There are few media properties as influential as Star Wars. Fans pour over lore, show love for minor characters, and have sky-high expectations of any new piece of media set in that distant galaxy. So the bar is set pretty high for Star Wars Outlaws, the first-ever open-world game the setting has seen, and thankfully Massive and Ubisoft are eager to rise to that challenge.

Game Rant spoke with creative director Julian Gerighty, art and world director Benedikt Podlesnigg, associate art director Marthe Jonkers, narrative director Navid Khavari, and game director Mathias Karlson in a wide-ranging interview on Star Wars Outlaws ahead of the game’s release, including a surprising love the team has for a blue elephant. The following interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

A Long Time Ago, In a VCR Far, Far Away

Q: As Star Wars fans, can you talk about some of your favorite movies, games, comics, and/or moments in the franchise?

Gerighty: For me, there’s a huge element of nostalgia for the original trilogy of movies, growing up and seeing those films were amazing and really made my imagination run wild, that’s why it’s a childhood dream come true to be able to work on a game set during that time period.

Podlesnigg: My favorite movie would be The Empire Strikes Back. The amazing industrial design and locations they crafted for the film added so much depth to the galaxy. From the AT-AT walkers to the icy caves of Hoth, asteroid fields, and space creatures. Bespin was one of the great moments, not because of the big twist but that it added a floating city in the clouds mining gas, something that visually was striking but also so different from all the things we have seen before in Star Wars.

Jonkers: My Star Wars journey started with The Empire Strikes Back, back when it was shown on television. I videotaped it, watched it over and over again, and then made tons of drawings and sketches. I have sketchbooks full of X-wings and spaceship designs, alien creatures, and lightsaber battles. That was before I had even seen the rest of the trilogy! The Empire Strikes Back is still my favorite Star Wars movie, the cinematography is incredibly strong, and its locations are so varied and iconic. Definitely a huge inspiration for developing Star Wars Outlaws!

Khavari: Where do I begin? I truly believe my obsession with storytelling began with Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. As a kid of the 80s, that was the movie my brother and I watched so much I think we came close to melting the VCR. It’s the gold standard in my eyes I looked to when I joined the project. It just has the perfect blend of high stakes, character growth, and meaningful action.

Then the games: I mean, I poured hours into X-Wing on my 386, the Super Star Wars games–even if they were impossible, Shadows of the Empire on N64, Episode 1 Racer, I could go on and on… then comics-wise I think the Doctor Aphra and Darth Vader series has some really great storylines. To me, all these pieces are part of the fabric of Star Wars and, in a lot of ways, I think Star Wars Outlaws is a love letter to this galaxy that has given so much.

Karlson: I grew up watching the original trilogy over and over. I was, from a very early age, mesmerized by how the world, characters, and technology of Star Wars came together in such a unique and relatable way. It was so easy to project yourself into that world and imagine endless other adventures alongside the stories told in the movies.

I vividly remember the very real frustration, as a child, that I could not travel there and experience it myself. If I had to pick one favorite piece of Star Wars, it would have to be Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Also, I think some of the best seconds of the entire franchise are found in the Darth Vader scene in Rogue One.

Q: What’s everyone’s favorite character or characters?

Gerighty: Max Rebo is my favorite character, I mean he can play keyboards with his feet!

Podlesnigg: Max Rebo all the way… just shy of Salacious B. Crumb…

Jonkers: There are so many memorable and iconic characters in Star Wars, it is not easy to pick one! But the most impactful character must be Darth Vader. At first glance, he is the ultimate bad guy; imposing, menacing, with a strong silhouette. But, throughout the movies, you get to know his incredibly tragic backstory, and that makes him such an impressive character.

I do wish the big family reveal wasn’t spoiled for me, a friend told me before I watched the movie! I do also love Leia. She has such a strong attitude, while everyone is cowering in the presence of Darth Vader, she holds her ground and even tries to bluff her way out of the situation. Plus, how can you not love that hairstyle?

Khavari: For me, it’s interesting, as a kid I thought Luke was just the coolest. The transition from where he was at the end of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back to entering Jabba’s palace in the black hooded robe–it’s one of my favorite moments. But as I got older it became Han. I think going into high school a lot of folks, especially me, wished they could be that cool. Now it’s probably Lando. Funnily enough, I think he’s a complicated character who made some hard choices. As a kid, I couldn’t believe he redeemed himself, but as you get older, and real life hits you with tough choices, I empathize with him so much.

Karlson: Max Rebo. No doubt. Jabba’s throne room is like a greatest hits collection of almost all my favorite characters, actually.

Q: If Kay Vess was in a situation similar to Han Solo and Greedo…would she shoot first?

Khavari: Kay would shoot first. Period. Forget protecting herself, is she gonna let someone hurt Nix? No way.

