Ubisoft needed a win. In fact, after years of burning through cash on canceled projects and repeatedly delayed games that failed to meet sales expectations, Ubisoft needed multiple wins. Seauite executives and analysts at one time predicted Star Wars Outlaws would provide the family-owned French publisher with a shot at financial recovery. It too fell well below commercial expectations despite heralding the next epoch of Star Wars games. >> Okay, get ready. >> For non one decade, Electronic Arts exclusively held the rights to develop and publish Star Wars branded interactive media. Two Battlefront revivals spawned from the multi-year agreement alongside Respawn Entertainment's Star Wars Jedi series and EA Motives dog fighting adventure Star Wars Squadrons. These releases enjoyed varying degrees of success. However, general consensus ultimately labeled the EA era disappointing at best and an abject failure at worst. >> You it up again. The 2021 announcement of Outlaws then generated much excitement, though the anticipation waned as the release date drew near. Not even the fun of fulfilling brand specific space and scoundrel fantasies could distract from the open world titles various flaws. Middling review scores and insufficient sales made matters worse, complicating Ubisoft's highly publicized financial struggles. >> Um, that follows a rough time for the company. They had issued a profit warning recently. They've been disappointed by the release of an important game, a Star Wars game. >> Again, the Assassin's Creed maker needed a win. After hedging its bets on space fairing rogues, the publisher felt compelled to bank on outside help for its continued survival. >> We know they're already an investor alongside the Gimmo family. But would Chinese buyers be able to get their hands on a prized French treasure? >> This is the tragedy of Star Wars Outlaws. On January 11th, 2021, Lucasfilm's previously defunct gaming division returned in the form of Lucasfilm games. Surprising news that marked the first step towards expanding the brand footprint across video games. The EA exclusivity deal, which dated back to 2013, ended just a couple of days later. Senior vice president of games at Disney, Jean Shop, explained the Madden publisher would remain a very strategic and important partner, but told Wired, "We did feel like there was room for others. Not unlike the Marvel games approach, Disney and Lucasfilm games wanted to spread the field by collaborating with an array of game creators. Enter Ubisoft and the crew best known for The Division, Massive Entertainment. During the E3 2018 trade show, where in Massive unveiled The Division 2, the studios then managing director, David Poffeld, had a run-in with Disney executives at a cafe out front. Massive already appeared on Disney's short list of potential future partners. Thus, the meetup revolved around what such a partnership would entail. The result, a pitch for an openw world adventure highlighting the galaxy's seed underbelly. Concept work began roughly one week before co lockdowns in early 2020. Senior developers took a two-e break, then shifted into remotely mapping out core ideas for the project. One constant remained presented throughout the brainstorming sessions. They would forego the usual Star Wars video game trappings of focalizing the Jedi or rebel forces to instead craft a hero's journey centering the scoundrel archetype. The Division 2 team putting its live service bonafides in the rear view led production efforts, specifically envisioning an openw world experience filter through the lens of more contained storytelling. Lucas Film Games went beyond simply approving Massu Scoundro fantasy proposal. The former ostensibly determined the game's setting by illuminating developers about a one-year period in Star Wars lore sandwiched between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. As creative director Julian Gerity told Comic Book Resources, "This period suited the scoundrel angle well because it followed the Rebel Alliance's defeat at the Battle of Hoth. Such a devastating loss precipitated the Empire's rise in dominance, thereby forcing the Rebel retreat into hiding. The unceasing conflict between these two factions constituted a boon for the underworld. Criminal syndicates across the galaxy exploited the ensuing turmoil. Suddenly finding themselves a wash in wealthb buildinging opportunities. It made sense for an open world title set against this backdrop to track the dealings of a Han Soloike outlaw. >> Uh had a slight weapons malfunction, but uh everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here now. Thank you. How are you? According to Geri though, the developers never considered Han Solo as a possible protagonist. Having decided in NASA ideation phases that they would pursue original stories with unique characters, a brand new character would undertake the scrappy underdog