Star Wars Outlaws is, without a doubt, one of the biggest games that have hit gamers this year. It is a Star Wars game that brings together all the elements players have been asking for for countless years and does so with a style of its own. CGMagazine had the opportunity to sit down with the Creative Director for Star Wars Outlaws at Ubisoft, Julian Gerighty. With the highly anticipated open-world Star Wars game set to launch in 2024, Gerighty shared insights into the game’s development, from its initial pitch to Lucasfilm Games to the creative process behind bringing the scoundrel fantasy to life.
In this exclusive interview, we delve into the challenges of crafting an authentic Star Wars experience, the collaboration with Lucasfilm, and the exciting features that await players in this groundbreaking title. Gerighty’s passion for the project shines through as he discusses the game’s origins and the team’s commitment to delivering a truly immersive Star Wars adventure.
Let’s start with how you got involved in Star Wars Outlaws. What were your initial ideas when you first joined?
Julian Gerighty: I was part of a very small team tasked with pitching a brand new Star Wars game to Lucasfilm Games about four years ago. I was the first person on the project, sketching out what we would like to do if given the opportunity. Eventually, many years later, the contract was signed, but in those first few months, we focused on shaping what the project would become. First, we had to pitch it to Lucasfilm to see what they thought and if they had any recommendations or suggestions.
How did that original Star Wars Outlaws pitch meeting go, and how much of that original concept made it into the final game?
Julian Gerighty: The original pitch meeting was very short, and we focused on two main things: an open-world adventure featuring the scoundrel player fantasy and the scoundrel archetype. The scoundrel archetype led us to explore many different types of gameplay, offering a lot of freedom in how you approach relationships, as well as in the vehicles and opportunities available.
Those two or three elements were incredibly important, and it’s pretty much what we ended up with. There have been hundreds of thousands of hours of work between that initial idea and today, but we’ve stuck very closely to the original brief.
Star Wars is one of those properties loved across the world. Knowing that, did it feel daunting to create a game that so many people have been eagerly waiting for with Star Wars Outlaws?
Julian Gerighty: It never crossed my mind. It was all about the excitement of jumping in and being able to work on something like that. So you don’t really feel the pressure. If we hadn’t pushed it as far as we could, maybe I’d feel like I wish we’d done it differently.
But today, and even last year when we announced it, we were so proud of what we were presenting and confident in it that I don’t particularly feel that pressure.
You mentioned the amount of content you’ve brought to Star Wars Outlaws. Did you ever have to scale back your vision and decide that something just wasn’t going to work, or scrap that a great idea didn’t quite fit this game?
Julian Gerighty: We’re very close to the original vision. The one thing we scaled back was swimming; we cut that because it was difficult to achieve at the level of quality we wanted. But otherwise, from day one, it was always going to be an open world with cities, wilderness, space, a speeder, a spaceship—all of those things were part of the plan from day one.
When you approached the character design and overall look, how did you come up with the concept of Kay Vess and Nix? How much iteration did it take to reach the final result?
Julian Gerighty: The main character went through quite a lot of iteration. The importance of that character was key, and I think she was the point where we really learned how to design for Star Wars. We had to simplify things, focusing on basic shapes and whittling down the details. This approach then extended to the blaster, the ship, the speeder, and the planet we created, all in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. Throughout the process, Lucasfilm Games were incredible partners, helping us nail the authenticity of what Star Wars is.
I know from talking to others who’ve worked on Star Wars properties that Lucasfilm and Lucasfilm Games are very focused on maintaining the lore. How was it for your studio to ensure that everything you created matched the existing lore while still aligning with your plans for the game?
Julian Gerighty: I think it was super easy because we had weekly meetings with Lucasfilm Games and the story team, who were very solution-oriented. Once they understood the kind of story we wanted to tell—a scoundrel story about a rookie thief navigating the criminal underworld—it was easy to get their support. They gave us access to Tatooine, Jabba the Hutt, Lady Kira, and all the elements that really came together to create an outlaw story.
