Ubisoft responds to fans after Star Wars Outlaws Season Pass controversy

Despite being a Star Wars game with a pre-established fanbase, Star Wars Outlaws seems to have the cards stacked against it. Even though it has an original story, players know exactly what an open-world Ubisoft game will look like.

The developer hasn't done much to convince players that it'll be a truly unique slice of gameplay just yet, but it won't stop die-hard Star Wars fans from being excited. If they're playing with the expensive Premium Edition of the game pre-ordered, then there's certainly no reason to be concerned.

That's just the problem, though, as one mission is exclusive to fans with more disposable income, already forcing players to feel left out in the cold. But it looks like Ubisoft is biting back against bad-faith claims.

Ubisoft pushes back against hate for PS5-exclusive Outlaws mission

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Missions being reserved for players who pick up the most expensive version of a game is a practice that's hardly new, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't upset fans. As Star Wars Outlaws reveals that its "Jabba's Gambit" mission is only coming to those with the deepest pockets, players have been rightfully miffed.

It's a tough issue to make sense of, as clearly, the mission is designed to welcome players into the game's upper tiers of payment, but Ubisoft has reassured critics that they're not entirely missing out.

"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," an Ubisoft representative tells PCGamer in a statement.

"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."

Fans are still furious about Star Wars Outlaws' Season Pass mission

Even with Ubisoft insisting that players won't miss out on Jabba the Hutt and his criminal underworld, it doesn't change the fact that players are missing out on gameplay if they don't pay extra on top of the full-priced AAA game. Unsurprisingly, they're still deeply unhappy about it.

One joked, "It's called Star Wars Outlaws because these kinds of paywalls for day 1 content should be illegal," while another added, "So much about this game has been a travesty and it's not even out 😳." A third complained, "Yeah, classic Ubisoft greed ruined what might be a decent game. So sick of AAA right now."

As someone else rightly pointed out, "That is why it's best to buy games 20 years after launch with all DLCs, unannounced expansions and final patches all in one package at a huge discounted price. Single-player games are evergreen anyway."

It's no surprise that players don't want to offer Ubisoft more than they have to for Star Wars Outlaws, especially when Ubisoft is willing to withhold content from a game that is priced like a full experience by itself. It seems game companies never learn.