Games

Star Wars Outlaws Update Makes Huge Change to Controversial Gameplay Feature

Published

1 month ago

November 21, 2024

Christoph Rediske

Key Takeaways

Ubisoft addresses key frustrations in Star Wars Outlaws with stealth improvements, combat enhancements, and adding enemy weak points.
Massive Entertainment aims to give players more freedom of choice, improved NPC behavior, and better combat experiences in Star Wars Outlaws.
Update 1.4.0 for Star Wars Outlaws brings notable changes, including tweaks to AI, combat, weapon aiming, and Nix interactions.

Ubisoft releases Update 1.4.0 for Star Wars Outlaws, a big title update that attempts to fix lingering issues while also adding more quality of life improvements, including removing frustrating stealth objectives. It’s been a busy few months for Massive Entertainment as they continue to work on fixing the remaining issues surrounding Star Wars Outlaws, squashing bugs and also making further improvements to the core gameplay.

For Ubisoft, Star Wars Outlaws didn’t live up to expectations at launch, prompting developer Massive Entertainment to release a roadmap of planned changes and features being added over the next few months. Already, Star Wars Outlaws has seen multiple title updates to bring new optimizations, features, and improvements to multiple areas of the game. In the latest major update, Massive is addressing one of the bigger frustrations with the game in how it handles stealth.

Star Wars Outlaws Lays the Groundwork For a Game About a Forgotten Jedi Type

Star Wars Outlaws’ focus on stealth was divisive, but it could inspire the franchise to venture into a fascinating type of Jedi.

One area of Star Wars Outlaws that Massive wanted to improve was how it handled stealth. For many fans, the insta-fail conditions on missions where Kay was discovered by an enemy or raised an alarm proved to be frustrating and not well liked. With this update, missions now allow players freedom of choice, helping indicate when they’re starting to be detected and letting them choose to escalate into combat rather than instantly failing the mission entirely.

However, this update also made further improvements to combat, with the notes indicating that enemies now have weakpoints which players can choose to utilize during combat, promising explosions and potentially resulting in “spectacular” new deaths. In addition, Kay’s blaster aiming and damage has been re-tuned, and she can now carry two-handed weapons in more situations. Star Wars Outlaws‘ popular critter Nix also now has a quick action icon through a highlighted button when targeting an active object.

This stealth improvement is just the tip of the iceberg for Massive, as the developer recently revealed three areas of focus for improving Star Wars Outlaws. While stealth was a big part of this update, the developer continues to work on improving combat as well as the responsiveness of the game’s inputs. This update seemingly makes strides in all three areas, though there is likely work left to accomplish as well.

Star Wars Outlaws Update 1.4.0 Patch Notes

PATCH DETAILS (version 7309905):

PlayStation®5: 7.44 GB (version 01.004.000)
Xbox Series X|S: 10.18 GB (version 1.0.4.0)
PC: 8.83 GB (version 1.0.4.0)

NOTABLE CHANGES:

Notable updates to stealth and combat that allow players greater choice, including using stealth or reaching for their blaster, even in syndicate territories in cities.
Enemy AI and detection improvements, with players being notified when they’re being detected and can choose to escalate or change tactics to remain in stealth.
Enemy weak points have been added to reward strategic gameplay, which if targeted can trigger explosions or cause enemies to die in spectacular new ways.
Re-tuned Kay’s blaster and pickup weapons to improve the combat experience, including being able to carry two handed weapons in more situations.
Facial expressions and animations in dialogue scenes have been improved, the option to toggle off the cinematic lens during gameplay has been added, and the visibility of distant lights has been improved.

FULL PATCH NOTES:

General Gameplay

Fixed an issue where players could get stuck by not being able to take off using the Trailblazer after certain missions
Kay now holsters a two-handed weapon in more situations such as when climbing, grappling or using the speeder
Improved AI speeder usage
Improved enemy detection
Improved enemy tactical decision-making in combat to encourage more active management of their positioning
Decreased enemy damage per shot while increasing the damage cadence increase over time
Improved detection signs and feedback of cameras
Player state (crouched, standing) is now kept after traversal actions
Fixed an issue where only one NPC would be alerted when whistling
Fixed an issue where the player could remain undetected in high grass while performing aggressive actions
Enabled the use of combat in parts of syndicate districts
Added weak points to various enemies
Adjusted weapon aiming (spread, recoil, etc.) to allow for more precision and management
Updated weapon damage values for Kay for all weapons
Increased headshot damage when hitting enemies
Improved blaster module usage (Ion and Power)
Removed player blast damage from the Power module
Added enemy stagger to explosions
Added body part-specific death animations to improve combat satisfaction
Improved NPC cover usage during combat
Fixed an issue where Kay would put away the holotracker when crouching
Fixed an issue where hostile NPCs were sometimes marked as friendly and could not be damaged by blaster fire
Adjusted jumping to give more control in the air of where you will land

UI, HUD and Settings

Added visual indication of when an NPC starts detecting the player
Added text highlighting which blaster module should be used when aiming at heavy guards, droids and cameras
Prompt to ping the tracked objective is now more prominent and affected by HUD visibility settings
Added icons to environmental objects that require unlockable abilities
Improved Nix quick action icon by highlighting button when having an active target
Made it clearer whether a takedown could trigger combat
Added NPC tags above their heads (works with existing colorblindness settings)
- White – Neutral
- Orange – Aware
- Red – In Combat
Adjusted Adrenaline Rush cost based on difficulty
- Story mode – 100% (unchanged)
- Normal – 110%
- Challenging/Hard -150%
Improved wanted system messaging and display
Fixed an issue where some gear effect icons were not showing correctly

