If you’ve spent any time dodging blaster fire on Toshara or trying to outrun a thermal detonator in a Coruscant back alley, you’ve probably wondered who actually built this thing. It’s a massive game. Huge. But who made Star Wars Outlaws isn't just a one-sentence answer involving a logo on a box. It is a tangled web of specialized studios, high-stakes licensing deals, and a very specific engine that has been the backbone of Ubisoft’s biggest hits for a decade.
Massive Entertainment is the name you see first. They are the lead developers based in Malmö, Sweden. You might know them from The Division or Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. But honestly, a project of this scale is never just one group of people. It’s a global assembly line.
The Lead Architect: Massive Entertainment
Massive Entertainment wasn't always the "Star Wars" studio. Long before Kay Vess and her axolotl-adjacent companion Nix were a thought, Massive was focused on real-time strategy games like World in Conflict. They were acquired by Ubisoft from Activision Blizzard back in 2008, which, looking back, was a massive shift for the industry.
The studio is led by Julian Gerighty, the Creative Director who has become the face of the project. He’s the guy who had to pitch this "scoundrel fantasy" to Lucasfilm. The goal wasn't to make another Jedi simulator. We've had plenty of those. They wanted the grime. They wanted the Han Solo vibes without actually being Han Solo. Massive brought their expertise in dense, atmospheric open worlds—something they perfected in the snowy, apocalyptic streets of New York City in The Division—and applied it to the Outer Rim.
But here is the thing about Massive: they are also the keepers of the Snowdrop Engine. This is crucial. Who made Star Wars Outlaws is as much about the software as the people. Snowdrop is what allows for that seamless transition from a planet's surface into space without a loading screen. It handles the lighting, the physics of the speeder bikes, and the complex AI of Nix. Without that specific piece of tech developed in-house at Massive, Outlaws would likely look and feel like a completely different game, probably more like Assassin’s Creed in space.
The Support Network: It Takes a Village (of Studios)
Ubisoft is famous—or maybe infamous, depending on who you ask—for its "co-dev" model. No single studio makes a AAA game alone anymore. It’s just too expensive and takes too long. When you ask who made Star Wars Outlaws, you’re actually talking about a dozen different time zones.
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- Ubisoft Bucharest and Ubisoft Belgrade: These teams often handle the heavy lifting for PC porting, technical optimization, and specific art assets.
- Ubisoft Paris and Montpellier: They contributed to the world-building and systemic gameplay mechanics.
- Ubisoft Shanghai and Singapore: Usually, these folks are the wizards behind the water tech or specific wildlife behaviors.
- Ubisoft Toronto: Known for Far Cry and Splinter Cell, they lent their expertise in cinematic storytelling and stealth mechanics.
It’s a literal world tour of game development. This "follow the sun" model means that while the Swedes at Massive are sleeping, a team in Chengdu might be bug-fixing the way a Stormtrooper falls over a crate. It’s efficient, but it also creates a very specific "Ubisoft feel" that some critics argue makes their games feel a bit homogenized. However, with Outlaws, the influence of Lucasfilm Games acted as a guardrail to keep it feeling distinctly "Star Wars."
The Lucasfilm Factor
We can't talk about who made Star Wars Outlaws without mentioning Lucasfilm Games. Under Disney, Lucasfilm Games doesn't usually build the games themselves. They are the lore police. They are the vision holders.
Douglas Reilly, the VP of Lucasfilm Games, and his team were deeply involved in every step. If Massive wanted to put a specific type of droid in a cantina on Tatooine, Lucasfilm had to check the archives to make sure that droid model existed in the era between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
This collaboration is why the game feels so "authentic." It’s the sound of the blasters, the specific shade of orange on a rebel jumpsuit, and the way the Empire’s architecture looks both futuristic and dated at the same time. Massive provided the hands, but Lucasfilm provided the soul—and the strict rules.
The Writing and the "Scoundrel" DNA
Navid Khavari served as the Narrative Director. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he was the Narrative Director for Far Cry 6. Khavari’s job was to move away from the "Chosen One" trope. Kay Vess isn't a Skywalker. She isn't a secret Kenobi. She’s a thief.
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The writing team had to balance the high-stakes underworld politics of the Pyke Syndicate and the Crimson Dawn with a personal story about a girl and her pet. They looked at 1970s cinema for inspiration—not just the original Star Wars, but also heist movies and Westerns. This wasn't just about writing dialogue; it was about designing a "reputation system" that actually felt like your choices mattered. If you betray the Hutts, you're going to feel it. That’s a narrative design choice that came straight from the top at Massive.
Why This Mix of Creators Matters
People often complain that Ubisoft games are "map-clearing simulators." You know the drill: climb a tower, reveal icons, repeat until you're bored. But who made Star Wars Outlaws decided to pivot away from that.
The developers at Massive publicly stated they wanted to move away from the "Ubisoft Tower" trope. Instead of a map filled with "to-do" lists, they tried to create an "organic" discovery process. You hear a rumor in a bar, you follow a lead, and you find a treasure. This shift in philosophy shows that the developers were listening to the fatigue the gaming community has been feeling.
It’s a risk. When you have a massive machine like Ubisoft, changing the formula is like turning an oil tanker. It’s slow and difficult. But because Massive has a bit more independence than some other Ubisoft branches—largely due to their success with The Division—they were able to push for a more "handcrafted" feel.
The Technical Hurdles
Let's be honest: making a game this big is a nightmare. Snowdrop had to be updated significantly to handle the sheer scale of the planets. When you're flying your ship, the Trailblazer, from space down to a landing pad, the engine is doing a frantic dance of loading and unloading assets.
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The technical directors at Massive had to figure out how to make the speeder bike feel fast without the game crashing as it tried to stream in the landscape. This is where the collaborative effort of the global Ubisoft teams really shines. They have the man-hours to throw at these problems until they disappear.
Addressing the "Ubisoft" Reputation
There is a segment of the gaming population that sees the Ubisoft logo and immediately thinks "microtransactions" or "generic open world." It’s a fair concern. But when looking at who made Star Wars Outlaws, it’s important to distinguish between the corporate entity and the creative teams.
Massive Entertainment has a reputation for being "tech-first." They care about the atmosphere. They care about how the rain looks on a neon sign. They are the "artistic" arm of the Ubisoft empire in many ways. While the corporate side of Ubisoft handles the marketing and the store, the developers at Massive spent years arguing over the exact sound a door makes in a space station.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re interested in the "how" and "who" behind your favorite games, don't just stop at the credits. There are a few things you can do to get a deeper look at the craftsmanship:
- Watch the "Art of Star Wars Outlaws" videos: Massive has released several behind-the-scenes looks at their concept art. It shows just how much they pulled from Ralph McQuarrie’s original 1977 sketches.
- Follow Julian Gerighty on social media: He often shares insights into the development process and the specific challenges of working within the Star Wars universe.
- Look into the Snowdrop Engine: If you're a tech nerd, researching what this engine can do compared to Unreal Engine 5 is fascinating. It explains a lot about why the game looks the way it does.
- Check the Credits: Seriously. Next time you finish a session, scroll through the credits. Look at the names of the "Quest Designers" and "Environment Artists." These are the people who actually "made" the game on a day-to-day basis.
Ultimately, who made Star Wars Outlaws is a team of over a thousand people spread across the globe, led by a Swedish studio with a fetish for high-end lighting and a deep love for the scummy, villainous side of a galaxy far, far away. It’s a miracle these things even get finished, let alone work. Knowing the names behind the pixels doesn't just make you a more informed gamer; it makes you appreciate the sheer audacity of trying to build a universe from scratch.