New Star Wars Outlaws trailer digs into life as a space scoundrel

To cross a Hutt

Ubisoft

Ubisoft showed off a new Star Wars Outlaws trailer at the June 2024 Ubisoft Forward and highlighted the space game’s scoundrel fantasy in a bit more detail. Much of what we saw in the new deep dive wasn’t exactly new – blaster fights and speeder rides across evocative landscapes are how Ubisoft Massive first introduced the Star Wars game – but there was one feature with potentially interesting implications: reputation.

Kay Vess, the smuggling scoundrel hero of our tale, can take on jobs for several of the galaxy’s worst syndicates, including the nefarious Hutts. Her actions influence her reputation with each syndicate, and depending on how nicely you play, you might find yourself with a less-than-warm welcome should you happen upon one of their representatives in the field. Ubisoft showed a few limited scenarios where your faction allegiance might influence certain choices, though it’s unclear how far-reaching the system’s influence might be.

Elsewhere, we saw another potentially innovative feature. Instead of unlocking new skills via the tired skill tree mechanic, Kay has to learn them from experts. She’ll track down locksmiths, smooth-talking varmints, and smart shooters to improve her abilities. These experts seem to have whole questlines attached to them, but before you even meet them, Kay has to scout out intel and figure out where they are.

It seems like a slightly more in-depth twist on Ubisoft’s standard open-world game formula, though whether it plays out that way, we’ll just have to wait and see. Star Wars Outlaws launches on Aug. 30, 2024, and Star Wars Outlaws pre-orders are open now.