role. Their backstory seated in hardship while their relatively standard capabilities promoted stealth and combat-based gameplay mechanics. Massive invented K vest to play the part of a common pickpocket who grew up in the Kanto bite location created for the last Jedi. The Star Wars Outlaws narrative introduced Kay as a troublemaker with a bounty on her head. Her sole chance at freedom reliant on the successful completion of an impossible heist. Much went into making Kay relatable and believable from both a character design and casting perspective. For the game and former cover story, associate art director Martha Yoners recalled how artist created nearly every facet of the protagonist design with intent to reflect her outlaw ccentric identity. The broken nose and scars typified a survivor who lived rough. Her hair pin proved functional and fashionable since it doubled as a lockpicking tool. >> What' we get into, buddy? In addition, massive targeted personality traits that differentiated K from other modern gaming protagonists whose overconfidence and sarcastic qualities were often not believable. Outlaws as wisecracking scoundrel needed to be an identifiably flawed individual at the beginning of their journey. Casting Jinny and Georgia star Humberly Gonzalez helped further flesh out Kay's myriad layers. The developers re-evaluated the character following Gonzalez's hiring. in particular adding more humor inspired by the gung-ho nature in her performance. But Outlaws wasn't a oneperson show by any means. Another differentiating factor manifested in the creation of an alien creature named Nyx, who assumed the role of the game's second lead. Massive conceived Nyx in conjunction with Lucasfilm games, thereby inventing a new species in the Star Wars universe called Merkel. Originating from an unspecified rainforest planet, this axelottalike critter was developed to star alongside Caves and bring a unique take to the scoundrel archetype. Nyx consequently played the part of more than just a sweet and helpful pet companion. The Merkel could also exhibit fiercely protective behaviors. blaster. >> To ensure these disperate traits pervaded the moment to moment action, the team molded Nyx with the properties of several realworld creatures. His helpful qualities were derived from a behavioral pattern seen in lemurs and monkeys. Meanwhile, reptiles influenced his rougher tendencies. Players could dispatch the animal during stealth encounters to distract guards, for example, then later have him sneakily activate the explosive devices equipped by enemy NPCs. Still, the crew at Massive knew that despite their efforts in going against the grain, they were facing an uphill battle. A one-sided battle really, given the public had widely reduced all Ubisoft openw world games to bloated content farms. The studio went out of its way to change the narrative in Outlaw's favor by prioritizing meaningful interactions and worthwhile exploration opportunities. Yet, not even The Division creators could turn the tide in this regard. Capturing the 1970s Star Wars aesthetic constituted a focal point for developers, many of whom were longtime fans eager to honor the series. One way they accomplished as much rested in the development of an in-engine camera lens that replicated cinema lenses of the 70s. Speaking with gamesindustry.biz, biz. Julian Gerity noted the feature enabled camera distortion, lens flares, and a panovision lens vignetting chromatic aberration. Lucasfilm provided Rogue One's camera values as well, allowing Outlaw's designers to match the visual flare of the original trilogy through modern technology. Naturally, quality gameplay mechanics proved just as integral. Massive knew well the reputation of the Ubisoft house style, which endured years of critique since Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Watchd Dogs all seemed cut from the same cloth in some respects. But as Garity pointed out, Massive itself sprung from different roots entirely. Ubisoft had internally incubated most of its other teams, whereas the Swedish company broke ground independently, then found a home with Vendi before the 2008 Activision merger resulted in Ubisoft acquiring the studio. Such unique DNA inspired a relatively foreign approach to openw world development. For instance, instead of traditional upgrade trees, K's improvements stemmed from players seeking out experts in their craft, building a Padawan and masteresque relationship that set the protagonist on an adventure culminating in brand new skills. Everything is ingrained in the people and the world, Gity said of the method. Nowhere was this more apparent than in Outlaws's reputation system, which determined how the four in-game factions treated the aonomous scoundrel. Separated into six tiers, the system weighed heavily on the player's ability to earn unique rewards like cosmetic items and weapon upgrades. A terrible