Star Wars Outlaws May Finally Deliver on a Decade of Unrealized Potential

Star Wars Outlaws might just be the game that fans have been waiting over a decade for—a chance to dive into the galaxy's underworld, mingle with its infamous criminals, and embrace the life of a scoundrel.

Most Star Wars games have traditionally placed players in the roles of clear-cut heroes—members of the Rebel Alliance, noble Jedi, or even villains seeking redemption. But playing as morally ambiguous characters like smugglers or bounty hunters, in the vein of Han Solo or Boba Fett, is a rarity, especially in recent years.

It’s not for lack of trying. Several Star Wars titles have attempted, and failed, to bring players into the darker corners of the galaxy's lore. Star Wars Outlaws looks poised to succeed where others did not, finally offering a chance to immerse players in the gritty side of the Star Wars universe.

One previous attempt was the 2002 game Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, which starred Jango Fett. It was a straightforward third-person action game on the GameCube and PS2, set during the prequel era—a time less gritty and more polished than the original trilogy’s depiction of the Empire's oppressive rule of the galaxy.

So, why has this corner of the Star Wars universe been so difficult to explore? It turns out, the challenges have been more business-related than personal.

About a decade after Bounty Hunter, LucasArts introduced another promising project: Star Wars: 1313, unveiled at E3 2012. This third-person shooter was set to star the enigmatic bounty hunter Boba Fett, drawing clear inspiration from the Uncharted series with its blend of exploration, cover-based shooting, and cinematic flair. The game was visually stunning, leading many to believe it was being developed for the upcoming PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles.

Despite its impressive debut, Star Wars: 1313 quickly faded into obscurity. The project was officially canceled in 2013 following Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, which led to the decision to let external studios handle Star Wars game development.

Interestingly, Star Wars: 1313 was once linked to another scrapped Star Wars endeavor: a live-action TV series called Star Wars: Underworld, focused on the galaxy's criminal factions and bounty hunters. Footage from both projects exists, offering a glimpse into the Star Wars stories that could have been.

After LucasArts' attempt, another developer took a swing at a similar concept. In 2014, Amy Hennig, a former game director for the Uncharted series, began working on a story-driven, linear Star Wars adventure at EA’s Visceral Games studio. This project evolved into an open-world game where players could switch between various "space scoundrels."

Known internally as Project Ragtag, this game was briefly teased in 2016, showing early footage of a character navigating the streets of Tatooine under the watchful eyes of Imperial ships. Unfortunately, like Star Wars: 1313, Project Ragtag was plagued by setbacks. EA eventually shut down Visceral Games, passed the project to another team, and Hennig left EA shortly thereafter. In 2019, the project was officially canceled, signaling a lack of confidence in single-player, story-driven Star Wars games.

Hennig, however, has reentered the Star Wars gaming scene with her studio, Skydance New Media, which is developing a new, cinematic action-adventure game set in the Star Wars universe. For now, though, Skydance is focused on completing a World War II game for Marvel.

In 2021, Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment announced their own open-world, narrative-driven Star Wars game. Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft’s CEO, described it as “the beginning of a long-term collaboration with Disney and Lucasfilm Games.”

This project was eventually revealed as Star Wars Outlaws in 2023. The game promises to let players experience the rougher side of the Star Wars galaxy through the eyes of Kay Vess, a smuggler who navigates a world filled with cartels, Imperial officers, bounty hunters, and other scoundrels. This open-world game will take players across various planets and space routes, immersing them in the seedy underbelly of the Star Wars universe.

Star Wars Outlaws seems to carve out a unique space, different from other Star Wars games, by drawing on elements from Ubisoft’s open-world titles and the Grand Theft Auto series. Players will find themselves in the company of thieves, spies, and members of criminal syndicates. But it’s not all doom and gloom—Kay Vess is accompanied by a wisecracking droid sidekick and an endearing, furry alien pet, adding a touch of lightness to the gritty setting.

With its promise to explore the shadowy corners of the galaxy, Star Wars Outlaws could fulfill the unmet potential of past Star Wars projects, continuing the recent trend of compelling Star Wars stories that focus on bounty hunters and outlaws rather than the often-overdone Jedi narrative.