When does ‘Star Wars Outlaws’ take place?

After EA met critical and public acclaim with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Ubisoft will try to take a piece of Lucasfilm’s profitable IP cake with the release of Star Wars Outlaws.

In Star Wars Outlaws, you play as Kay Vess, a criminal with a huge debt to pay. Instead of fighting for the Galaxy’s fate and choosing between the Light and Dark sides of the Force, you work with the many crime syndicates to find the one job that can make you rich and buy your freedom. It’s an exciting concept that promises to explore unknown corners of the Galaxy far, far away and reveals the criminal entrails of the Star Wars universe.

Even though Star Wars Outlaws tells an original story, the game nods at some of the main characters of the Skywalker Saga. That’s because Star Wars Outlaws is set at a specific moment in the timeline, between two movies from the original trilogy.

Star Wars Outlaws is set in the middle of the original trilogy

Star Wars Outlaws events will unfold between the end of Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and the beginning of Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. For those needing a reminder, The Empire Strikes Back ends with Jabba the Hut capturing Han Solo and the reveal that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker’s father. After the Rebels destroyed the first Death Star, the Empire became entirely focused on snuffing the flames of insurrection. The Empire Strikes Back underlines how dangerous the Empire can be, but the war for the sake of the Galaxy rages on, extending until Return of the Jedi. 

Around one year goes by between Episodes V and VI, which means there’s a considerable gap that Ubisoft can use for Star Wars Outlaws. In addition, the turmoil caused by the conflict between the Rebels and the Empire creates the cover the crime syndicate needs to expand its business and make millions of credits on the backs of innocent people.

That’s the background of Kay Vess’ journey, who will be in the middle of the disputes between gangsters, criminals, and bounty hunters. That’s why Jabba is a prominent character in Star Wars Outlaws’ marketing campaign and why Kay will even encounter Han Solo’s frozen body. Star Wars Outlaws will be available for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows. However, it can only be acquired on PC through the Ubisoft Connect DRM. Players who sign up for the Ubisoft+ service will have access to Star Wars Outlaws as part of their subscription. The game will be released on August 30, 2024.