standing with a faction blocked Kay from entering certain territories, in turn, robbing her of new job opportunities. Meanwhile, reaching higher standings rewarded special gifts. Smaller actions like stealing affected the tally in their own right, the ensuing consequences adding up over time. >> What they think would happen. >> Of course, the feature ran the risk of feeling formulaic, considering players could increase their standings by completing factionspecific contracts, after which an opportunity to betray the contractor arose. Rinse and repeat. These inventive mechanics made all the difference though, especially during a period where in questions abound about whether openw world Ubisoft fatigue had picked up steam. This semblance of player agency didn't begin and end with reputation either. It was equally conveyed via tools letting the user express how Kay managed her interpersonal skills. Since not every situation necessitated blaster fire, the developers built tools that provided agency and conversations through consequential dialogue choices. I hope you know what you're doing. >> You are making a terrible mistake. The Hive will never survive. >> Simply put, Massive made doubly sure its sandbox played differently than anything else Ubisoft had on the market. The speeder and ship mechanics were designed by an ex- Criterion staffer with ties to the Battlefront series. Kay would encounter faces old and new on her journey, including iconic figures like Jabba the Hut and Lando Calissian. Familiar locations would be as easily accessible as never-beforeseen loces. Outlaws seemed nothing if not a love letter to the storied sci-fi brand. Yet, the response to the game's first trailer indicated the uphill battle showed no sign of slowing down. Lucasfilm Games has been busy. They announced their return as a brand on Monday and a new Indiana Jones game in partnership with Bethesda yesterday. Today, Lucasfilm Games and Ubisoft say they are working on a storydriven openw world Star Wars game. But what does that mean for EA? >> News of Ubisoft's Star Wars project made the rounds in January 2021, the same day the Electronic Arts exclusivity deal concluded. Details were scarce with Ubisoft merely confirming a narrative-driven openw world experience powered by Snowdrop. The proprietary engine originally built for The Division. Star Wars Outlaws entered the limelight in full during Xbox's June 2023 games showcase. A cinematic trailer unveiled Kess and Nyx. Its quick cuts teasing the types of ground and spaceflight action the duo would face in game. Reactions were fairly mixed. Many likened it to previously canceled projects like Star Wars 1313 and the shelved rag tag project once helmed by Uncharted creator Amy Henig. Some skeptics filled comment sections with their doubts about venturing into a Ubisoft sandbox. Others expressed exhaustion at the thought of yet another story set during the Skywalker saga. And then there were those who complained about the female lead and what her gender meant for the story and its themes. Skepticism made way for cautious optimism shortly thereafter. Once Mass debuted 10 minutes of gameplay footage at Ubisoft Forward 2023. Star Wars fans had high hopes for K's droid ally ND5 wanted to see more gunplay and couldn't believe how great the ship combat looked. The new game oozed potential. Yet that burst of momentum lasted only a short while. Kay's physical appearance became an easy target, predominantly spurred on by detractors debating her attractiveness or the perceived lack thereof. The character modeled after Humberly Gonzalez's likeness was called ugly, woke, and everything in between. Gity dismissed the comments as bad faith criticism, nonsense unworthy of response. The director stated during a chat with the Washington Post, "All we can do is make the best game possible." Undoubtedly, the pressure to be the best mounted after Ubisoft unveiled the title's special editions priced at $110. The gold edition included 3 days of early access and the season pass. The $130 Ultimate Bundle featured the same contents alongside exclusive cosmetic items and a digital artbook. All who purchased Outlaws at launch received it in an inferior state compared to those who waited. However, the game's earliest adopters were hit the hardest by its shortcomings. You can be pilot Imperial shuttle. Can you? The review embargo for Star Wars Outlaws lifted on August 26th, 2024, one day before early access began and 4 days ahead of the wide release. Lukewarm reviews flooded the web. evidenced in the Metacritic score settling around the mid70s across PC, PS5, and Xbox series platforms. Many critics thought it wonderfully faithful to the Star Wars mythos and aesthetic the scoundrel fantasy developers spent months touting had been achieved in full, courtesy of Kay's characterization and the improvisational swashbuckling gameplay. Outlaw's progression system