Star Wars Outlaws hacking uses Slicing to break into computer terminals, so Kay can access data or take control of systems. If you've ever played the Mastermind board game, or more recently Wordle, then you'll have a good idea of how this works – you pick symbols, get told if they're right or wrong and/or in the correct position, then repeat the process until you crack the code. You also only have a certain number of chances.
If you haven't got it yet, you'll need the Star Wars Outlaws Slicing kit to pull this off. On your mission to get the Slicing kit, you’ll be introduced to one of the first Star Wars Outlaws Experts who will let you access new hacking abilities over time.
It's a trick you'll be doing a lot of in Star Wars Outlaws, so it’s a good idea to work out how to be good at it. Passing the hacking minigame efficiently will make your life a lot easier, and avoid you listening to alarms alerting enemies of your presence. With that in mind, here's how to complete Star Wars hacking using Slicing, plus alternative options you can use if you're finding it too difficult.
How to complete Star Wars Outlaws hacking puzzles
It's easiest to work through Star Wars Outlaws hacking puzzles logically, so start off by entering the first three symbols available. While both this and the Star Wars Outlaws lockpicking mini game basically open things, this option is all about using your brain rather than finding a rhythm with your data spike.
Once you've got the results of the first three symbols, use all of the available spaces remaining on the next line to enter more symbols you haven't tried before. Repeat this process until you have confirmation of all the symbols in the solution (there can be no duplicates), then swap positions around until they all change from yellow to blue and lock in.
Where possible while Slicing, you don't want to lock in the correct symbols until you've confirmed all of them included in the solution, as that will limit how much space you have available to test the remaining symbols. Ironically, this means that if you are 'lucky' enough to get two correctly placed symbols on your first guess, you're actually much worse off as you only have one space remaining to check all of the other symbols. As you progress through the storyline, the Star Wars Outlaws Slicing expands to include four or more symbols in the solution, but the exact same advice applies if you scale it up accordingly.
How to make hacking in Star Wars Outlaws easier
If you've followed the pointers above and are still struggling with this hacking minigame, then there are other ways to make hacking in Star Wars Outlaws easier. If you open up the Options menu then choose Settings and go through to Gameplay, you can scroll down to the Slicing settings and customize this minigame. There are options to switch from abstract glyph shapes to numbered buttons if you find them easier to process, and you can give yourself more Slicing attempts before you fail. If you'd rather just skip the whole thing, then there's also an option to turn off Slicing entirely, meaning you can simply access electronic terminals directly with no hacking to deal with.
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