Audio

Improved enemy dialogue when they are going in and out of cover
Fixed an issue where sound wouldn’t play through the DualSense controller on PS5
Fixed an issue where arcade games would be missing music after starting a new game

Cinematics

Added facial animations to gameplay dialogue scenes and vendors
Improved animations and visuals of some dialogue scenes
Fixed an issue where ND-5 would be missing from the passenger seat when landing/taking off from Renpalli or Achra stations

Camera

Improved camera when shooting, aiming down sights, and moving aim
Improved cover camera, including the ability to manually shoulder swap when aiming
Improved the camera by showcasing a better view of each shop when interacting with a vendor

Worlds, Fauna and Flora

Fixed an issue with destructible flora
Fixed an issue where the visual effects created by waterfalls were broken
Increased the distance at which lights can be seen in the world
Improved the visuals of some grass textures and mud, especially at distance

Photo Mode

A new clean lens has been added

Accessibility

Added a Custom Controller Preset to allow remapping of individual buttons. You can choose separate sets of button swaps for Kay, the speeder, and the Trailblazer.
Added a new ‘strong’ aim assist setting
Added a new auto-transfer option for climbing, which lets you automatically hop between climbable objects by moving towards them instead of having to press a button
Added setting to change how large and clear the effect showing the security camera detection area is
Sound effects slider split into two separate sliders, for gameplay sounds and background sounds
Faster menu narration, settings now go up to 400% speed.
Menu narration now reads lockpicking and slicing minigames, objective hints, and which Sabacc card is currently highlighted in your hand and while drawing/discarding
Option added to toggle the Cinematic Lens (distortion, fringing, and vignetting effects) off for gameplay
‘Fill screen’ is now the default screen ratio, meaning larger text size for the initial menus before you reach the ratio setting screen
‘Remove all’ hold input for map markers added to ‘change holds to presses’ setting
Descriptions of accessibility settings reworded for improved clarity

Miscellaneous

Fixed an issue where destroying a ship by ramming it would not count towards the ‘Never tell me the odds’ trophy/achievement
Fixed an issue where the ‘Shoot First’ achievement/trophy and ‘The Better’ ability could not be unlocked at the same time
Fixed an issue where defeating Death Troopers during certain missions would not count towards the ‘Defying Death’ Ubisoft Connect Challenge

MAIN & SIDE QUESTS(beware of spoilers)

Toshara

Rejected
- Fixed an issue where Kay can’t listen at the bar to progress the intel quest

Tatooine

The Veteran
- Fixed an issue where the quest line would not start if travelling to Akiva before the dialogue finishes
Partners
- Fixed an issue where the cinematic would not trigger if using Adrenaline Rush as the Rancor hits the hangar doors

Akiva

Revelator
- Fixed an issue where ND-5 could spot Kay when going from crouched to standing while on a steam vent

Bug Reporter

We’re pleased to announce that reporting issues will now be easier- introducing the Star Wars™ Outlaws Bug Reporter. This website functions the same way as on other Ubisoft titles; it’s your direct channel to view issues reported by other players and to directly report any issues you encounter to our team. We will actively update this board so you will be aware when issues are being investigated, and when fixes and improvements will be rolled out in an upcoming update.

To report a bug:

Go to the Bug Reporter website
First, browse through the issues to see if your issue has already been reported.
If your issue is already reported, simply upvote it.
If you are facing a new issue, select “Report an issue” at the top of the page.
Choose a title that best reflects your issue.
Fill out the form that follows and provide as much information as possible to help our teams identify the bug.
Select “Confirm” to save the report.

Our team will then receive your report, and we’ll contact you for further information if required.

You can check the progress of your submitted bugs from the “My Reported Issues*”* tab.

Experience the first-ever open world Star Wars game and explore distinct planets across the galaxy, both iconic and new. Risk it all as Kay Vess, an emerging scoundrel seeking freedom and the means to start a new life. Fight, steal, & outwit your way through the galaxy’s crime syndicates as you join the galaxy’s most wanted. If you’re willing to take the risk, the galaxy is full of opportunity.

DISCOVER A GALAXY OF OPPORTUNITY
Explore distinct planets with bustling cities and cantinas before racing across sprawling outdoor landscapes on your speeder. Each planet brings new adventures, unique challenges, and enticing rewards if you’re willing to take the risk.

EXPERIENCE AN ORIGINAL SCOUNDREL STORY
Live the high-stakes lifestyle of an outlaw. With Nix by your side, turn any situation to your advantage: fight with your blaster, overcome enemies with stealth and gadgets, or find the right moments to distract enemies and gain the upper hand.

EMBARK ON HIGH-STAKES MISSIONS
Take on high-risk, high-reward missions from the galaxy’s crime syndicates. Steal valuable goods, infiltrate secret locations, and outwit enemies as one of the galaxy’s most wanted. Every choice you make influences your ever-changing reputation.

JUMP INTO THE PILOT SEAT
Pilot your ship, The Trailblazer, as you engage in thrilling dogfights with The Empire and other foes, finding the right opportunities to chase, evade, and attack to get the upper hand.

Open-World

Action-Adventure