Ubisoft responds as Star Wars Outlaws comes under fire for Jabba the Hutt season pass exclusive
It's just one Jabba mission among many.
Star Wars Outlaws prompted a collective sigh last week when it was revealed that the single player, open world adventure will have a season pass in addition to the nowadays common "play the game early" incentive attached to pricey special editions. For an extra $40 with the Gold Edition—for a total of $110—the season pass gets you two post-launch expansions, some cosmetics, and an exclusive day one mission called Jabba's Gambit.
The latter bonus triggered widespread fuming, as it was possible to jump to the conclusion—based on some perhaps ambiguous wording—that this mission was the one and only Jabba the Hutt mission in the game. Look at the headlines, after all:
- You Need The Season Pass To Play ‘Star Wars: Outlaws’ Jabba The Hutt Mission
- Star Wars Outlaws Puts Jabba Mission Behind A Paywall
- Star Wars Outlaws Jabba The Hut Mission Locked Behind Paid Season Pass
But it's definitely not the only Jabba the Hutt mission in the game, according to Ubisoft.
"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," a Ubisoft rep told us. "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."
It still sucks to gate launch content behind season passes and pre-order incentives, but rest assured that your appetite for the Hutt will still go sated in Star Wars Outlaws, whether you pay out big or not. And just quietly: I understand the principle of the thing, but how many people play every single piece of side content in a Ubisoft game?
In addition to the Gold Edition of Star Wars Outlaws mentioned above, there's an even more expensive edition, the Ultimate Edition, which sets you back $130 and also includes two additional cosmetics bundles and a Digital Art Book. In all honesty, having covered Ubi games for more than a decade, this is fairly cut and dry compared to the ludicrously confusing abundance of special editions for some old Assassin's Creed games, for which there were often very detailed charts.
Star Wars Outlaws arrives on August 30, or August 27 if you're a big spender.
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Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.