Star Wars Outlaws - Everything You Need To Know

Microsoft announced a new open world "Star Wars" title during June's Xbox Games Showcase, set in a galaxy fans will no doubt be excited to explore. "Star Wars Outlaws," a collaboration between the Ubisoft-owned studio Massive Entertainment and Lucasfilm Games, promises to bring a stunning narrative adventure with a brand new cast of characters to the "Star Wars" mythos. 

Lucasfilm Games VP Douglas Reilly had previously confirmed that Ubisoft already started work on an open-world game within the franchise back in early 2021, after EA lost its exclusive "Star Wars" video game publishing rights. Now, fans have finally gotten their first look at what the studio behind "Tom Clancy's: The Division" and "Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora" has to offer — and they have a lot of questions.

Will this be another Souls-like game similar to "Star Wars Jedi: Survivor," or perhaps an RPG like the upcoming "Knights of the Old Republic" remake? There isn't a ton of information available about the title available just yet, but there are a few details out there that might give fans a better picture of what to expect from "Outlaws."

The first thing most fans want to know about "Star Wars Outlaws" is when they'll actually be able to play it. Unfortunately, Massive Entertainment hasn't set a specific release date as of yet. That doesn't mean fans are completely in the dark about when it will be coming out, though: The studio has stated that the game will be launching sometime in 2024.

This is a bit later than some fans might have thought, given that a tweet from Ubisoft Creative Director Julian Gerighty initially implied that a new "Star Wars" game was planned for a 2023 release. Even so, it's still actually a pretty quick turn around for a AAA game that was only just announced, especially since it wasn't even officially revealed until halfway through 2023.

The studio has also shared some information about which platforms will support the game: Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC. These platforms make sense, given how graphically intense the announcement trailer is. And speaking of which...

One of the best ways for fans to learn about "Star Wars Outlaws" is to check out the cinematic trailer that was revealed during the Xbox Games Showcase. The trailer doesn't feature any gameplay, but it does give fans a good feel for the tone and story.

It opens with a massive space battle between rebel and imperial forces. The video then cuts several times, revealing marching stormtroopers, a pair of Gamorreans escorting what appears to be a frozen Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt's Palace, and a Sullustan being executed. From here, it cuts to a cantina where the game's protagonist, Kay Vess, must evade a group of bounty hunters. She's then forced to flee with the assistance of an adorable quadrupedal creature named Nix. As Kay's voiceover explains, although the empire is currently the dominant force in the galaxy, the Syndicate controls the Outer Rim territories — and Kay has been forced to operate under their criminal authority.

After the escape, it cuts to Kay meeting a man named Jaylen. He offers her a job, stating, "It'll be dangerous, risky — but if you pull this off, you'll never look over your shoulder again." The trailer concludes with a sizzle reel of big action sequences, proving that this is a "Star Wars" game through and through.

As some fans might have guessed from Han Solo's predicament in the trailer, the events in "Star Wars Outlaws" take place between "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi." This would be the time when the Empire is doggedly hunting rebel forces and Luke Skywalker is in the process of completing his Jedi training. It seems that Kay's journey will have little to do with these major cinematic events, however, as her journey will be more concerned with the regions outside of imperial space.

According to Ubisoft, her mission is to "pull off one of the greatest heists the Outer Rim has ever seen. [...] Kay will take on high-risk, high-reward missions from the galaxy's crime syndicates as she seeks the means to start a new life." It looks like the heist Ubisoft is referring to is probably the dangerous job that Jaylen offered Kay in the ship, and that the primary objective of the game will be to finally get out from under the Syndicate's thumb. 

Some of the gameplay for "Outlaws" was showcased during the Ubisoft Forward event on June 12, with a notable section showing Kay sneaking her way through a criminal base and taking out unaware guards. Kay can send Nix to perform simple tasks during these stealth sections, like pressing a button to interact with the environment. Most of the combat appears to be shooter-based. This makes sense, since Kay isn't a Jedi and probably won't be spending much time with a lightsaber in her hands. Notably, Kay's blaster doesn't appear to use ammunition. Instead, it seems to have a heat-gauge to the side of the crosshair, which needs time to cool down after prolonged bursts of fire.

Some traversal mechanics were also showcased, like Kay using a cable to rappel down from a ledge, riding a hoverbike to escape enemies and traverse the game's massive open world, flying her ship, and even engaging in ship-to-ship combat. While on the hoverbike, Kay also used an ability to slow down time and shoot two enemies pursuing her (similar to the Dead Eye mechanics of "Red Dead Redemption").

Some RPG mechanics were also revealed during the event. At one point, Kay meets with an imperial representative who tries to extort her. The game gives the player the option to try and bribe this character. It's still unclear how large of a role dialogue options like this will play in the game's overall design, but it's an exciting element that makes the world feel more lived-in.