The CEO of Ubisoft has blamed Disney and the state of modern Star Wars for the failure of Star Wars: Outlaws.
Star Wars Outlaws, an open-world action-adventure game developed by Massive Entertainment and published by Ubisoft, was released on August 30, 2024, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Billed as the first open-world Star Wars game, it promised players the chance to explore the galaxy as a scoundrel named Kay Vess, engaging in heists, space combat, and interactions with criminal syndicates between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
A screenshot from Star Wars Outlaws (2024), Ubisoft
Despite high expectations and a reported development budget exceeding $200 million (with some estimates suggesting up to $500 million including marketing), the game underperformed commercially and critically, leading to ongoing discussions about its shortcomings. Recently, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot addressed the game’s failure during a general shareholder meeting, attributing part of the blame to the state of the Star Wars brand itself—indirectly pointing fingers on behalf of Ubisoft at Disney and Lucasfilm.
Background on the Game’s Launch and Performance
Outlaws launched to mixed reviews, averaging around 76-77 on Metacritic across platforms—solid but not exceptional, with praise for its world-building and Star Wars atmosphere. However, it received criticism for repetitive gameplay, technical bugs (especially on PC), and a protagonist design that drew backlash for being “unappealing” or mismatched to the outlaw fantasy.
A screenshot from Star Wars Outlaws (2024), Ubisoft
Sales were disappointing from the start. In September 2024, Ubisoft admitted the game “underperformed” expectations, with estimates suggesting it sold only about 1 million copies in its first month, far below targets for a AAA title with such a prominent license.
Ubisoft’s Latest AAAA DISASTER, Star Wars Outlaws Sales COMPLETELY Stagnant, Their Worst Holiday EVER https://t.co/2JgeGrHpwg pic.twitter.com/IKsovAbTdQ
— Vara Dark (@Vara_Dark) October 20, 2024
By October 2024, Ubisoft confirmed this in earnings reports, noting stagnant sales and implementing a “cost reduction program” that included layoffs and project delays. The game’s issues contributed to a broader crisis at Ubisoft, with stock prices tanking over 50% in 2024 and investors calling for management changes or even taking the company private.
A screenshot from Star Wars Outlaws (2024), Ubisoft
Factors cited for the flop include:
- Technical and Design Flaws: Early access players reported bugs, clunky stealth mechanics, and uninspired missions. Guillemot himself acknowledged “design issues at launch” in the recent meeting.
- Pricing and Accessibility: Priced at $70 with premium editions up to $130 (including early access), it faced competition from other titles like Black Myth: Wukong. Ubisoft’s Uplay requirements also deterred some PC players.
- Cultural Backlash: Online discourse highlighted perceived “DEI” (diversity, equity, and inclusion) influences, such as the protagonist’s appearance and writing, with critics accusing Ubisoft of prioritizing agendas over fun once again. This echoed broader gamer frustrations with Ubisoft’s recent titles like Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Despite updates and discounts (dropping to $30 by late 2024), sales remained flat, making Outlaws one of Ubisoft’s worst-performing major releases in years.
Ubisoft’s CEO Blames the Star Wars Brand
During Ubisoft’s general meeting on July 18, 2025, Guillemot was directly asked about Outlaws’ failure to meet sales targets. He responded by admitting internal shortcomings but pivoted to external factors.
“Outlaws was released at a time when the brand that it belonged to was in a bit of choppy waters,” he said, shifting the blame from Ubisoft to Disney. He elaborated that there was “less interest in the franchise” at the time, suggesting the broader Star Wars IP had lost some of its cultural pull. Guillemot expressed hope for recovery, mentioning potential “further improvements” and a possible Nintendo Switch 2 port to boost sales.
A screenshot from Star Wars Outlaws (2024), Ubisoft
While the Ubisoft CEO didn’t name Disney or Lucasfilm direcrtly, his comments implicitly critique their stewardship of the brand.
Since acquiring Lucasfilm, Disney has faced accusations of “franchise fatigue” due to polarizing projects like The Acolyte (canceled after one season in 2024 amid low viewership and backlash) and underwhelming films like The Rise of Skywalker.
Critics argue Disney’s focus on diversity initiatives and rapid content output has alienated core fans, leading to declining box office and merchandise sales, effectively tanking interest in the most evergreen franchise in the history of pop culture.
