A sequel toStar Wars Outlawshas reportedly been canceled, and Ubisoft has been offloading some of the blame. The 2024 action-adventure game follows smuggler Kay Vess across multiplehives of scum and villainyin the galaxy far, far away, and while it was generally well-received, sales were not up to publisher Ubisoft’s expectations.
Industry insider Tom Henderson, fromInsider Gaming, recently spoke on the site’s podcast claiming Ubisoft has canceled the in-development sequel toStar Wars Outlaws(viaPush Square). Henderson has generally reliable information, especially regarding Ubisoft projects. The reported cancellation comes just days afterUbisoft CEO Yves Guillemot blamed the current state of Disney’sStar Warsbrand forOutlaws' poor sales performance.
Sequel To Star Wars Outlaws Has Reportedly Been Canceled By Ubisoft
Riding Off Into The Twin Sunset
Star Wars Outlawshad a lot of expectations behind it,billed as the first ever open-world game in the franchise. Players can openly explore ahandful of new and iconic planetswhile making connections in the galaxy’s criminal underworld.Star Warshas long been a powerhouse media franchise, but the name recognition apparently wasn’t enough to meet Ubisoft’s goals.
WithStar Wars Outlawsjust launching late last year, the supposed sequel would likely have been in the earliest stages of development. Henderson is broadly tuned in to the goings-on at Ubisoft, generally being the source forunannouncedAssassin’s Creedprojects.Outlaws' poor financial return appears to be the primary motivator behind the reported cancellationof its sequel.
Ubisoft CEO Blamed Star Wars Brand For Poor Outlaws Sales
The Force Is Not With The Franchise
DespiteOutlaws' reputation improving after its technical issues at launch were addressed, the game had a rather tepid reception among players, and Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot blames a larger ambivalence towardsStar Warsas a whole. In a general meeting held at the publisher, Guillemot was asked about the game’s poor performance, and said,“First, it suffered from the fact that it was released at a time when the brand that it belonged to was in a bit of choppy waters,“according toJedi News.
Guillemot citesTales of the Empire,Skeleton Crew, andThe Acolyte’s controversial cancellationin the same year. Even earlier, there is also the poor reputation garnered by the third season ofThe Mandalorian,The Book of Boba Fett, andObi-Wan Kenobi.The franchise has arguably been in a downward spiralsinceThe Rise of Skywalkerdisappointed audiences.
To the CEO’s credit, he also saysOutlaws"needed to be polished,“acknowledging that its poor performance turned potential buyers away. In general, Guillemot has hit on something –Star Warsdoes not seem as popular as it did a few years ago. However,Andor’s second season is widely praised, and on the gaming side,Battlefront 2’s massive resurgenceshows there’s still interest.
Regardless of the reasoning, it would appear thatStar Wars Outlawswill not turn into a series. Developer Massive Entertainment is currently working on the Nintendo Switch 2 version, a majorAvatar: Frontiers of Pandoraupdate, and the upcomingTom Clancy’s The Divison 3.
Sources:Insider Gaming/YouTube(viaPush Square),Jedi News
Star Wars Outlaws
Set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Outlaws is an open-world action-adventure game where players hop into the scoundrel boots of Kay Vess, a woman who travels the galaxy Looking for a better life. Together with her furry partner Nix and new allies she meets along the way, Kay will navigate the various landscapes, towns, and planets across the galaxy while outsmarting both Crime Syndicates and the Empire.
