Earlier this month, Ubisoft released a story trailer for its upcoming open world adventure Star Wars Outlaws. While the trailer itself was met with enthusiasm, details about the game's different editions available for purchase have caused a bit of an uproar in the gaming community.
As announced by Ubisoft, there are three different editions of Star Wars Outlaws available for purchase: the Standard Edition ($69.99), the Gold Edition ($109.99), and the Ultimate Edition ($129.99).
The two special editions -- Gold and Ultimate -- come with the planned Season Pass that will feature two post-launch DLC releases. They also include access to a special side mission, "Jabba's Gambit," which despite being available at launch is behind the Season Pass paywall.
"Play the exclusive Jabba's Gambit mission at launch," the Season Pass explainer reads. "Just as Kay is putting together a crew for the Canto Bight heist, she receives a job from Jabba the Hutt himself. Turns out that ND-5 owes Jabba a debt from years ago, and he has come to collect."
Not much is actually known about this side mission, but the fact that it's being locked behind the more expensive editions of the game and not available to everyone who buys the game has led to much criticism and frustration. If you're paying the full price of the game, why aren't you getting all of the content that's been created at launch?
In response to the growing outcry, Ubisoft has offered a statement that attempts to justify the paywall while ensuring that all players will be able to interact with missions involving Jabba the Hutt and the Hutt Cartel, regardless of which edition of the game they buy.
"To clarify, Jabba the Hutt and the Hutt Cartel are one of the main syndicates in Star Wars Outlaws and will be part of the experience for everyone who purchases the game, regardless of edition," a Ubisoft spokesperson told IGN. "The 'Jabba’s Gambit' mission is an optional, additional mission with the Hutt Cartel along Kay and Nix's journey across the Outer Rim. This mission will be available to those who purchase the season pass or an edition of the game which includes the season pass."
Although Ubisoft does confirm that there will be additional missions with Jabba the Hutt and the Hutt Cartel, it does little to clarify the scope of the actual "Jabba's Gambit" mission. So anyone who purchases the regular Standard Edition of Star Wars Outlaws won't really know what they are missing out on. In a similar vein, those who purchase the Gold or Ultimate Edition don't know if this mission is worth the extra $40 or more dollars (although it's worth noting this also includes two DLCs through the Season Pass, which is likely where the true value is).
Star Wars Outlaws is set to release on August 30, 2024 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.