5 Years Ago, Massive Announced an Open-World Star Wars Game

Five years ago today, Ubisoft and Lucasfilm dropped an announcement that instantly rewired expectations for Star Wars gaming:

Massive Entertainment was developing an open-world Star Wars game.

Back then, it didn’t have a name. It didn’t have a trailer. It didn’t even have a main character.

It was just a promise — the kind that sounds too good to be real until you see it actually happen.

That project, once known as Project Helix, later became Star Wars Outlaws, which released in 2024.

And in a very Star Wars twist, the game’s story didn’t stop at launch.

Why this matters now

Star Wars games don’t always get long arcs.

Some drop, get a few patches, and vanish into the backlog like a forgotten bounty hunter.

But Outlaws has been doing something different: it’s been quietly picking up new fans over time — especially as more players discover its open-ended “live your own scoundrel story” structure.

And now that Switch 2 players are joining the party, the conversation around Outlaws feels a lot more alive than you’d expect for a 2024 release.

The original announcement was bigger than it looked

When Massive first got attached to an open-world Star Wars project, it wasn’t just exciting because it sounded ambitious.

It was exciting because it suggested a shift:

Star Wars gaming wasn’t just about Jedi, Sith, and lightsabers anymore.

This was going to be a different fantasy.

Less prophecy. More survival. More underworld.

More: you’re just trying to make it.

That idea alone was enough to spark years of speculation.

And for a while, all we had was a codename…

Project Helix became Star Wars Outlaws

For years, fans followed the development through leaks, rumors, and that now-famous internal label:

Project Helix.

Eventually, the official identity arrived:

Star Wars Outlaws.

A story-driven, open-world Star Wars adventure focused on criminals, syndicates, and reputation — with players stepping into the boots of Kay Vess and making choices that feel closer to the OT’s gritty edge than the usual “galactic destiny” storytelling.

It wasn’t the Star Wars game everyone expected.

That’s why it worked.

Outlaws has quietly become a “comfort Star Wars game” for a lot of players

Not every player came for stealth systems or difficulty tuning.

A lot came for something simpler:

The vibe.

Because Outlaws doesn’t just give you missions — it gives you places.

Planets that feel lived in. Streets that invite you to wander. Cantinas and back rooms where trouble feels casual.

And that’s why Outlaws has continued to gain fans since launch.

It’s the kind of Star Wars game you can play like an RPG… or like a tourist.

Sometimes you want to storm a base.

Sometimes you just want to walk around, cause mild chaos, and pretend you’re in a forgotten corner of the Outer Rim.

Switch 2 adds the one thing Outlaws thrives on: portability

Outlaws benefits from long sessions, sure.

But it also shines in short bursts.

A quick mission. A bit of exploration. A detour that turns into two hours.

That’s why Switch 2 support matters more than it sounds on paper — the game’s “multi-open-world” structure feels right at home on a platform built around hopping in and out.

And for new players who missed it in 2024, Switch 2 isn’t just another port.

It’s a second chance to experience it fresh.

The takeaway: the open-world Star Wars dream actually happened

Five years ago, the open-world Star Wars announcement felt like an idea.

Now it’s a real game — one that’s still finding its audience and slowly earning a longer life than most people predicted.

Project Helix became Star Wars Outlaws.

And Outlaws became something Star Wars gaming doesn’t always get:

A world you can simply live in.

And honestly? That’s the kind of anniversary worth remembering.

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