Star Wars Outlaws Underperforms, Outsold by Jedi: Survivor
Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws, the franchise's first open-world title, is facing significant challenges. Released in August 2024, the game, despite initially positive reviews, has underwhelmed both critics and players, resulting in disappointing sales figures and a sharp drop in Ubisoft's stock price. The game's combat and stealth mechanics have been widely criticized.
Adding to Ubisoft's woes, reports indicate that Star Wars Outlaws is being outsold by 2023's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. While precise sales figures remain undisclosed, Jedi: Survivor's success, bolstered by its status as a sequel to a popular title and overwhelmingly positive reception, contrasts sharply with Outlaws' performance. In Europe, Star Wars Outlaws recently placed 47th on the 2024 best-selling video game list.
Several factors likely contribute to this disparity. Jedi: Survivor benefited from its established fanbase and critical acclaim. Furthermore, a subsequent PS4 and Xbox One release last year reignited interest in the game. Conversely, Outlaws has struggled to gain traction, despite ongoing updates and DLC releases.
Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment are banking on post-launch content to revitalize Outlaws' fortunes. The first DLC, "Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card," featuring Lando Calrissian, launched in November. A second expansion, "Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate's Fortune," is slated for Spring 2025 and will include the popular character Hondo Ohnaka. Whether this strategy will be enough to significantly boost sales remains to be seen.
