Star Wars Outlaws Preview: Everything You Need to Know

“He’s the chosen one. He will bring balance [to the open world genre].”

Star Wars is entering the open-world gaming genre for the very first time with Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws. Gamers will have the opportunity to explore the galaxy, searching vibrant planets with dynamic cities and beautiful landscapes and uncovering new wrinkles in the sci-fi franchise.

Embark on your mission as an outlaw, the galaxy is yours to conquer. More and more details have been coming out, and now we have a proper release date. Here’s everything you need to know about the anticipated upcoming Star Wars game.

What is Star Wars Outlaws?

Star Wars Outlaws is the first open-world game for the franchise, developed by Massive Studio—which made Tom Clancy’s The Division 2—and published by Ubisoft, best known for Assassin’s Creed, Rainbow Six Siege, Just Dance, and many other smash franchises. Assassin’s Creed is another popular open-world game series, as is Grand Theft Auto.

Set between “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi,” the game begins during the Imperial Era—when Emperor Palpatine has a steady grip on the galaxy. While the Sith and the Rebel Alliance are clashing, space emerges for smaller criminals to roam the galaxy and reap the rewards.

This is where the protagonist in Star Wars Outlaws finds herself. Our charismatic thief hunts freedom, but how far will she go?

While being a single-player and narrative-driven game, players will have the freedom to explore the galaxy’s large number of vibrant planets, cities, and landscapes. Presumably, while the overarching story follows the protagonist’s quest for independence, there will be smaller side quests on each planet that implore you to discover niche quirks across the galaxy.

There are choices to make throughout the campaign—such as working for or betraying Jabba the Hutt—which will impact your reputation profile. However, there is only one ending for gamers to experience.

When is Star Wars Outlaws coming out?

Star Wars Outlaws is set to release on August 30, 2024. People who pre-order the game through the Ubisoft+ Premium platform or who buy the Gold or Ultimate Edition of the game can start playing three days early.

The game will launch on Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The game will not be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or Nintendo Switch.

Who’s the hero in Star Wars Outlaws?

Kay Vess and her cute companion Nix are Star Wars Outlaws’ main characters, and both were created specifically for the game.

Vess is a human thief from the Worker’s District who is attempting to make a name for herself. After a heist goes wrong, she becomes one of the most wanted people in the galaxy and quickly dreams of setting herself free from the chase.

As a result, she dives into the underworld to take on jobs from criminals and attempt to pull off “one of the greatest heists the galaxy has seen.” Vess has been described as a quick-witted hothead with self-deprecating humor.

Nix is a male creature described as “Kay’s heart and support system” and her “fierce protector.” While cute on the surface, he has a vicious side when backed into a corner. Voiced by Dee Bradley Baker, who also voiced all of the clone troopers, Nix’s lines consisted of lines like “curious squeak” and “relaxed chirp.”

What’s the story of Star Wars Outlaws?

The Empire is dominating the galaxy. While they are busy fighting the Rebellion, Kay Vess takes on an “opportunity to make millions.” The official story trailer embedded below makes it seem like Kay Vess betrays the leader of the Zerek Besh, Sliro, during this heist, thus putting a bounty on her head.

What does our protagonist decide to do in response? Rob him. “This job, it’s a death wish… I’m in.”

She sees robbing the Zerek Besh family as her “one shot at freedom.” To pull off the heist, she travels the galaxy to recruit the right crew and ship—all while Sliro’s assassin chases Vess down.

When and where does Star Wars Outlaws take place?

Given the aforementioned timeframe between “Empire” and “Jedi,” Star Wars Outlaws takes place during the civil war between the Sith Empire and the Rebel Alliance. This has created room for syndicates and criminal organizations to rise up—expect to see the Pykes, the Hutts, and even a new syndicate.

Kay Vess is from the Worker’s District, inside the city of Canto Bight (the casino-centric locale from “The Last Jedi”), which is on the planet of Cantonica. While this is presumably where our story begins, the game promises to let gamers explore the galaxy, discovering vibrant planets as they go.

How does Star Wars Outlaws play?

Ubisoft has released a gameplay walkthrough and breakdown, giving a sense of the sheer scale of the game. You’ll start in a small indoors environment before escaping into a large mountainous landscape, and then the game expands even further into an epic starfighting sequence in space.

There are also numerous ways that a player can attack a level. At the beginning of the walkthrough, Kay Vess is approaching a heist attempt as stealthily as possible. But once her cover is blown, she pulls out the blaster to take down enemies and escape danger. You can be stealthy as well as run-and-gun but you also have a range of vehicles to use to escape and attack.

Kay and Nix have a symbiotic relationship and will repeatedly work together to complete missions. Nix is more than a cute companion—he has a fierce side when needed, but can also be a helpful tool to help solve puzzles or press buttons that are out of Kay’s reach. 

As an open-world game, players will have the opportunity to explore the galaxy, taking a close look at each planet they pass. In order to do so, you’ll need a ship—and for Kay that’s the Trailblazer. This vehicle will be used for discovery and exploration, as well as for frenetic dogfights and epic combat with large ships.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published on September 6, 2023. It was last updated with new details on April 9, 2024. Star Wars Outlaws is expected to be a traditional “Web2” game with no crypto or NFT elements.