Ubisoft Cites Star Wars Decline for 'Star Wars Outlaws' Sales Struggles

Ubisoft Blames Star Wars Franchise for Outlaws’ Sales Disappointment

Ubisoft has shifted the blame for the underwhelming sales of Star Wars Outlaws onto the broader Star Wars franchise, claiming that a decline in the brand’s popularity contributed to the game's performance. The open-world title, released on August 27, 2024, was expected to sell 5.5 million units by March 2025 but fell short of this target, according to reports. This failure led to a significant financial restructuring, with net bookings for the second quarter being reduced from €500 million to €1.95 billion.

The game, developed by Massive Entertainment, aimed to deliver an expansive adventure across the Outer Rim, but early sales data suggested that players were not as engaged as hoped. This marks a rare misstep for a high-profile Star Wars title, raising questions about the franchise's current appeal and the effectiveness of its licensing deals.

Why Is Ubisoft Citing a Decline in the Star Wars Franchise?

Ubisoft’s argument centers around a perceived erosion of the Star Wars brand. Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft, addressed shareholders and stated that “the brand it belonged to was in a bit of choppy waters.” He cited a combination of factors, including the timing of the release and the need for additional polish and debugging. While the game was improved over time, these issues reportedly affected initial sales volumes.

This aligns with industry trends showing a dip in media interest since 2020. Films like The Rise of Skywalker (2019) received mixed reviews, and the cancellation of Disney+ series such as Rangers of the New Republic signaled a creative slowdown. Ubisoft argues that this fatigue, rather than just game-specific issues, played a role in Outlaws’ performance.

How Have Poor Sales Affected Ubisoft’s Financial Health?

The financial impact on Ubisoft has been significant. The company’s share price dropped over 50% in the past year, nearing a decade-low, as investors reacted to the disappointment surrounding Outlaws. The revised net bookings forecast reflects a $300 million shortfall, leading to layoffs and project reviews across the company. Analysts suggest that this could mark a broader retreat from risky licensed titles, with Ubisoft now focusing more on established franchises like Assassin’s Creed.

The ripple effect highlights how a single underperforming game can have far-reaching consequences for a major gaming company.

What Role Did Performance Issues Play in Outlaws’ Struggles?

From the start, Star Wars Outlaws faced quality concerns. The game launched with notable performance issues, including bugs causing crashes, VRAM leaks, and frame rate drops that impacted gameplay. A day-one patch attempted to address these problems, but the damage was already done, with early reviews criticizing the technical instability.

This stands in stark contrast to Star Wars Battlefront II, which has seen a surprising resurgence. The game, initially criticized for microtransactions in 2017, has gained a loyal player base through post-launch updates. SteamDB data shows a steady increase in daily players, with peak concurrent users hitting 25,000 in July 2025. Events like "Resurgence Day" have helped revitalize interest, suggesting that strong support and quality improvements can overcome franchise fatigue.

What Does Battlefront II’s Success Reveal About the Market?

Star Wars Battlefront II’s comeback offers a counterpoint to Ubisoft’s narrative. The game’s transformation through updates and community engagement demonstrates that a title can still thrive even if the broader franchise is struggling. This raises questions about whether Outlaws’ issues stemmed more from its own flaws than a general decline in the Star Wars brand.

Can Star Wars Outlaws and the Franchise Recover?

Star Wars Outlaws’ rocky debut, combined with Ubisoft’s focus on the franchise’s decline, casts uncertainty over the future of Star Wars games. The game’s narrative, featuring smuggler Kay Vess navigating a pre-Empire galaxy, had potential, but performance issues and a $70 price tag may have turned off buyers. Meanwhile, the franchise’s cinematic and TV ventures, like The Acolyte on Disney+, have also faced mixed reception.

Despite these challenges, Battlefront II’s success and upcoming projects like Jedi: Fallen Order 3 from Respawn offer hope. As Ubisoft plans post-launch support for Outlaws, the industry is watching closely to see if the Star Wars franchise can reignite its gaming empire or if this setback marks a permanent detour. The outcome remains uncertain.