If you sit on a Venn diagram between Star Wars fandom and being an aficionado for open-world gaming, today brings you reason to rejoice!  Lucasfilm Games, in partnership with Ubisoft, has revealed the release date for Star Wars: Outlaws, the first open-world Star Wars game, with an official trailer hitting the internet this morning.  Star Wars: Outlaws will launch Aug. 30 on Xbox Series X|S consoles, PlayStation 5, Amazon Luna, and PC through Ubisoft Connect, which enables gamers using different platforms and consoles to be able to play and interact with one another.

The game is set during the period of Palpatine’s Imperial reign, between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope as full-on rebellion and galactic civil war is beginning to take shape.  According to Lucasfilm Games, “During this era, the Empire’s rule is distracted by the rebellion that won’t quit, leading to a golden age for the underworld. As a skilled thief, Kay’s antics catch the attention of Sliro, the leader of a new, foreboding criminal syndicate Zerek Besh. After Sliro places a bounty on Kay’s head, Kay and Nix are offered their one shot at freedom — pull off one of the greatest heists of all time. Kay and Nix will need to navigate the underworld across the galaxy, building their reputation with legendary criminal organizations including the Pyke Syndicate, the Hutt Cartel, the Ashiga Clan and Crimson Dawn to earn the support they need to finish the job.”

Star Wars fans have had reason to be disappointed in the last 5+ years, most notably for the debacle that was Battlefront II’s launch which was mismanaged from the start.  Lucasfilm Games’ partnership is viewed as a course correction for the company while partnering with Ubisoft could be seen as the extension of an olive branch.  Ubisoft has a solid track record and reputation, something Disney and Lucasfilm’s gaming divisions almost desperately need.

While also being available in a “Gold” and “Ultimate” edition, the base version of the game will have a retail price of $69.99, with all sorts of add-ons and extra spiffiness at your disposal if you pre-order before August 30^th.  Let’s all hope that they’ve got this one right!