When does Star Wars Outlaws take place in the timeline?

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Star Wars Outlaws' story is definitely influenced by the films' timeline

star wars outlaws timeline
(Image credit: Ubisoft)

The Star Wars Outlaws timeline places it very definitively within the films. By narrowing down a franchise that spans thousands of years at this point, with different eras, factions, powers, and levels of technology, the game has its own position in the universe.

But exactly when in the canon timeline Star Wars Outlaws is set makes a significant difference to Kay Vess' story: after all, there’s many questions to answer. Like who is in control - the Old Republic, the Empire, or the First Order? Are the Jedi still a dominant force? Is the galaxy going through one of its increasingly rare moments of peace? We'll explain when Star Wars Outlaws takes place below, and what the implications for the narrative are in the main Star Wars timeline.

When is Star Wars Outlaws set?

Star Wars Outlaws screenshot

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Star Wars Outlaws is set between the original series films Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Star Wars timeline scholars place the exact year as 3 ABY (after the Battle of Yavin, the official method by which the Star Wars community frames the timeline of events).

Taking place at this point in the Star Wars canon has some meaningful impact on the story and the setting, with the following to keep in mind as you play:

  • The Empire is currently the dominant power in the Galaxy, having not yet been defeated by the Rebels in Episode VI.
  • The war between the Rebellion and the Empire is at its peak, especially after the destruction of the first Death Star in A New Hope. It's mentioned frequently in Outlaws that the rebellion serves to distract the Empire and make it easier for criminal syndicates to operate.
  • The Jedi aren't around. Though Jedi and force users like Luke Skywalker and Yoda do exist at this point, there aren't many, and they're all in hiding.

When the game takes place can provide some context about characters that may or may not show up. I won't spoil who appears, but we all know how cameo-happy Star Wars as a franchise can be these days, and Outlaws has a few faces from the films and expanded media. Keeping the timeline in mind can help you better understand their motivations, importance and where they are in their personal journey.

Going into further detail than this risks spoilers to Star Wars Outlaws, but having these facts and dates in mind before you go into the narrative will help players better understand the context in which Kay Vess' criminal journey takes place. You might also notice that a couple of the Star Wars Outlaws planets that appear feature in the later sequel series, like Cantonica and Kimiji. This means that players are seeing them prior to their appearance in the recent films, and can see how they've changed accordingly.

For a more in-depth discussion of the narrative, check out our Star Wars Outlaws review, or find out where it sits on our ever-changing list of the best Star Wars games.

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Joel Franey
Joel Franey
Guides Editor, GamesRadar+

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.

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