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Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is being replaced by an all-new immersive themed land.
Is Galaxy’s Edge Closing?
Home to signature attractions such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge takes place during the sequel trilogy, which is why all the aesthetics don’t scream George Lucas’ original trilogy era.
Of course, there are plenty of familiarities — but this themed land is largely modeled after Disney’s sequel trilogy, even if, from time to time, it has characters from outside that era.
However, the future of Galaxy’s Edge looks uncertain. While the themed land continues to draw crowds, it may need to do more to hold fans’ attention in the long run.
The catastrophic downfall of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser — the immersive two-night hotel experience set aboard a starship known as the Halcyon — has also left a dark cloud over the area, as has the string of divisive Star Wars content of recent years, both in theaters and on Disney+ (The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, to name a few).
However, the popular themed land is not closing. In fact, The Mandalorian and Grogu — who are getting their own Star Wars movie The Mandalorian & Grogu next year — are about to breathe some new life into the area, as Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will be given a Mandalorian and Grogu-themed overlay, per this year’s D23.
Credit: Disney
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But while Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge continues to expand, Disney and Lucasfilm still intend to remedy some of the disappointment from the recent string of disasters by giving us an all-new Star Wars experience.
Though not tangible like the Disney Parks area, this new experience will put fans in a virtual setting, which will probably be far more immersive than Galaxy’s Edge ever could be. Even better, it will transport fans back to the original trilogy era instead of the sequel trilogy part of the timeline.
Even non-diehard Star Wars fans have probably heard there’s an open-world video game in the works. Actually, it’s now just weeks from release, and naturally, marketing is being heavily ramped up for the highly anticipated title. The first of its kind for the franchise, “Star Wars Outlaws” (2024) will allow players to explore the faraway galaxy freely. Perhaps not in its entirety, as it’s mostly set in the criminal underworld, but it’s a vast arena nonetheless.
Credit: Massive Entertainment / Ubisoft / Lucasfilm Games
Related: Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser’s Replacement Already Available at Disney Park
Worlds will range from iconic locations such as the desert planet Tatooine, famous for its twin suns — whose key locations include Mos Eisley, Desert Valley, Bestine, Wayfar, and Mos Algo — and Cantonica, renowned for the casino resort Canto Bight as seen in Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi (2017), to new ones created specifically for the game, like the savanna moon Toshara, the lush jungle world Akiva, and the ice planet Kijimi.
Needless to say, “Outlaws” — which takes place between Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983), will feature a lot more varying landscapes than Galaxy’s Edge. Of course, video games have a lot more freedom, but ultimately, fans want to be as deeply immersed in the faraway galaxy as possible, and the new title may allow them to do that more than Disney Parks’ themed land.
In a sense, “Star Wars Outlaws” will also replace Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser as it will give players the chance to experience life onboard Kay Vess’ starship.
However, the game hasn’t been without its controversies — yes, even before its release.
Credit: Massive Entertainment / Ubisoft / Lucasfilm Games
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Many fans have described the game’s lead character Kay Vess as “ugly” and have accused Lucasfilm Games, Ubisoft, and Massive Entertainment of “uglifying” Humberly González, the actress who plays her, as they believe the three companies — like many others — are trying to reverse the sexual objectification of female characters in video games.
In other words, many people think the game is “woke”.
The price tags have also come under heavy fire, with the “Gold Edition” costing $94.99 and the “Ultimate Edition” a whopping $114.99. Beyond the politics and price tags, though, some fans just don’t think the game looks very good. Recently, Ubisoft revealed the first ten minutes of gameplay, which was heavily criticized for its seemingly outdated graphics.
Ubisoft has since responded to those critics, saying, “It’s not worth engaging with. If you engage with bad-faith people, there’s no nuance and no possibility of real dialogue.”
When Will “Star Wars Outlaws” Be Available?
“Star Wars Outlaws” will be released on PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on August 30, 2024.
Check out the trailer for “Star Wars Outlaws” below, per Ubisoft:
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Here’s the official synopsis:
Experience the first-ever open-world Star Wars game, set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Explore distinct planets across the galaxy, both iconic and new. Risk it all as Kay Vess, a scoundrel seeking freedom and the means to start a new life, along with her companion Nix. Fight, steal, and outwit your way through the galaxy’s crime syndicates as you join the galaxy’s most wanted.
If you’re willing to take the risk, the galaxy is full of opportunity.
The game is available for pre-order now, and you can play it up to three days early on August 27 with the Gold Edition or Ultimate Edition or with a Ubisoft+ Premium subscription.
Are you excited about “Star Wars Outlaws”? Let Inside the Magic know whether you’ll even be playing the game!
