Ubisoft CEO Attributes Star Wars Outlaws Failure to IP Challenges and Launch Issues, Defends End-of-Life Support Policies

During Ubisoft's General Meeting 2025, held earlier this month and available to view via Media Server link, CEO Yves Guillemot addressed several pressing issues affecting the company. Chief among them was the disappointing commercial performance of Star Wars Outlaws and the ongoing debate surrounding the Stop Killing Games initiative, which calls for greater transparency and support longevity for online games.

Star Wars Outlaws: Caught in Turbulent IP Waters

Guillemot openly acknowledged that Star Wars Outlaws did not meet sales expectations, offering a two-fold explanation. First, he pointed to the broader challenges faced by the Star Wars IP, stating:

“The game suffered from the fact that it was released at a time when the brand — the brand that it belonged to — was in 'choppy waters'.”

Though he did not name specifics, it’s widely believed that he was referring to the poor reception of The Acolyte, a Star Wars TV series aired from June to July 2024 and canceled shortly thereafter due to low viewership. The implication is that negative sentiment around the broader franchise may have contributed to weakened excitement around the game.

However, Guillemot also took partial responsibility, conceding that the game launched with notable issues:

“The game had a few items that still needed to be polished, and they were polished and debugged in the early weeks after release, but it did affect sales volumes. We did heavily improve the game after those early weeks...”

Ubisoft is now hoping for a resurgence in interest with the Nintendo Switch 2 launch of Star Wars Outlaws, set for September 4, 2025. The upcoming port will include a revised version of the game, which could appeal to a new audience if the improvements are well-received.

Guillemot also addressed growing player frustration surrounding game discontinuations, especially those with online services or live content. In response to the Stop Killing Games initiative, which has drawn significant attention across the industry, Guillemot offered the following defense:

“We provide a lot of services to make sure that the game is accessible and remains playable 24/7... Players and buyers are forewarned that the game may be discontinued. [...] Nothing is eternal.”

He emphasized that Ubisoft, like all publishers, must make difficult decisions about game lifecycle management. The implication is that support costs, server maintenance, and technological obsolescence make it impossible to guarantee perpetual availability, particularly for online-centric titles.

Nevertheless, Guillemot acknowledged that this is an ongoing concern in the industry:

“We are doing our best to make sure that things go well for all players, because obviously, support for old games cannot last forever. [...] The industry at large is working on minimizing the impact on players.”

While the remarks may come across as pragmatic, they are unlikely to appease critics who see early server shutdowns or the removal of digital titles as undermining consumer trust. Still, Ubisoft’s public acknowledgment of the problem reflects increasing pressure on major publishers to find more player-friendly models of game preservation.

What do you think of Ubisoft’s handling of Star Wars Outlaws and their stance on game longevity? Should studios be required to support premium games for longer periods? Let’s discuss in the comments below.