Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has delivered another tone-deaf response to his company's latest commercial disaster, saying Star Wars Outlaws failed because audiences are tired of the Star Wars brand rather than acknowledging the game's core problems. His deflection comes as Steam data reveals the extent of the game's failure, with only 834 concurrent players on its first day, a number so low it makes even Sony's infamous Concord look successful by comparison.
During a recent investor call, Guillemot attempted damage control when asked about the game's poor sales performance. He was asked, "What have you learned from the failure [of Outlaws] in terms of sales? Have you learnt anything new in terms of pricing, in terms of marketing?"
"We didn't reach our sales targets," said Guillemot. "The game suffered from a number of items. First, it suffered from the fact that it was released at a time when the brand that it belonged to was in a bit of choppy waters."
"On Outlaws what we can say is that the three title updates that we've delivered at the same time we've been observing substantial positive community sentiment improvement," he said. "The biggest update is still to come by November 21st. And it will come on the same day as the first big story pack and the launch for Steam. So we are putting ourselves in a position to have a must-play game that should address a mainstream audience for the busy season."
The CEO's optimism rings hollow when confronted with actual player data. Star Wars Outlaws performed 43.6% worse than Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which managed 1,481 concurrent players on Steam. Even more embarrassing, the game's numbers were 82.8% worse than Star Wars: The Old Republic, a decade-old MMO that still managed 4,868 concurrent players. While Star Wars as a brand has taken a hit in recent years, there are also gameplay elements to Outlaws, including the aesthetically displeasing female lead, that caused problems for the game.
Guillemot's previous statements about the game's potential make his current excuses even more of a sweep for the company. When investors projected 5 million unit sales during Ubisoft's Q1 FY2024 report, the company didn't push back against those expectations. Instead, they allowed the market to believe in the game's commercial viability while knowing they were delivering a broken, uninspired product.
Star Wars Outlaws failed because Ubisoft delivered exactly what players have come to expect from the company: a buggy, vapid open-world experience that prioritizes checkbox features over engaging gameplay. The game launched with numerous technical issues, repetitive mission design, and the kind of soulless corporate approach to game development that has become Ubisoft's calling card.
Reports suggest the game sold only 1 million units in its first month, according to Insider Gaming sources. This marks a commercial failure when Assassin's Creed Executive Producer Marc-Alexis Côté recently revealed that AAA games need to sell "10 million copies give or take 2 million copies" to break even. By that metric, Star Wars Outlaws would need to increase sales by 900% just to reach profitability. While players are all familiar with the Star Wars brand, they expect more from a game of that level.
Ubisoft's desperation became apparent when they discounted the game by 25% across all editions before its Steam launch. The base edition dropped from $69.99 to $52.49, while the Ultimate Edition fell from $129.99 to $97.49. This kind of aggressive discounting so soon after launch signals a company in full panic mode.
The Star Wars brand certainly bears some responsibility for the game's failure. Disney's mismanagement of the franchise has alienated core fans while failing to attract new audiences, creating a toxic environment where any Star Wars product faces skepticism. However, blaming brand fatigue ignores another issue: Ubisoft produces mediocre games that fail to justify their premium pricing.
Guillemot's promise that upcoming updates will "remove a few frictions" and "implement some gameplay mechanics that will certainly delight the players" sounds like the same corporate speak Ubisoft has used to excuse every disappointing release. The company's pattern of launching broken games and fixing them later has caught up with them in a market where players have countless alternatives.
What do you think of Guillemot's attempt to blame the Star Wars brand for Outlaws' failure?
Star Wars fans will love this space crusading trilogy that packs an action punch. Read Justified: Saga of the Nano Templar on Amazon and support Fandom Pulse!
NEXT: Exclusive Interview: 'The Great Rebellion' Developer Reveals New Details About Next Game
Leftist: always blame someone else so they never have to face the consequences of their own decisions.
Ubisoft owes me a game, so I would consider playing it for free if I had time.