Did Lucasfilm ever say there was something you couldn’t use in Star Wars Outlaws or anything like that?
Julian Gerighty: I was just talking about this—Batuu, which is featured in Galaxy’s Edge. I would have loved to use Batuu, but when we pitched it, another game, The Sims, was already using it. Lucasfilm said, “That’s someone else’s playground, so please leave that alone.” And that’s OK. Their role is to guide us in creating something that is identifiably Star Wars Outlaws.
You mentioned the iconic characters and locations included in the game. How did you decide which elements to focus on in Star Wars Outlaws? Did you aim to concentrate on a specific area of the galaxy, or was there a temptation to include as much as possible?
Julian Gerighty: No, it was really about focusing on what makes for a great scoundrel adventure. That set the creative framework. You have to visit a planet that’s a hive of scoundrels and cross paths with other players, scoundrels, and outlaws. Just cramming everything in would make the galaxy feel small. But if you stay true to the essence and themes of the adventure, it feels natural. So, it feels right to tangle with Jabba, to cross paths with Lando, and to potentially build an alliance with Kira. All of those things make sense. If we’d pushed it much, much further, we would have broken that relationship a little bit.
Given that Star Wars Outlaws is a very big game with a lot to do. How did you, as a studio, decide to include elements like space combat, location scouting, and stealth mechanics? How did you bring these aspects together to ensure they all felt natural to the overall experience?
Julian Gerighty: I think it stems from a higher-level approach. Once everyone—from HQ to Lucasfilm Games—agreed that this would be an open-world game featuring the scoundrel archetype and player fantasy, everything needed to align with that vision. Freedom is a huge part of being an outlaw, so naturally, you need open-world freedom.
That means including a speeder, a spaceship, a blaster, the ability to avoid combat, and the Empire tracking you down if you commit crimes in front of them. Everything naturally builds itself around the player fantasy. So, at the end of the day, the creative framework is clear, and then it just becomes a question of whether we can afford to do it.
With so many different elements brought into Star Wars Outlaws, how much did your studio have to invent or interpret? Did you ever find yourselves saying, “We saw that in one movie, let’s figure out how it works,” or did Lucasfilm provide detailed schematics of everything they’ve done to help guide the process?
Julian Gerighty: There’s a lot of input from Lucasfilm. They have a great resource library, providing us with costume references, blueprints, and similar materials. But we also had to invent a fair amount ourselves. It’s a mix of both. Sometimes, it’s easier to create something new and bring it into the Star Wars universe rather than reusing elements we’ve seen too many times.
You mentioned that some of the ships and vehicles are new while others are iconic. How did you come up with the designs for the new ones in Star Wars Outlaws? How did you ensure they felt authentic to Star Wars while also bringing a sense of newness and uniqueness that this game offers?
Julian Gerighty: There are design principles for Star Wars that are very simple but pure, like shape recognition in less than three seconds. When you see a specific shape, you instantly think “X-Wing.” It’s a very precise approach. For our new ship, we wanted it to feel fast and reliable, conceptually thinking of it as almost a pickup truck in the Star Wars universe. It’s also inspired by a toy from the 1970s that I never managed to get, so in a way, this is my way of finally having that toy—but in a version that belongs in Star Wars.
Just one last question to tease those who might be reading this and eager to play Star Wars Outlaws: What are some things they should look out for that they might not notice at first but are important to you personally and something you love seeing in the game?
Julian Gerighty: I think one character embodies our design philosophy perfectly, blending gameplay mechanics with the softer values of design to create something you can really connect with: Nix. If you’ve played, you know that you can control Nix almost like a superpower—an extra-long third arm that can distract enemies or set off smoke canisters. Nix represents the ideal mix of gameplay needs and emotional connection, creating something that’s highly coherent within our universe.
Thank you so much. Is there anything else you’d like to add that we might not have covered?
Julian Gerighty: I think that’s it.
Fantastic, thank you so much. I was playing it just before this, and I had a great time.
Star Wars Outlaws will be released today, August 30, 2024, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay up to date with everything Star Wars Outlaws here.