Ubisoft is reportedly pressuring Valve to hide concurrent player counts for its games on Steam, as the company struggles with poor game performance and investor concerns. This move aims to manage perceptions, especially after the disappointing launch of 'Star Wars: Outlaws,' which saw low player engagement despite significant marketing efforts. Ubisoft's actions reflect a broader industry trend of obscuring performance metrics to avoid negative public and investor reactions.
Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws is now available for $39.99 on Amazon as part of a Black Friday deal, down from its previous best price of $49.99. This comes after the release of Title Update 1.4.0, which removes most stealth requirements and improves various game elements like enemy AI and animations. Despite positive reviews, the game struggled with sales, prompting Ubisoft to enhance the game and offer discounts to boost its popularity.
Microsoft has paused updates to Windows 11 version 24H2 for PCs with certain Ubisoft games, including Assassin's Creed titles and Star Wars Outlaws, due to crashing issues. The company is collaborating with Ubisoft to resolve the problem and advises against manually installing the update. Ubisoft has issued a temporary hotfix for Star Wars Outlaws, but performance issues may persist.
The first DLC expansion for Star Wars Outlaws, titled Wild Card, is now available, offering players four new Xbox achievements. The expansion involves a mission on a casino cruiser called the Morenia, featuring a high-stakes Sabacc tournament and an encounter with Lando Calrissian. The DLC is included in the Season Pass or can be purchased separately, and it takes about three hours to complete, offering a total of 200 Gamerscore. Additionally, a major update has been released, removing most instant-fail stealth sections and enhancing combat.
The latest update for Star Wars Outlaws removes forced stealth mechanics, allowing players more freedom to choose between stealth and combat. This change addresses player feedback about restrictive gameplay and inconsistent detection mechanics. While the update has been positively received for enhancing player choice, some players remain dissatisfied due to unresolved graphics issues on PlayStation 5 Pro and the addition of NPC detection indicators. The game, which launched to mixed reviews, is now seen as improving towards the polish expected at release.
Ubisoft has announced the removal of forced stealth sections from most quest objectives in Star Wars Outlaws, allowing players more freedom in how they approach missions. The update, part of Title Update 1.4.0, means players can now choose between stealth, combat, or a mix of both, enhancing player agency and choice. This change addresses frustrations with the previous stealth mechanics, allowing for a more flexible gameplay experience.
Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws is set to undergo significant changes under new creative director Drew Rechner, following disappointing sales despite positive reviews. The upcoming Update 1.4, releasing on November 21 alongside the game's Steam launch, will focus on enhancing combat, stealth, and character controls to better align with player expectations. These improvements aim to boost sales during the holiday season, as Ubisoft faces broader challenges, including rumors of a takeover and delays in other projects.
Ubisoft has announced a major update for Star Wars Outlaws, focusing on enhancing combat, stealth, and character controls. Creative director Drew Rechner highlighted improvements in tactical combat depth, enemy detection in stealth, and overall character control responsiveness. The update, Title Update 1.4, will be released on November 21, coinciding with the game's Steam launch and its first story DLC, Wild Card. This update is part of Ubisoft's efforts to improve the game's performance following its underwhelming commercial reception.
This week in gaming, we learned that the upcoming Star Wars game, Outlaws, will explore the life of a smuggler in the Star Wars universe and is set to release in 2024. Persona 3 is leaving Xbox Game Pass soon, so players are encouraged to experience it before it's gone. Grand Theft Auto V is also set to leave Game Pass, prompting players to purchase the game if they wish to continue playing. Kotaku offers a weekend guide with game recommendations to start the new year, and the Epic Games Store is hosting a sale on the "Remedyverse" games, including Alan Wake and Control.
This week in gaming, a 13-year-old achieved a "kill screen" in Tetris on NES, Steam's player choice awards raised eyebrows with some unexpected winners, and The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall received a fan-made remaster. Additionally, Jukai Studio closed due to cyberattacks and poor sales, Star Citizen revealed a $48,000 DLC pack, Baldur's Gate 3 featured a touching tribute, Ubisoft clarified Star Wars Outlaws' release window, and City of Heroes' private server got an official nod to continue.
Ubisoft's open world game, Star Wars Outlaws, is set to release in late 2024, as revealed in a Disney Parks blog post. The game, which takes place between Episodes 5 and 6 of the Star Wars saga, allows players to explore the galaxy as the character Kay Vess and her axolotl-like companion, Nix. Star Wars Outlaws promises a "handcrafted" open-world experience, with each planet being comparable in size to multiple regions from Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
