Star Wars Outlaws is another chapter in the vast Star Wars franchise that spans a massive timeframe. This franchise is constantly jumping around in time, so you may be unsure when Star Wars Outlaws takes place.
Knowing exactly when this game takes place is crucial for understanding what the galaxy looks like at this point and what iconic characters you might meet along your journey. Here’s what you need to know about when Star Wars Outlaws takes place.
Where does Star Wars Outlaws fall in the Star Wars timeline?
Star Wars Outlaws takes place between Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. At this time, the Empire is trying to stamp out the Rebel Alliance, and scoundrels like Kay Vess and the underworld are thriving as the government’s attention is focused elsewhere.
There’s a one-year gap between Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, and Kay Vess’ story fills in the gap between these two films to highlight what the state of the galaxy looked like at this time. The time it takes place sets up the Star Wars Outlaws story perfectly since the focus won’t be as much on the Empire and the Rebel Alliance as it will be on the golden age the underworld is in.
While the films don’t cover this period, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back ended with Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa reuniting after that bombshell and Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca departing to rescue a frozen Han Solo.
Han Solo is one of the few characters we know is featured in Star Wars Outlaws since he made an appearance in the story trailer. Lando Calrissian also directly appeared in a game teaser, so we at least know two key characters will appear during Kay Vess’ journey. Kay Vess seems to meet Lando Calrissian for a game of Sabacc, which means she likely runs into him while he’s hard at work trying to rescue Han Solo from the carbonite he’s frozen in at Jabba the Hutt’s palace.
Even though the focus is more on the underworld and scoundrel lifestyle, Kay Vess’ journey still features many iconic characters and locations most Star Wars fans are familiar with. Her story takes place at a perfect time when no other content does, so the possibilities are pretty open.