A screenshot from Star Wars Outlaws (2024), Ubisoft
Some Reddit users echoed this, with one post noting Disney’s “irreversible damage to the brand” causing it to “fall out of the cultural zeitgeist.”reddit.com However, Guillemot’s remarks have been seen as deflection, with outlets like Kotaku and TheGamer (historically fierce defenders of progressive storytelling) highlighting that Ubisoft’s own execution—bugs, repetitive gameplay, and marketing missteps—played a larger role.
Community and Industry Reactions
The CEO’s comments sparked widespread debate on X, with a mix of mockery toward Ubisoft and agreement on Star Wars’ creative woes filling the social media playform.
The brand ? Star Wars Battlefront II had its highest peak player count a couple months ago, the feckless senile slimeball @Ubisoft CEO is dancing in his diaper for his shareholders. Let the copium flow and the shareholders be none the wiser aboard the rainbow colored Hindenburg!
— NEAT (@NEAT4MVP) July 21, 2025
IGN’s post sharing the article garnered 319 likes and 195 replies, many calling it “copium” from Ubisoft.
Ubisoft CEO HATES Gamers & Blames US For Star Wars Outlaws Underperforming, They DESERVE To Fail https://t.co/DA0SZ6IbTL pic.twitter.com/MLbfuM7Dfr
— Vara Dark (@Vara_Dark) September 30, 2024
YouTuber Vara Dark accused Ubisoft of “hating gamers” and blamed internal decisions, while MadamSavvy lamented the wasted potential, saying the game had “every ingredient for success” but was undermined by “greed and dollars” and “DEI hires.”
I think this is what frustrates me the most.
It had every ingredient for success. The years, the budget, the story and world was right there to be molded into a love letter to the world of Star Wars.
But the people at the top of Ubisoft saw nothing but greed and dollars. The… https://t.co/pV25MtQQ9a
— Savvy ( ˶ˆ꒳ˆ˵ ) (@MadamSavvy) December 22, 2024
Industry analysts largely view Guillemot’s blame as partial at best. While Star Wars has seen dips—e.g., The Acolyte’s failure—successful titles like Jedi: Survivor in 2023 sold well, suggesting execution matters more than the brand. On forums like Reddit and NeoGAF, threads criticized Ubisoft for not addressing core issues like “unrealistic barefisted punches to helmets” or the inability to act like a true outlaw.
Jabba the Hutt in Star Wars Outlaws (2024), Ubisoft
Disney and Lucasfilm haven’t publicly responded, but their licensing deal with Ubisoft remains intact. Though future collaborations now seem unlikely given the fallout.
Current Status and Future Outlook
As of July 21, 2025, Outlaws continues to receive patches, but Ubisoft has shifted focus to other titles like Assassin’s Creed. Guillemot mentioned no game can be “supported forever,” hinting at potential sunsetting if sales don’t recover.
A screenshot from Star Wars Outlaws (2024), Ubisoft
The incident is a prime example of tensions in licensed gaming. While the Star Wars brand has faced challenges under Disney, Ubisoft’s comments highlight how publishers can use IP woes as a scapegoat for their own missteps. Ultimately, the “full story” reveals a combination of factors—brand fatigue, poor design, and cultural clashes—leading to one of the biggest flops in recent gaming history.
If anything, it serves as a cautionary tale for both Ubisoft and Disney on respecting fan expectations.
How do you feel about Ubisoft blaming Disney for the failure of Star Wars: Outlaws? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
I am glad the article mentions the success of other Star Wars properties in the same time frame. Not only the Respawn Jedi games but also mobile games continue to rake in the dough with Galaxy of Heroes income reaching multiple billions of dollars.
This was not a failure of Star Wars; this was a failure thanks to Ubisoft & Massive to not really trying and expecting the Star Wars brand would cover for it. Then, the cherry on top, was Ubisoft trying to out-DEI Disney. It is too bad, Massive had a good thing going with The Division, now they’re a shell of themselves.
Ubisoft is the Disney of gaming. An unholy alliance that could only fail.
The last desperate play of any dying company: shift blame for their own failures to their partners/licensors after blaming the customers fails.
They are right to lay blame on Disney, but this is hypocritical, as they are woke themselves.
Putting a fugly b*tch as your game protagonist will never play well with the fans.
“Cost reduction program” – this is code for, we are BROKE. (Go woke go broke)
Ya beat me to it. That chick is ugly as hell.