Summary
- Star Wars Outlaws is being outsold by 2023's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
- Ubisoft’s stocks dropped sharply following the launch of Star Wars Outlaws in August 2024.
- Players dislike the game's combat and stealth mechanics.
In a challenging development for Star Wars Outlaws, Ubisoft's ambitious open-world title is reportedly being outsold by 2023's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Despite receiving largely positive early reviews upon its launch last August, players have expressed significant dissatisfaction with the game's combat and stealth mechanics. Ubisoft has attempted to address these issues through subsequent updates, but these efforts have not been enough to win back those initially disappointed by the game.
The underwhelming reception has led to disappointing financial performance for Star Wars Outlaws, the first truly open-world Star Wars title. Ubisoft acknowledged in September that the game did not meet its sales expectations. Following the game's release on August 27, 2024, Ubisoft's stock prices experienced a sharp decline, intensifying concerns about the company's future and prompting discussions about potentially taking it private. Despite these setbacks, Ubisoft and developer Massive Entertainment remain hopeful that planned post-launch DLC will help revive interest in Star Wars Outlaws.
Adding to the challenges, a recent report by VGC and former GamesIndustry.biz journalist Christopher Dring revealed that Star Wars Outlaws is not only underperforming overall but is being outsold by Star Wars Jedi: Survivor from 2023. Respawn Entertainment's single-player action sequel has managed to outsell Star Wars Outlaws, although specific sales figures have not been disclosed. In Europe, Star Wars Outlaws was recently ranked as the 47th best-selling video game of 2024.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is Outselling Star Wars Outlaws
Several factors may explain why Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is outperforming Star Wars Outlaws. As a sequel to the successful Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Survivor benefited from an established fan base and received widespread acclaim upon its release in April 2023. Additionally, EA and Respawn boosted interest last year by releasing an update for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor on PS4 and Xbox One, reigniting enthusiasm for Cal Kestis's latest adventure.
In contrast, Star Wars Outlaws has struggled to capture a broad audience, despite ongoing efforts by Massive Entertainment to improve the game with update patches and additional story content. The first expansion, Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card, released in November, featured a collaboration between protagonist Kay Vess and Lando Calrissian. The upcoming second DLC, Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate’s Fortune, is scheduled for release in Spring 2025 and will include the return of the beloved Star Wars: The Clone Wars character Hondo Ohnaka.