Crafting the Galaxy of Star Wars Outlaws

Q: Star Wars Outlaws is obviously a very different Star Wars game, but were there any other games you were particularly inspired by? Is there any “DNA” from other Star Wars games in Outlaws ?

Gerighty: We dug through the Lucasfilm archives, did a lot of research, and worked very closely with Lucasfilm Games to ensure this experience feels uniquely Star Wars but in terms of other games outside of that which inspired this experience, I would say Ghost of Tsushima is a game that I referenced quite often. That game really immerses you in the fantasy from start to finish and was very focused.

Q: What was it like working with Lucasfilm on Star Wars Outlaws ?

Gerighty: Lucasfilm Games have been great partners throughout the entire process, even suggesting the time period for our game. You really think you know Star Wars until you start working on it and then you realize how much attention to detail they really put into every shot, every location, every ship or character; it’s been great to work with them and craft new characters, moons, flora and fauna and even vehicles that will exist in this galaxy forever.

Q: The Trailblazer was created in close collaboration with Lucasfilm. Does anything specific about Star Wars ship design during this process stand out?

Gerighty: Starships in Star Wars are iconic and all immediately recognizable due to their striking silhouettes and it really was very exciting to create not only a new ship design but also a backstory for this ship, too—it really has had quite a journey of its own before Kay permanently borrows it. The other thing that stood out is that the shapes used are often based on real-world items and in our case, we took a lot of inspiration from toys of the 70s and 80s, as well as turtles and armored trucks with their shell plating, which worked well for what we envisioned for the Trailblazer.

Q: The time period between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi is an incredibly busy period lore-wise. How did this help or hinder creating characters and plot?

Khavari: It really helped. As much as there is such an epic battle happening with the Empire and the rebellion, it was liberating to push that more to the background. Can you think of a better backdrop to tell a new story in? And because Star Wars Outlaws focuses on a scoundrel story in the underworld, it opened up so much possibility for us to tell a new story–especially being able to focus on the characters on the ground, who have nothing to do with that conflict.

The underworld works so well hand in hand with an open-world story—being a scoundrel who can explore the galaxy at their own pace and meet syndicate bosses, bounty hunters, or people just trying to get by during a dangerous time in the galaxy. Players, myself included, have been asking for that kind of immersion for years, it’s a dream to have that opportunity to give that to players.

Q: Outlaws has been envisioned as a heist story as well. Has any others in Star Wars lore particularly influenced this heist and scoundrel approach?

Gerighty: We looked at a lot of Star Wars media and of course iconic scoundrels of the series such as Han Solo and Lando Calrissian, but for Kay Vess we wanted to create a modern, new scoundrel. She’s someone we wanted to be really grounded and relatable, she grew up in the Worker’s District of Canto Bight with no one but Nix by her side, seeing the rich get richer and having nothing. That’s really her drive, is to create a life where she and Nix can travel the galaxy without answering to anyone.

Q: Star Wars Outlaws has been described as drawing heavily from the 70s and 80s. How did this mindset and approach affect the narrative and design philosophy for the characters and quests?

Gerighty: The 70s/80s period of the original trilogy influenced every decision we made. Our game is set during that original trilogy period that we and fans all know and love so it had to be authentic and we had to nail all the details. The great thing about creating the game now is that we have so much more history in the galaxy that we can draw from so we’re also able to add in little reference to eras such as the Clone Wars through ND-5 and some other details that players will discover so it’s very firmly grounded in that original trilogy period whilst also referencing what has come before in the timeline.

Q: Did any specific experiences in development help in designing or integrating any key elements of Star Wars Outlaws ?

Gerighty: Our teams across Massive and the wider team at Ubisoft are not only huge fans but they also are quite experienced in development, some of them even working on other Star Wars titles and that was hugely helpful in addition to our collaboration with Lucasfilm Games who were always able to steer us in the best direction. As a team at Massive, we also have extensive experience creating immersive open worlds that celebrate player advocacy and this is the key to us being able to produce the first-ever Star Wars open world, one that players will really enjoy experiencing for themselves.

Q: What was the process like fitting the Star Wars universe and lore into an open-world mold? Was the process any different from other Ubisoft open-world games?

Podlesnigg: The biggest difference is the sheer variety that Star Wars needs to feel proper and like a true galaxy-spanning adventure. Every location has a completely different biome with its own weather, time of day cycles, architecture, characters, etc., which adds a lot of complexity when building the world. We always looked at the player experience when building the open world to make sure all the elements work together.

Q: Star Wars Outlaws has gone gold and the release date is approaching. Can you talk a little bit about that feeling of the date getting closer? Does it feel any different because it’s Star Wars ?

Gerighty: It’s always incredibly exciting to launch a project and with it being Star Wars, it is a childhood dream come true for me and so many of the team. It’s been something that has been very close to all of us for so long and soon it will be out there for the world to experience and I’m really looking forward to that.

[END]