Ubisoft has clarified the contents of the Ultimate Edition for Star Wars Outlaws after outrage that an iconic character could be locked behind a paywall.
Star Wars Outlaws‘ story trailer reveal last week was followed by details about pre-orders for the title, which includes the uber-expensive Ultimate Edition that will cost $129.99.
Immediately after the reveal, there was a mixture of confusion and outrage at the Jabba’s Gambit exclusive mission available at launch for players who purchase the Season’s Pass for Star Wars Outlaws.
The Season Pass is included with the Ultimate Edition and Gold Edition, priced at $109.99—but fans believed the exclusive Jabba mission meant the iconic character was locked behind a paywall.
Ubisoft addressed the concerns in a statement issued to PC Gamer and made clear Jabba and the Hutt Cartel are “part of the experience for everyone who purchases the game, regardless of edition.”
The Hutt Cartel are “one of the main syndicates in Star Wars Outlaws,” and Jabba’s Gambit is an “optional, additional mission” that does not lock Jabba the Hutt or other members of the Hutt Cartel behind a paywall.
While we can all breathe a huge sigh of relief that Jabba the Hutt will be featured and seemingly plays a central role in Star Wars Outlaws, it’s still frustrating that content like this is locked behind an edition of the game that commands a higher cost.
This isn’t anything new in the gaming industry, with an additional mission a bonus for purchasing the season pass in Ubisoft’s Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, while Red Dead Redemption 2 also offered a similar bonus.
Locking any release content behind a specific edition of a game is still not a great practice. But neither is paying for three days of early access, which is available in Star Wars Outlaws and has become a regular feature for new releases.
