Ubisoft's Underperforming Star Wars Outlaws Coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025

Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws is getting a second shot—this time on the Nintendo Switch 2. After a less-than-stellar launch, the first-ever open-world Star Wars game is set to arrive on Nintendo’s next-gen console in 2025, as confirmed during the April 2 Nintendo Direct showcase.

Originally released in August 2024 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and a month later PC, Star Wars Outlaws kicked off with over a million copies sold in its first month. Not bad, right? Well, not quite. Ubisoft had much higher expectations—around 5-6 million by the end of 2024—so the actual numbers were "softer than expected". This underperformance even sent Ubisoft’s stock tumbling by over 10% and led to some hefty discounts, with the game dropping to $40 within months of launch.

In Star Wars Outlaws, players take on the role of Kay Vess (voiced by Humberly González) and her trusty companion Nix (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) as they pull off a high-stakes heist in the Outer Rim. On paper, it sounds fantastic—an open-world Star Wars adventure filled with space crime and rebellion. But in reality, the game didn’t quite deliver on expectations.

Reviews were mixed, with a Metacritic score floating around 76/100 for PS5. Critics called out the game for sticking too closely to Ubisoft’s usual open-world formula without bringing much new to the table. Combat and exploration felt clunky compared to other open-world hits, and the technical issues didn’t help. PC players, even those with high-end rigs, struggled with optimization problems, and some PlayStation users ran into broken trophies—like the infamous "Old School Cool" achievement, which remained bugged for weeks post-launch.

Despite some rough edges, Star Wars Outlaws did get some recognition. It was nominated for "Best Art Direction" at The Game Awards 2024 and made the shortlist for "Best Visual Design" at the Golden Joystick Awards. The game’s breathtaking planetary backdrops and Ralph McQuarrie-inspired art style were among its strongest points.

The game had some brief moments of success post-launch—breaking into the top 10 best-selling PS5 games in the U.S. in September 2024. But as time went on, it quickly lost momentum, with some older Star Wars titles eventually outselling it.

Now, Ubisoft is hoping the Nintendo Switch 2 port will help breathe new life into the game and recoup some of its development costs. The move follows backlash over the game’s pricey $109.99 Ultimate Edition, which locked early access behind a paywall—a decision that didn’t sit well with many fans.

For now, Star Wars Outlaws remains available on Ubisoft+ Premium, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Amazon Luna, and PC. As for the Switch 2 release, Ubisoft says more details on pricing and launch dates are coming soon. Stay tuned!