Ubisoft has reportedly canceled early development plans for a sequel to Star Wars Outlaws, according to industry insider Tom Henderson. The decision comes after the original game failed to meet sales expectations and received mixed reviews from critics and players alike.
Star Wars Outlaws, developed by Massive Entertainment and released as the first open-world Star Wars game, averaged around 75 on Metacritic. While praised for its visual detail and authentic Star Wars atmosphere, the game faced criticism for bland gameplay, uninspired quest design, and an unengaging main character.
According to Henderson’s report, discussions about a possible sequel were only in the very early stages and hadn’t officially gotten the go-ahead. But those plans have now been shelved because the original didn’t sell as well as Ubisoft hoped.
The original game put players in control of Kay Vess, a smuggler navigating the criminal underworld between the events of Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. It featured exploration, reputation systems with different factions, and combat that blended Ubisoft’s signature open-world design with the Star Wars universe.
Even though a sequel is off the table, DLC content that was already on the schedule is still in the works. That’s probably because of existing contracts and the DLC being pretty far along already.
Ubisoft’s choice shows companies are being more cautious when it comes to big, expensive licensed projects. With the costs of AAA games going through the roof, publishers are much less willing to gamble on new franchises when the first game doesn’t make a splash.
