Ubisoft has announced a major shakeup in the leadership of its troubled "Star Wars Outlaws" project, bringing in a new Creative Director to spearhead the game's post-launch improvements. The move comes as the title has faced a barrage of criticism since its initial release, with Ubisoft now acknowledging the need for significant enhancements across key areas like combat, stealth, and character controls.

Charting a New Course for 'Star Wars Outlaws'

Addressing the Game's Shortcomings

Ubisoft has acknowledged the widespread criticism surrounding "Star Wars Outlaws" since its launch, with the game currently holding a 76/100 critic score and a 5.4/10 user score on Metacritic. The developer has been gathering feedback from various sources, including analytics, user tests, reviews, and social media, to identify the key areas in need of improvement.According to the newly appointed Creative Director, Drew Rechner, the team has zeroed in on three primary focus areas: combat, stealth, and character controls. Rechner has promised to provide more details on the specific changes coming in the upcoming Title Update 1.4, which is slated for release on November 21st alongside the game's Steam launch and the first story pack, "Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card."

A Shift in Creative Leadership

The announcement of Rechner's appointment as the new Creative Director for "Star Wars Outlaws" comes with the departure of the previous director, Julian Gerighty. Gerighty's departure is particularly noteworthy, as he had previously expressed a very optimistic outlook on the game's future, even going so far as to claim that "millions of people are going to play for years and years" and that the team would "never stop improving it."However, Gerighty's overly positive assessment of the game's launch and his belief in its "great foundation" may have contributed to his removal from the project. It's possible that Ubisoft felt the need for a more realistic and pragmatic approach to addressing the game's shortcomings, leading to Gerighty's replacement by Rechner.

Rechner's Vision for the Future

In his statement, Rechner expressed his excitement about taking on the role of Creative Director for "Star Wars Outlaws" and working with the passionate team at Massive Entertainment, as well as the co-development studios around the world and Lucasfilm Games. He acknowledged the positive response from the community, including the fan art, comments, and videos, and promised to continue providing joy and inspiration to the players.Rechner's roadmap for the game's improvements focuses on three key areas: combat, stealth, and character controls. He aims to add more depth and excitement to the combat experience, improve the readability and consistency of enemy detection in stealth, and enhance the reliability of cover, responsiveness of climbing and crouching, and overall control consistency.These changes, along with other unspecified improvements, will be rolled out in the upcoming Title Update 1.4, which Rechner hopes will mark a significant step forward in the game's journey towards redemption.

A Renewed Commitment to the 'Star Wars' Franchise

The shakeup in the creative leadership of "Star Wars Outlaws" also underscores Ubisoft's renewed commitment to the beloved "Star Wars" franchise. The company has acknowledged the importance of the franchise and the need to deliver a high-quality experience that resonates with both critics and fans.By bringing in a new Creative Director and promising substantial improvements to the game, Ubisoft is signaling its willingness to invest the necessary resources and effort to turn "Star Wars Outlaws" around. This move could be seen as a testament to the enduring appeal of the "Star Wars" universe and Ubisoft's desire to establish a strong foothold within it.As the gaming community eagerly awaits the release of Title Update 1.4 and the first story pack, the future of "Star Wars Outlaws" remains uncertain. However, with Rechner at the helm and Ubisoft's renewed focus, there is cautious optimism that the game may yet find redemption and become the "Star Wars" experience that fans have been craving.