The Challenges of Star Wars Outlaws: An Open World Adventure in Troubled Waters
It’s no secret that Star Wars Outlaws, marking the iconic franchise’s first venture into the open-world genre, didn’t achieve the commercial success anticipated by publisher Ubisoft. Its sales fell short of expectations, and despite multiple updates from developer Massive Entertainment aimed at resolving player complaints, the game continues to struggle with a somewhat lukewarm critical reception nearly a year post-launch.
A Challenging Climate for Star Wars
This week, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot addressed the middling reception of Outlaws, attributing some blame to the “choppy waters” surrounding the Star Wars franchise at the time of its release. It’s a perspective that holds some merit: Star Wars has indeed encountered an identity crisis as of late. The Acolyte, a recently released Disney Plus series, received a mixed reception, while The Mandalorian saw noticeable declines in quality in its later seasons. Spinoffs like Ahsoka and The Book of Boba Fett also failed to meet audience expectations. The only bright spot, Andor, stands apart as a critical success, yet the anticipation surrounding upcoming theatrical projects seems waning compared to the heights of interest experienced during the 2010s.
A Stark Departure from Canonical Norms
One significant factor contributing to Outlaws‘ struggle is its notable deviation from the core elements that typically resonate with Star Wars fans: the absence of the franchise’s most iconic elements—namely, the Jedi. Unlike most modern Star Wars games, which often center around lightsabers and Jedi lore, Outlaws opts for a gritty take on space smuggling, focusing on the escapades of a protagonist living by a Han Solo-like ethos. Players engage in smuggling missions, work for gangsters, and manipulate criminal factions, liberating them from the mysticism that typically saturates the universe.
While this original approach is commendable, it posed a significant challenge in attracting a broader audience. Star Wars is deeply intertwined with its Jedi lore—many casual gamers might find themselves disinterested in a narrative that sidesteps what makes the franchise uniquely appealing.
Historical Sales Patterns: The Jedi Factor
Analyzing the best-selling Star Wars video games reveals a pattern: nearly all of these titles feature playable Jedi characters. A report by Circana underscores that the top ten best-selling Star Wars games invariably include recognizable Jedi figures. Notably absent from this list are beloved titles like Star Wars Galaxies, Empire At War, and Star Wars: Squadrons, which either downplayed or omitted Jedi from their narratives. Even iconic platform games like the N64’s Shadows of the Empire and the GameCube’s Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II – Rogue Leader failed to achieve the sales impact of Jedi-centric games.
Ubisoft’s Admissions
To his credit, Guillemot has acknowledged how Ubisoft’s oversight impacted the game’s launch. He pointed out that Outlaws encountered several bugs that hurt its sales performance. The bugginess of the game prompted Ubisoft to reevaluate its release strategies, resulting in the decision to delay Assassin’s Creed Shadows until 2025 to ensure a smoother launch.
The Risk of Innovation vs. Tradition
Outlaws’ departure from the familiar Jedi-centric framework highlights one of the major hurdles in the Star Wars gaming landscape. Although there exists a wealth of untold stories involving the Jedi over their nearly 25,000-year history, distilling that lore into a successful gaming format inherently limits the creative possibilities for developers. Most Star Wars games pivot around Jedi-oriented action, often leaving their gameplays heavily reliant on melee combat and third-person perspectives. Innovating while also staying true to the franchise’s essence is a quandary that has ensnared multiple development teams.
A Future of Possibilities
Despite its rocky start, Ubisoft remains optimistic about the future for Outlaws. Following the game’s recent expansion, it has been announced that the title will launch on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. Guillemot sees this as a second chance for the game, leveraging the enhancements made over the past year to attract a new audience.
Availability
Star Wars Outlaws is currently accessible on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with a planned release on Nintendo Switch 2 set for September 4, 2025.
