The galaxy far, far away hasn’t been kind to Star Wars Outlaws. Despite being Ubisoft’s first foray into open-world Star Wars, the game has failed to meet sales expectations, and recent reports indicate it’s being outsold by Respawn Entertainment’s Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
When Star Wars Outlaws launched in August 2024, early reviews praised its expansive environments and compelling narrative. Players stepped into the shoes of Kay Vess, a scrappy rogue navigating the galactic underworld, but enthusiasm for the game quickly faltered. Criticisms of its combat and stealth mechanics dampened the initial hype, and while Ubisoft worked to address these issues through patches, the damage was already done.
The financial consequences have been significant. By September, Ubisoft admitted that Star Wars Outlaws had underperformed commercially, and the company’s stock took a sharp hit shortly after the game’s release. These struggles have fueled speculation about Ubisoft’s future, with whispers of the publisher potentially going private gaining traction. Still, Ubisoft and developer Massive Entertainment remain hopeful that post-launch content can reinvigorate interest in the game.
Unfortunately, the road ahead looks challenging. Former GamesIndustry.biz journalist Christopher Dring recently reported that Star Wars Outlaws is not only struggling overall but is also being outsold by Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. The 2023 release from Respawn, a sequel to the highly successful Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, has maintained strong sales momentum. The game benefited from glowing reviews at launch and a subsequent PS4 and Xbox One update, which reignited player interest in Cal Kestis’s journey.
In contrast, Star Wars Outlaws has struggled to carve out its niche. Despite its ambitious open-world approach, the game has yet to resonate with a broad audience. Ubisoft’s efforts to sustain interest through updates and DLC have seen limited success. The first expansion, Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card, launched in November, featuring a team-up with Lando Calrissian. Another DLC, A Pirate’s Fortune, is set to debut in Spring 2025, bringing back fan-favorite Clone Wars character Hondo Ohnaka.
While there’s still potential for Star Wars Outlaws to recover, the game’s slow start serves as a cautionary tale. As a fan and enjoyer of both games, I do feel some of the criticisms hitting Outlaws are primarily due to the ongoing dislike against Ubisoft's practices, including numerous microtransactions and inserting debilitating anti-cheat software. But for now, Jedi: Survivor continues to lead the charge, showing that a sense of familiarity paired with innovation can win the day in the world of Star Wars.