Back in the summer of 2024, Ubisoft’s hotly anticipated open-world Star Wars game, Star Wars Outlaws, was on the verge of dropping into the hands of eager fans. Set in the murky timeline between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the title introduced players to Kay Vess, a scrappy scoundrel with a price on her head. As launch day approached, multiple pre-order tiers surfaced, each dangling a different set of carrots for those willing to part with their credits before the game officially landed on August 30, 2024. While the dust has long since settled and players have been exploring the Outer Rim for over two years, looking back at the pre-order offerings still provides a fascinating snapshot of how Ubisoft packaged one of its most ambitious licensed projects.
The Standard Edition: A No-Nonsense Entry Point
The most straightforward way to jump into Kay’s adventure was the Standard Edition, priced at a familiar $70. For those who pulled the trigger before August 30, Ubisoft threw in the Kessel Runner Bonus Pack as a pre-order sweetener. This bundle dressed up both the trusty speeder and the Trailblazer spaceship with exclusive cosmetic trimmings, letting players cruise through the Outer Rim in style from the very first hyperspace jump. The Standard Edition was available across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, making it the bread-and-butter option for anyone who just wanted the core game without any extra frills.
The Gold Edition: For the Die-Hard Fans
With a bigger leap of faith (and wallet) came the Gold Edition, weighing in at $109.99 – a full $40 above the standard asking price. The bulk of that premium fed directly into the Season Pass. While Ubisoft kept the standalone pass pricing under wraps, the Gold Edition’s pre-order grants made it clear where the value lay. Buyers secured two post-launch story DLCs that would expand the Outlaws narrative, an exclusive mission called “Jabba’s Gambit” that let them rub shoulders with the galaxy’s most infamous Hutt, and a pile of new cosmetic goodies for Kay and her pint-sized alien companion, Nix. As an extra hook, the Gold Edition unlocked three days of early access, allowing pre-order folks to fire up their blasters on August 27 instead of waiting for the official street date.
The Ultimate Edition: Pulling Out All the Stops
For the completionists and those with deep pockets, the Ultimate Edition sat at the top of the food chain with a $129.99 price tag. It bundled everything from the Gold Edition – Season Pass, early access, and all – then piled on two more exclusive bundles. The Rogue Infiltrator Bundle and the Sabacc Shark Bundle each added extra layers of cosmetic flair for Kay, Nix, the speeder, and the Trailblazer. On top of that, the Ultimate Edition stood alone as the only tier that included a digital art book, offering a behind-the-scenes peek at concept art, environmental shots, and development snapshots. For anyone who wanted to own every scrap of Day One content, this was the ultimate flex.
Early Access: A Head Start on the Outer Rim
One of the biggest draws to the Gold and Ultimate Editions was the early access period. Rather than stewing in anticipation until August 30, buyers of either tier could start their outlaw career from August 27, 2024, provided no last-minute schedule shifts occurred. This staggered rollout meant the galaxy opened up at midnight local time across different regions, giving early adopters a three-day lead over Standard Edition players. For a game built on exploration and emergent heist gameplay, those extra 72 hours felt like a significant head start on carving out a reputation in the Outer Rim.
Frequently Asked Questions (From the Pre-Launch Hype)
What time did Star Wars Outlaws release?
The game launched at midnight local time on August 30, 2024, with a rolling unlock across time zones. The same staggered pattern applied to the early access window that kicked off on August 27.
Was Star Wars Outlaws an open-world game?
Absolutely. It marked the franchise’s first proper open-world experience, allowing players to freely roam the Outer Rim and other pockets of the galaxy while chasing scores and dodging bounty hunters.
Did Ubisoft Plus subscribers get early access?
Indeed. Ubisoft Plus Premium members not only gained access on day one but also joined the early access ranks alongside Gold and Ultimate Edition pre-order owners. This gave subscription loyalists a compelling reason to stick with the service.
Did Star Wars Outlaws have multiplayer?
No. The game remained a strictly single-player affair at launch, focusing squarely on Kay Vess’s personal story against the backdrop of the Galactic Civil War.
Looking back, these pre-order tiers set a clear template for Ubisoft’s AAA blueprint in the Star Wars universe – one that blended narrative ambition with a mountain of cosmetic enticements. While players today can often snag the game and its DLC at a hefty discount, the pre-order pages from 2024 still serve as a nostalgic reminder of the hype that once had everyone calculating whether three extra days in the Outer Rim was worth the extra credits.
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