Star Wars Outlaws – Gameplay, Characters, And Everything We Know

It’s a new era for Star Wars games, as more publishers and developers are getting a chance to spin tales in that iconic galaxy after years of EA exclusivity. One of these projects is Star Wars Outlaws, an ambitious open-world game set in numerous hives of scum and villainy that don’t typically make the cut for a big-budget Star Wars game.

With Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora studio Massive Entertainment leading development duties on this new Star Wars experience, players will get the chance to play as a new character looking to escape the iron-fisted grip of the Empire and walk away from the galactic civil war with a major payday.

Unlike other high-profile Star Wars games, Outlaws puts you in the boots of an opportunist who doesn’t have Force powers to call upon when she finds herself outgunned in speeder shoot-outs and interstellar combat.

Following its gameplay deep dive at the June Ubisoft Forward event, here’s everything that we know about Star Wars Outlaws so far, from its targeted release date to its big bot sidekick who fans have fallen in love with.

Star Wars Outlaws Release date window

Currently, Ubisoft has a 2024 release date penciled in for Star Wars Outlaws. While some games from the company have received massive delays over the last couple of months–see Skull and Bones or the remake of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time for example–there’s a good chance that the game will be available in this nebulous release window, as there are thus far no indications that the game will be delayed.

Star Wars Outlaws Platforms

Like a growing number of upcoming games, Star Wars Outlaws will be leaving last-gen consoles behind as it charts a course for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Star Wars Outlaws Story

After years of Jedi adventures, Star Wars Outlaws is putting you in the boots of a scoundrel by the name of Kay Vess, who finds herself on the galaxy’s most wanted list. Vess has to explore distant planets in an effort to start a new life, Vess has to fight, steal, and outwit her way through a deadly galaxy as she tangles with various syndicates and criminals in an adventure that’s set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

At the same time, Vess is attempting to pull off the biggest heist that the Outer Rim has ever seen, but that plan will require her to think several steps ahead of the criminal syndicates and the Empire. According to narrative director Navid Khavari, Outlaws shines a light on the Star Wars underworld, which has fittingly stuck to the shadows since the rise of the Empire.

“What happens when you have a civil war consuming the galaxy? Well, criminal organizations and syndicates, they find a space to rise up,” Khavari explained. “This [era sees] them thriving and seeking all kinds of opportunities–them at their strongest, to a certain extent. To enter into the underworld within that window felt like a perfect starting point for someone like Kay and for the player.”

Kay Vess

So who is Kay Vess? Ubisoft describes her as a scoundrel who knows how to talk her way out of a hairy situation or settle a dispute with a blaster. Brought to life by actress Humberly Gonzalez, who provided the voice and motion capture for the character, Vess has a bounty on her back and plenty of heat. On the bright side, she has two allies in her quest to find a better life: Nixx, an adorably fluffy companion, and ND-5, a BX-Series Droid Commando that has become a fan-favorite in the Star Wars community for its killer combo of fashion sense and dry one-liners.

“The beauty of having a character like Kay Vess is this is her first step into the underworld and we’re experiencing that alongside of her,” Khavari said. “She is also a cunning thief, that is her trade. That’s where she came from. And [she] and Nix together have sort of been fighting every single day to survive. One of the things we always talked about as a team is, we put ourselves in the mind of Kay and how she acts. She’s not perfect, she hasn’t figured everything out yet, and that feels great. That feels natural and fresh in what we’re trying to do. And so, being able to go into that journey with her–to watch her navigate the underworld and have that sort of experience where you’re learning it alongside her–it feels great. I think that the team is super excited about that.”

Star Wars Outlaws Gameplay

The first gameplay reveal for Outlaws showed off a lot of what Kay is capable of. As a rogue in a dangerous galaxy, Kay is used to shooting first and asking questions later, and she’ll be able to get into blaster shootouts and outer space dogfights during the course of her journey. Interestingly, diplomacy is also a vital part of the game and Kay will be faced with moments that she’ll need to talk her way out of or face deadly consequences in this open-world Star Wars game.

Interestingly, the game also has crafting elements as Kay will be able to upgrade her blaster and gadgets, and Nix can tackle enemies, distract them, and interact with items in the environment. Adding some more Grand Theft Yavin flavor to the gameplay is a Wanted system, but details on how this works and how far you can push the Empire with Kay’s actions haven’t been revealed yet. Khavari added that Ubisoft’s goal is to create a “truly cinematic” gaming experience that players can take part in.