Earlier this month, Ubisoft shared the story trailer for Star Wars Outlaws. The trailer provided more details about the cunning scoundrel Kay Vess and her companion Nix as they navigate the criminal underworld and take on a quest in an effort to buy their freedom.
Star Wars Outlaws is an open-world action adventure that will see players navigate the underworld across the galaxy. Along the way, they'll encounter and have to deal with legendary criminal organizations such as the Pyke Syndicate, the Hutt Cartel, and the Crimson Dawn.
Ubisoft also briefly mentioned the Ashiga Clan which even the biggest Star Wars fans may not know much about. That's because this is an all-new faction that has been created by Massive Entertainment in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games specifically for Star Wars Outlaws. While the story trailer didn't provide much insight into the Ashiga Clan, GameInformer recently visited Massive Entertainment to learn more about this fourth syndicate.
The Ashiga Clan has a large presence on the frigid, mountainous planet of of Kijimi. Seen in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Kijimi is an inhospitable world where local criminals rule in the place of the New Republic or the First Order. But the Ashiga Clan is looking to expand beyond Kijimi.
"They have a long tradition and certain events in the recent history put them at a fork in the road where there are different ways they could go forward, and they're not necessarily in agreement with what the best path forward is," associate narrative director John Björling explained.
Björling further explained that the Ashiga Clan operates "as a hive of the Melitto species.
"You have these insectoid, humanoid, kind of very ant-like species and it's taking that principle of, 'What would a crime syndicate that is essentially operating like an anthill – what is that like?' Björling explained. "It's a syndicate with a long tradition, they have a strong hierarchy, and there's a lot about putting the hive before yourself. I think those aspects make it stand out as a unique kind of crime syndicate."
Although the Ashiga Clan was created for Star War Outlaws, the fact that Ubisoft Massive worked in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games means they are now officially part of Star Wars canon. In fact, many of the things you'll see in Star Wars Outlaws, including the new moon, Toshara, are part of the universe.
"Every week, we have several calls with them where we share what we'd like to do, the intentions, and they challenge us; we do a back and forth like that over several weeks to be able to get the shape language right, to get the lore right, to make sure it becomes part of Star Wars canon," creative director Julian Gerighty revealed. "The Ashiga Clan is part of Star Wars canon now. Toshara is part of Star Wars canon now. And that's super gratifying when you help design a creature that's as lovable and fierce as Nix and it becomes part of one of the most storied IPs in the world."
Players will no doubt learn more about the Ashiga Clan when their journey in Star Wars Outlaws begins later this year. The game is set for release on August 30, 2024, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.