garnered his fair share of praise, as did the reputation mechanic. Even the openw world design earned a few high marks with several outlets praising Massa for sideststepping Ubisoft's divisive formula. So where did the ostensible first ever open world Star Wars game fall short? Movement didn't feel sticky enough. Repetitive puzzles disrupted the flow. Some critics lamented the predominantly empty open world and others found the story bland at best. Game skinny dubbed Outlaws a familiar game that would neither offend nor astound. But the most consistent criticism centered on the litany of technical wos. Even Outlaws's incredibly engrossing qualities couldn't distract from issues such as graphical hiccups, missing NPCs, and broken quests. Players who paid extra for early access especially got the raw end of the deal. One day following the early access launch, Massive Entertainment pushed out a patch featuring bug fixes and 40fps support. The update seemed promising enough, yet an untold number of PS5 players loaded their existing save files post patch and found themselves stranded in space with no way out. Unfortunately, the hot fix meant to resolve this game-breaking error came with a caveat. Forcing players to start over with a new save, lest they encountered further progression blockers. If these problems weren't enough, stealth seemed inherently butchered at launch due to instafail states that locked users into unfairly punishing difficulty spikes. Julian Garity acknowledged the mistake and insisted the game would receive the necessary fixes. However, the patch didn't go live until Outlaw's 1.4.0 update arrived that November, in which developers cut most mission-based stealth requirements. By then, such moves were considered too little too late. Ubisoft's bottom line had already suffered and at a crucial time no less. Analysts and investors alike sounded the alarm, all forecasting the turmoil that awaited if future releases, namely the much delayed Assassin's Creed Shadows, failed to meet expectations. tweet that means Ubisoft share price has fallen to a near 10-year low since the release of Star Wars Outlaws. Analysts are attributing it to a poor than expected start for the game. At >> a time when the stock price is €10 a share, down from over €100 a share back in 2018. How did Ubisoft get here? How does this happen? >> Just today, it dropped 20%. What once traded at €94 is now trading for €9.2. This is dire. September 3rd, 2024 was far from a good day for Ubisoft. This otherwise ordinary Tuesday marked the second consecutive 24-hour period where Ubisoft shares fell precipitously. Reuters reported the shares were trading at their lowest levels since 2015 and adding to their over 30% drop since the start of 2024. X Defiance's lower than expected performance earlier in the year contributed to the deficit as well, leaving the belleaguered company in a rather precarious position. Ubisoft still had faith in Outlaws as of July, though given CFO Frederick Dugay's confidence that the game would boost second quarter net bookings. Plus, at the time, AC Shadows' mid- November due date appeared poised to bolster financial recovery efforts after years of negative cash flow driven by recurring game cancellations and delays. The Star Wars project's soft sales and the ensuing stock market response inspired at least one investor, however minor, to pen a strongly worded letter. Slovakia based hedge fund AJ Investments, holding less than 1% of all shares, urged Ubisoft's board of directors to consider selling the company or going private. The open letter further proposed cost cutting measures and the resignation of CEO Eve Gimmo. Notably, the share price suffered another sharp decline when AC Shadows moved from November 2024 to an early 2025 launch window. Within days of the news, AJ Investments issued a second letter claiming to have mustered support from 10% of the publisher shareholders. The late September notice read in part, "We call on the management of Ubisoft to allow the sale of the company to third parties or private equity firms at a fair price." By this point, Ubisoft HQ had already acknowledged Star Wars Outlaws' poor performance, but insisted support would persist unabated. Developers were mobilizing to swiftly implement a series of updates to polish and improve the player experience with hopes of appeasing a wider audience just in time for the holiday season. If all worked in Ubisoft's favor, the changes could position Star Wars Outlaws as a strong long-term performer. The aforementioned 1.4.0 title update helped get the ball rolling since it removed stealth requirements, improved facial animations, and addressed a laundry list of bugs. Outlaws's first season pass installment arrived alongside the patch, introducing the wildcard narrative expansion, wherein Kest crossed paths with Lando Calissian. And still, Outlaws struggled to attract an