Is Star Wars Outlaws co-op multiplayer?

✓ At A Glance

• Star Wars Outlaws is a single player game
• There are no plans for multiplayer or co-op

It has an open world spanning some the Star Wars cannon’s most iconic locales. Then there’s a trio consisting of a quick-witted protagonist, a adorable companion, and an enforcer droid, that has co-op written all over it. And, of course, there’s a mean roster of crime syndicates ready to dish out lucrative heists promising hours of activities. Star Wars Outlaws is, in some respects, screaming out for a multiplayer mode. Imagine the hours of fun you’d have role-playing as a smuggler with a buddy or two?

However, the game has been billed by Ubisoft as a single player experience from the very start, including in multiple interviews and listings on storefronts. There are no plans for the game to have a multiplayer component now or in the future through upcoming updates, expansions, or DLC.

Does Star Wars Outlaws have co-op?

The short answer is that Star Wars Outlaws is a narrative-focused single player game with no multiplayer mode or co-op functionality. You play exclusively as Kay Vess, a scrappy smuggler intent on scoring a big heist to carve out a new life. There’s no character creator functionality so players won’t be able to piece together their own character.

It’s a bit of a divergence from what we’d usually expect from a Ubisoft open-world, which historically includes multiplayer for friends and even strangers to take on quests together. We’re thinking the Division, Far Cry, and the odd AC game. This isn’t the case with Outlaws. As game director Mathias Karlson noted back in June, “We’re super focused on delivering a single-player experience.”

It’s more Assassin’s Creed Mirage than Far Cry 6, Watch Dogs Legion, or even EA’s Star Wars Battlefront in that sense. For such a store-heavy game, squeezing in co-op or the like would have likely landed as cynical box-ticking lip service to players. Speaking speculatively, Disney’s oversight of the project may have steered this decision with the IP holder wanting to deliver a very specific experience for players.

We could see skilled modders piece together some sort of janky multiplayer component, but this, again, is highly unlikely given there’s no underlying multiplayer code or network infrastructure.

All in all, if you’re banking on a multiplayer mode, then it’s not looking too bright right now. Aside from some major shift far far away in post-launch development, which is unlikely, Outlaws is and will remain a single player game.

Not to fret though, as there’s a stacked list of trophies and achievements to keep you busy especially if you want that coveted platinum. And, if you’re worried about feeling a little isolated in the furthest recess of the galaxy, then Outlaws has you covered. Protagonist Kay is sided by her trusty merqaal companion Nix at all times. Her crew also includes an enforcer commando droid ND-5. You’ll meet a stacked cast of characters, including unlikely friends, bounty hunters, and syndicate crime lords, including the infamous Jabba the Hutt, Lando Calrissian, and a bounty hunter named Vail, imagined specifically by Ubisoft for the game.