Back in August 2024, the gaming galaxy got a new scoundrel—Kay Vess, star of Star Wars Outlaws. The hype was real, the trailers were slick, and the promise of living that Han Solo life had players buzzing like a swarm of porgs. Fast forward to 2026, and the dust has long settled. Now, looking back at that Metacritic score of 76, it's like discovering your Corellian ale is actually just blue milk: not quite what you ordered, but still goes down easy.
When the reviews dropped, creative director Julian Gerighty didn’t exactly pop open a bottle of spotchka. He admitted to GamesRadar+ that he was “a little disappointed” with that 76. That’s gamedev speak for “we were hoping for at least an 80, but hey, it’s still a passing grade in Jedi Academy.” In fairness, a 76 on Metacritic isn’t the kiss of death—it’s more like a shrug from the gaming universe. Gerighty, ever the professional, quickly pivoted to pride. He saw players snapping “incredible images” in photo mode, and that, to him, was proof the game was doing something right. Because if there’s one thing Star Wars fans love, it’s taking screenshots of their customised scoundrel looking moody on Tatooine.
Set smack in the timeline between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Outlaws let players slip into Kay Vess’s boots—a thief, a rogue, and a master of getting into trouble. The galaxy was a playground: zip from Canto Bight to Akiva, rub shoulders with the Pykes, double-cross the Hutts, and blast TIEs in space. The game’s reputation system was the real star, turning every shady decision into a ripple across the criminal underworld. Help Crimson Dawn? Suddenly the Empire has a bounty on your head. Swipe a relic? Might find yourself in a high-stakes Sabacc game with a Wookiee who does not bluff. It was ambitious, and it mostly worked, even if the launch version had a few jawas in the engine room.
Then came the DLC parade. Gerighty had teased “exciting things ahead,” and he wasn’t blowing smoke. Wild Card dropped in Fall 2024, tossing Kay into a glittering Sabacc tournament where she crossed paths with the one and only Lando Calrissian. Picture this: capes, charm, and probably a cape-related wager. The following spring, A Pirate’s Fortune sailed in, teaming Kay with a grizzled pirate to settle some old scores. By 2026, both expansions are old news, but they did their job—adding spice to a game that needed a little extra kick. The community, bless their nerf-herding hearts, is still debating whether Outlaws is an underrated gem or just a solid 7/10 kind of experience.
Of course, no Star Wars release can escape the fiery Sarlacc pit of the internet. Some corners of the web took issue with Kay Vess herself—specifically, that she didn’t fit a certain “typical feminine look” seen in too many video games. Gerighty swatted that controversy away like a gnat on Endor. He defended Kay as a well-crafted character and said engaging with hate speech wasn’t worth the energy. In true scoundrel fashion, Kay’s design was never about pandering; it was about making a character who looks like she’s actually slept in a starship and could con Jabba out of his lunch credits. The team stuck to their guns, and by 2026, most sensible players have moved on to arguing about the next Star Wars project.
So where does Outlaws stand today? It’s a title that did its job: delivered an open-world Star Wars fantasy with enough swagger to keep fans exploring long after the credits rolled. The Metacritic score may not have lit the holonet on fire, but in the rearview mirror of 2026, it’s clear the game carved out its own cosy cantina corner. Whether you’re a die-hard scoundrel or just a casual tourist in the Outer Rim, Star Wars Outlaws proved that sometimes a 76 is just the beginning of a longer adventure. And if nothing else, it gave us all a chance to see Lando lose at cards—and that’s worth at least a few extra points.