audience, merely ranking 47th on Europe's bestselling games list for 2024 and selling less than Respawn Entertainment Star Wars Jedi Survivor, which hit stores one year prior. A change in tactics was in order for the sake of the company's survival. >> Yes. So in terms of u strategic options um yes we as as we said early January we appointed u advisor so at the very beginning of the month um so now the process is ongoing uh of course we can't share uh much more than than that but we are >> the French publisher wouldn't exactly leave its disappointing 2024 in the past instead 2025 opened with an unexpected investor call during which leadership announced the appointment of advisers tasked with actively exploring various strategic and capitalistic options to unlock the full value potential of Ubisoft assets. In March, Ubisoft revealed the stabilization effort had resulted in the jointly established new gaming subsidiary based on the Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6 properties. Chinese tech giant 10 cent, already owning a 9.99% stake in Ubisoft, would invest€1.16 billion euros for a minority stake of about 25% in the entity. Executives claimed the joint venture valued at approximately €4 billion would increase the quality of narrative-driven solo experiences, expand multiplayer offerings with increased frequency of content release, and introduce free-to-play touch points. Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow 6 were singled out because they constituted three of the largest brands under the Ubisoft umbrella. The publisher partially addressed what this meant for other franchises, explaining in a statement that it planned to focus on nurturing the development of iconic IP, including Ghost Recon and The Division, outside of the 10-centent backed subsidiary. As the two companies ironed out the details behind the scenes, Massive Entertainment continued delivering fresh Star Wars Outlaws content. The most significant release arriving in May 2025 with a pirate's fortune. Like Wildcard, the second story pack saw Kas meet a classic character, Hondo Anaka of the Clone Wars fame, and embark on an action-packed adventure in local both iconic and new. A pirate's fortune represented the last of Outlaw's consequential content drops. A reality that didn't mesh with the one previously envisioned by creative director Julian Gerity, who once told Games Radar he hoped to support the adventure for years, likely in a fashion resembling AC Valhalla's multi-year road map. Comparable to The Division 2's production, 600 developers across 11 studios brought the disperate parts of Outlaws together in a 4-year time span. They reportedly did so on a budget 30% higher than that of Assassin's Creed Mirage. Ubisoft hasn't disclosed sales numbers, though insider gaming sources alleged the title moved a poultry 1 million units within roughly 1 month of release, indicating a significant financial loss when considering how poorly Outlaws sold during its debut year. While the future looks bleak for this specific Star Wars tale, Ubisoft may come out the other side of it. Worse for wear, but still kicking nonetheless. The new division partially owned by 10centent began operations in October 2025 under the name Vantage Studios and the pair completed the investment deal weeks later. The Chinese conglomerate holding 26.32% economic interest in the studio exclusively controlled and consolidated by Ubisoft. How the latter intends to manage assets that exist outside the Vantage purview remains a mystery. Ubisoft has long kept itself afloat through arguably untenable operations. As of March 2022, more than 20,000 people were employed at in-house outfits around the globe, a headcount reduced by 1,700 two years thereafter. Pundits called the corporation bloated even after the rampant layoffs. Dissatisfied shareholders like AJ Investments called it mismanaged. Thus, reason suggests a shakeup was a long time coming. Of course, the blame shouldn't rest solely at the feet of Star Wars Outlaws and Massive Entertainment, but the commercial failure poured salt into a festering wound. The tragedy of the KS adventure lies with the management whose questionable decision-making expected several risky endeavors to pull a company back from the brink when it was already dangerously teetering over the edge. >> So where do we go next? Anywhere we want. Andy. Thank you for watching our video. We'd like to take this time to thank by name the generous patreons who have pledged to our Hall of Fame reward tier. Disco Cobra 2013 Ice Cold Water $1, Karu Sauer Crowd, Shuan Chenwin, Fat Green Dragon, and those currently subscribed to our producer rewards tier, Dave Asher, DCXNG, DJ Redden, Edward Reigns, Fallen Asterisk, Jaguar Knot, Yan Christopherson, Crash Course, Matthew Mclofflin, Pierre Burell, Crase. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our channel and backing us on Patreon.