Ubisoft CEO Blames Star Wars Brand for Outlaws Game Failure

pcgaming Jul 19, 2025

When a major gaming company's latest title underperforms, you'd expect some soul-searching about game quality, player experience, or market positioning. But Ubisoft's CEO has taken a different approach entirely, suggesting that Star Wars Outlaws failed not because of any issues with the game itself, but because the Star Wars brand just isn't as popular as it used to be.

This explanation has sparked intense debate in the gaming community, with many players pushing back against what they see as corporate blame-shifting. The discussion, which began when u/Turbostrider27 shared the news on r/pcgaming, has generated over 1,100 upvotes and hundreds of comments from frustrated gamers.

The CEO's Brand Popularity Theory

According to the Ubisoft executive, Star Wars Outlaws didn't meet sales targets because "it was released at a time when the brand" wasn't performing as strongly as expected. This reasoning suggests that the iconic sci-fi franchise's declining popularity was the primary factor behind the game's commercial disappointment.

But here's the thing – Star Wars remains one of the most recognizable and valuable entertainment properties in the world. The franchise continues to generate billions in revenue across movies, TV shows, merchandise, and yes, video games. So blaming brand weakness seems like a stretch to most observers.

Gaming Community Fires Back: "It's Ubisoft Fatigue"

The gaming community wasn't buying this explanation. In fact, the top comment from u/FriendlyBrother9660 perfectly captured the general sentiment: "I think it failed because people are tired of ubisoft games..." This comment alone received 681 upvotes, showing just how many players agree with this assessment.

Other community members were even more direct. u/Cheetawolf made a pointed observation: "'The Brand' being Ubisoft...." suggesting that maybe the problem isn't with Star Wars at all, but with Ubisoft's reputation among gamers.

u/KnossosTNC offered perhaps the most colorful critique: "Ubisoft and Star Wars: two bland, stale, oversaturated flavours that went extra bland, stale and oversaturated together...." This comment highlights a key issue – when two properties that some perceive as formulaic combine, the result might not be greater than the sum of its parts.

The Real Issues Behind Star Wars Outlaws' Struggles

While the CEO focuses on brand popularity, players and industry observers have identified several other potential factors:

Ubisoft Formula Fatigue

Many gamers express exhaustion with Ubisoft's open-world formula. The same tower-climbing, map-clearing, collectible-hunting gameplay loop has appeared in countless Ubisoft titles over the years. When you apply this well-worn template to a beloved franchise like Star Wars, longtime fans might feel disappointed by the lack of innovation.

Market Saturation and Competition

The gaming market in 2024 is incredibly competitive. Players have countless options for their entertainment time and money. A Star Wars game needs to offer something truly special to stand out, not just rely on franchise recognition.

Quality and Polish Concerns

Ubisoft has faced criticism in recent years for releasing games that feel rushed or lacking in polish. If Star Wars Outlaws suffered from similar issues, that could easily explain poor sales performance regardless of brand strength.

Why This Blame Game Matters

u/Major303 made an insightful point about corporate learning: "People like that never learn. They prefer to go bankrupt instead of learning on mistakes and making better games...." This comment touches on something crucial – if leadership consistently blames external factors rather than examining internal processes, how can meaningful improvements happen?

The gaming industry thrives on innovation and player satisfaction. When executives deflect responsibility for poor performance, it suggests a disconnect between corporate leadership and the gaming community they're supposed to serve.

What This Means for Future Ubisoft Games

This situation raises important questions about Ubisoft's direction moving forward. If the company continues to attribute failures to external factors like brand popularity rather than examining their own game design and development practices, we might see more disappointing releases.

On the flip side, maybe this controversy will serve as a wake-up call. Sometimes it takes significant community pushback for companies to reassess their strategies and priorities.

The Star Wars Gaming Landscape

It's worth noting that other recent Star Wars games have found success. Titles like Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor have been generally well-received by both critics and players. This suggests that the Star Wars brand itself isn't the problem – execution and game quality are what matter most.

Players clearly still have appetite for Star Wars gaming experiences. They just want those experiences to be fresh, engaging, and respectful of the source material.

Industry Lessons and Moving Forward

This whole situation offers several lessons for the gaming industry:

Brand recognition isn't everything – Even beloved franchises need quality execution to succeed Player feedback matters – The gaming community's reaction often reflects real market concerns Corporate accountability – Companies that acknowledge and learn from mistakes tend to perform better long-term Formula fatigue is real – Players notice when games feel too similar to previous releases

Honestly, the gaming community's response to this whole situation shows how engaged and thoughtful players can be when discussing industry issues. They're not just complaining – they're offering genuine insights about what went wrong and how things could improve.

Source Attribution

Source: Originally discussed by u/Turbostrider27 on r/pcgaming

Read the original post: Reddit Thread

Final Thoughts

The debate over Star Wars Outlaws' performance highlights a broader conversation about corporate responsibility and player expectations in the gaming industry. While brand strength certainly matters, the overwhelming community response suggests that game quality, innovation, and studio reputation are far more important factors.

Maybe it's time for Ubisoft to listen to what their players are actually saying, rather than looking for external explanations for internal challenges. After all, the gaming community has shown they're ready to support great Star Wars games – they just need to be, well, actually great.

What do you think? Is the Star Wars brand really losing its appeal, or are players simply demanding higher quality from their gaming experiences? The conversation continues across gaming forums and social media, showing that this issue resonates far beyond just one disappointing game launch.