaws.

Dated Gameplay That Fails to Innovate

One significant reason for the disappointing debut of “Star Wars Outlaws” was its gameplay, which adhered closely to Ubisoft’s standard open-world format, featuring a solitary protagonist exploring various points of interest, mandatory stealth sections, fetch quests, and a limited combat system. Both critics and fans agreed that the game failed to distinguish itself sufficiently from other Ubisoft open-world titles. If Ubisoft had approached “Star Wars Outlaws” with the experimentation they showed in “Far Cry Primal,” it may have been more warmly received.

Beyond the off-screen issues with actress Kay Vess, the game, launched in 2024, received criticism for its outdated character animations and dialogues. Many found the game visually unappealing and lifeless. The gameplay was criticized for awkward movements, dull shooting mechanics, inconsistent AI behavior, and poor ship-to-ship combat, resulting in a bland experience. Even after its launch, the game continued to face criticism when DLC was released, indicating that it couldn’t shake off its negative reputation like No Man’s Sky managed to do.

In a time when fans have been anxiously anticipating the remake of “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic,” one might expect Ubisoft to seize the opportunity with their new game, “Star Wars Outlaws.” However, they seemed to miss the mark in branding, choosing a protagonist not affiliated with the Jedi order. This decision led to fan disappointment, but instead of accepting responsibility, Ubisoft placed blame on the fans. Unfortunately, the game’s monetization tactics and repetitive gameplay overshadowed the potential of what could have been an exceptional experience.

Although Star Wars Outlaws might eventually become a forgotten title, it leaves behind several crucial lessons for developers. Firstly, prioritize values over corporate greed and monetization strategies. Secondly, never overlook the importance of gameplay innovation. Lastly, never shift blame onto your supporters or fans.

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2025-08-31 20:33