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Star Wars Outlaws launches in August and marks a bold new era for the franchise. Hot off a tour of a different sci-fi franchise, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora studio Massive Entertainment is leading development on the open-world adventure, transporting fans to the criminal underbelly of that universe as rival gangs and syndicates find a way to thrive under Imperial rule.
One big departure from previous Star Wars games is that Outlaws is one of the rare entries in the franchise where you’re not in control of a Jedi, as you’ll be playing as the scoundrel Kay Vess instead. A classic Han Solo type, Vess is a rogue familiar with the seedier side of the galaxy and she’s aiming to pull off a major heist that’ll allow her to live out her life in luxury.
Here’s everything that we know about Star Wars Outlaws so far, including its release date, post-launch plans, and a look at its interstellar gameplay.
Table of Contents [hide]Star Wars Outlaws Release DateStar Wars Outlaws Early AccessStar Wars Outlaws PlatformsStar Wars Outlaws Preorder BonusesStar Wars Outlaws StoryIs Star Wars Outlaws Open World?Star Wars Outlaws Post-Launch ExpansionsDoes Star Wars Outlaws Require An Active Internet Connection?Kay VessStar Wars Outlaws GameplayGameSpot’s Hands-On PreviewPC RequirementsMinimumRecommendedEnthusiastUltra
Star Wars Outlaws Release Date
Star Wars Outlaws will launch on August 30, a release window that will see it face some competition. Monster Jam Showdown arrives August 29, but headed into the early days of September, the new Ubisoft-developed game will also be facing off against Stalker: Heart of Chornobyl when it releases on September 5. Outlaws went “gold” on July 3, meaning the studio finished development on the base game, though as always, optimizing efforts and other development continues.
Star Wars Outlaws Early Access
If you’re looking to explore the criminal underbelly of Star Wars, the Gold and Digital Ultimate edition preorders include three-day early access to the game starting August 27. A subscription to Ubisoft Plus will get you access to the Ultimate Edition on PC at no additional charge.
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 Preorder Bonuses
Preorders are now live for all platforms, and each version of Star Wars Outlaws comes with its own preorder bonuses. All versions include the Kessel Runner DLC pack–a spaceship and a speeder skin–and preordering a physical copy of the standard or Gold edition at Target will also get you an exclusive steelbook case. Amazon is offering an exclusive Limited Edition with extra in-game content, while GameStop has a different exclusive version with its own set of exclusive in-game costumes.
For more details, you can check out GameSpot’s complete breakdown of every Star Wars Outlaws edition up for preorder and what they all have to offer.
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.”
Is Star Wars Outlaws Open World?
Ubisoft says Star Wars Outlaws is the first open-world Star Wars games ever. Players will explore “distinct locations” from across the Star Wars galaxy–and these will be both returning and new locations for the game.
Star Wars Outlaws Post-Launch Expansions
There will be two upcoming story packs, available either through the season pass or as standalone purchases. Season-pass owners will also gain an exclusive mission called “Jabba’s Gambit” after they meet up with the infamous crime lord. Ubisoft added that all players will have the opportunity to encounter the leader of the Hutt Cartel, echoing previous statements from the company regarding that mission being exclusive to season-pass holders.
For the story expansions, Ubisoft currently has the first one scheduled for a Fall 2024 release. Wild Card will see protagonist Kay Vess infiltrate a high-stakes Sabacc tournament and run into the galaxy’s smoothest gambler, Lando Calrissian. This being a mission that involves Lando, it’s not long before Kay realizes that there’s more to this tournament than meets the eye.
A Pirate’s Fortune will arrive in 2025, and this story will see Kay run into the infamous Hondo Ohnaka, who has a score to settle with some space pirates. Ohnaka has made quite a few appearances in Star Wars TV series like Clone Wars and Rebels, and if he’s anything like his animated counterpart, you can probably expect a double-cross or two from this self-serving–but charismatic–opportunist.
Does Star Wars Outlaws Require An Active Internet Connection?
Box art for Star Wars Outlaws includes a message that internet is “required” to install the game, even if you’re buying a physical edition. This is likely for a day-one patch to be installed, similar to other Ubisoft games like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, but it’s worth noting the warning doesn’t mean an internet connection will be required to play the game.
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.
GameSpot’s Hands-On Preview
Here at GameSpot, we got to try out a portion of Outlaws at Summer Game Fest. Editor Jordan Ramee went hands on with the game and reported that the game feels “mediocre” with a “protagonist who’s way too strong.”
“I walked away disappointed. Nothing about Outlaws feels bad; hell, bad would have been better than what I played, because then at least it could have been memorable in some way. Instead, Outlaws feels fairly mediocre and unmemorable,” Ramee said. “What I played feels like an amalgamation of different features and mechanics borrowed from other games that do those things better, all while masquerading as a Star Wars game without actually embodying the themes and storylines of Star Wars.”
PC Requirements
Ubisoft has released a list of the hardware you’ll need to run Star Wars Outlaws at its bare minimum and very best, and the one unifying factor here is that you’ll need an SSD with 65GB of storage capacity.
Beyond that, the requirements aren’t surprising. If you’re aiming for a 1080p 30fps experience using the low graphical presets, you’ll be fine with an old GPU like a GeForce GTX 1660 or an AMD RX 5600 XT, and to get the game running at 4K 60fps, you’ll unsurprisingly need to have a heavy-duty GeForce RTX 4080 with 16GB of VRAM or an AMD RX 7900 XTX with a whopping 24GB of VRAM. It’s worth noting that the settings factor in upscaling technology like Nvidia DLSS and AMD FSR, and Ubisoft added that additional features like uncapped frame rates, ultrawide monitor support, and cinematic display modes will be supported.
Minimum
Visual settings: 1080p at 30fps, low preset with upscaler set to quality.GPU: GeForce GTX 1660 6GB / AMD RX 5600 XT 6GB / Intel Arc a750 8GB (ReBAR ON)CPU: Intel Core i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600RAM: 16GB (dual-channel mode)OS: Windows 10/11 with DirectX 12SSD Storage: 65GB
Recommended
Visual settings: 1080p at 60fps, high preset with upscaler set to quality.GPU: GeForce RTX 3060 8GB / AMD RX 6700 XT 12GBCPU: Intel Core i5-10400 / AMD Ryzen 5 5600XRAM: 16GB (dual-channel mode)OS: Windows 10/11 with DirectX 12SSD Storage: 65GB
Enthusiast
Visual settings: 1440p at 60fps, high preset with upscaler set to quality.GPU: GeForce RTX 4070 12GB / AMD RX 6800 XT 16GBCPU: Intel Core i5-11600K / AMD Ryzen 7 5800XRAM: 16GB (dual-channel mode)OS: Windows 10/11 with DirectX 12SSD Storage: 65GB
Ultra
Visual settings: 4K at 60fps, ultra preset with upscaler set to quality.GPU: GeForce RTX 4080 16GB / AMD RX 7900 XTX 24GBCPU: Intel Core i7-12700K / AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3DRAM: 16GB (dual-channel mode)OS: Windows 10/11 with DirectX 12SSD Storage: 65GBUbisoft Forward Showcase 2023: The Biggest Announcements And Games
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