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 disappointing turn of events for Star Wars Outlaws, Ubisoft’s ambitious open-world title is reportedly being outsold by 2023’s Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Despite early positive reviews at its launch in August 2024, the game has faced significant criticism from players, particularly regarding its combat and stealth mechanics. Although Ubisoft attempted to address these issues through subsequent updates, the efforts have not managed to win back those who initially found Star Wars Outlaws lacking.
The underwhelming reception has led to poor sales performance for what was meant to be the first truly open-world Star Wars title. In September, Ubisoft acknowledged that Star Wars Outlaws did not meet its sales expectations. The disappointing launch was followed by a sharp drop in Ubisoft's stocks on August 27, 2024, raising concerns about the company’s future and prompting discussions about potentially taking Ubisoft private. Despite these setbacks, both Ubisoft and the game's developer, Massive Entertainment, remain hopeful that Star Wars Outlaws can regain traction with its planned post-launch DLC.
A recent report from VGC and former GamesIndustry.biz journalist Christopher Dring further dampened this hope, revealing that Star Wars Outlaws is not only underperforming but is also being outsold by Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Respawn Entertainment's single-player action sequel has managed to outsell Star Wars Outlaws, though specific sales figures have not been disclosed. In Europe, Star Wars Outlaws was 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, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor benefited from an established fanbase and received widespread acclaim upon its release in April 2023. Last year, EA and Respawn further boosted its popularity with an update for the PS4 and Xbox One versions, reigniting interest in Cal Kestis's latest adventure.
On the other hand, Star Wars Outlaws has struggled to capture a similar audience. Despite ongoing efforts by Massive Entertainment to enhance the game with patches and additional content, Star Wars Outlaws has yet to find its footing. The first expansion, Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card, released in November, introduced a storyline where Kay Vess collaborates with Lando Calrissian. A second DLC, Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate’s Fortune, is slated for release in Spring 2025 and will feature the return of the beloved character Hondo Ohnaka from Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
