Star Wars Outlaws release date is August 30, three editions ready for pre-order

Star Wars Outlaws is dropping on August 30 and many new details about the game have been announced.

New Star Wars Outlaws story details

Ubisoft has released a new story trailer for Star Wars Outlaws, their upcoming sci-fi scoundrel simulator set in a galaxy far, far away. The trailer explains that protagonist Kay Vess has crossed paths with Sliro, the head honcho of the Zerek Besh crime syndicate. To get out of this jar of pickles, she’ll need to rob his fortune and buy her freedom since she wants to live free while everyone else fights for their slice of the galaxy. Kay will also need help from her crew: Nyx, her alien pet, and ND-5, a commando droid, among others.

While planning her heist, she’ll also need to deal with bounty hunters sent after her by Sliro, as well as notorious figures in the Star Wars underworld, such as Jabba the Hutt of the Hutt syndicate. The game is set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, so the Empire is currently focusing on snuffing out the Rebellion. This will allow the syndicates to make millions since the Empire won’t be focusing on them for the time being.

The latest Game Informer cover article also states that other syndicates like the Crimson Dawn led by Qi’ra (from Solo: a Star Wars Story), the Ashiga clan led by Queen Ashiga (a brand new faction made for Outlaws), and the Pyke syndicate led by Gorak will make appearances in the game and that Kay will need to deal with them as well. Not only that, one bounty hunter mentions that Kay is “mixed up in something bigger,” though it’s unknown what exactly Kay is part of.

The Game Informer article also has new details from Julian Gerighty, the creative director at developer Massive Entertainment. Gerighty said that the developer is making cities smaller and more compact with multiple activities to partake in, rather than having large cities with nothing to do.

Planet will also have multiple points of interest, such as dogfights, to engage in. Gerighty said that planets and moons created needed to be “populated with lots of different things” and that the team didn’t wish to create endless space.

Reputation and enemies

Minigames and reputations are also mentioned in the Game Informer article. If Kay is in good standing with a syndicate, she will have access to new jobs, shops selling higher-quality items, new intel and rumors, and be invited to high-stakes games of Sabacc, the Star Wars version of poker or blackjack.

The trailer also points out that Kay is a newcomer to the criminal underworld and will need to build up a reputation of her own to be respected and be able to speak with those higher up on the criminal totem pole.

Multiple locales are shown, from Jabba the Hutt’s palace (complete with Jabba himself and Han Solo frozen in Carbonite) to an Imperial Star Destroyer where Kay steals her ship from. A snowy town where Kay gets into a firefight, as well as the infamous Sarlacc Pit, are also featured.

Imperial Dark Troopers and AT-STs can also be seen, hinting that they’ll have a role to play in Outlaws as roadblocks for the main cast. A giant sandworm (AKA Krayt Dragon) can also be seen attacking Kay and she’ll also be dealing with bounty hunters on her tail.

The editions of Star Wars Outlaws and pre-order bonuses

In typical Ubisoft fashion, three editions of Star Wars Outlaws are now available for pre-order:

• The standard edition, which includes the base game
• The Gold Edition, which contains the base game, a season pass, and three-day early access if pre-ordered
• The Ultimate Edition, which contains everything the gold edition has and includes the Sabacc Shark bundle, the Rogue Infiltrator bundle, and a digital artbook (it’s also ridiculously expensive)

Pre-ordering any edition will give players the Kessel Runner Bonus pack that includes new cosmetic options for the speeder bike and the Trailblazer.

Star Wars Outlaws is set to launch on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.