Star Wars Outlaws Faces Further Sales Decline

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 for Star Wars Outlaws, Ubisoft's ambitious open-world title is being outsold by the 2023 release, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Despite receiving largely positive early reviews upon its launch in August 2024, the game has faced significant criticism from players, particularly regarding its combat and stealth mechanics. Ubisoft has attempted to address these issues through subsequent updates, but these efforts have not been enough to win back initial detractors.

The underwhelming reception has translated into poor financial performance for Star Wars Outlaws, the first truly open-world Star Wars game. Ubisoft acknowledged in September that the game did not meet its sales targets. The company's stocks experienced a sharp decline shortly after the game's release on August 27, 2024, intensifying concerns about Ubisoft's future and sparking discussions about potentially taking the company private. Despite these setbacks, both Ubisoft and developer Massive Entertainment remain hopeful that Star Wars Outlaws can recover with the help of planned post-launch DLC.

Adding to the challenges, a recent report by VGC and former GamesIndustry.biz journalist Christopher Dring highlighted that Star Wars Outlaws is not only underperforming but is also being outsold by Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Respawn Entertainment's action-packed sequel has managed to outsell Star Wars Outlaws, though specific sales figures have not been disclosed. In Europe, Star Wars Outlaws 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, it benefited from an established fanbase and received widespread acclaim upon its release in April 2023. Additionally, EA and Respawn's release of an update for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor on PS4 and Xbox One last year helped reignite interest in Cal Kestis's journey.

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 updates and story DLC. The first expansion, Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card, released in November, featured Kay Vess teaming up with Lando Calrissian. The upcoming second DLC, Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate’s Fortune, slated for Spring 2025, will bring back the beloved character Hondo Ohnaka from Star Wars: The Clone Wars.