Star Wars Outlaws Breaks Ubisoft's Tower Tradition

For Star Wars fans, the recent unveiling of Star Wars Outlaws has been a whirlwind of emotions. While the announcement brought exciting news like an earlier-than-expected release date and the continued charm of companion Nix, it was also overshadowed by discussions about a pricey season pass and an online requirement for installation. This focus on monetization is unfortunate, as it detracts from some genuinely innovative design choices revealed about the game itself. One such choice represents a significant departure from a long-standing open-world convention that has become as ubiquitous in modern gaming as a lightsaber in a Jedi's hand.

The Tower Tradition and Its Absence

When Ubisoft first announced Star Wars Outlaws as an open-world adventure, many players braced themselves for a familiar pattern. For nearly two decades, since the original Assassin's Creed, climbing towers or high points to reveal sections of the map has been a staple mechanic in countless Ubisoft titles and has influenced many other open-world games. It became a predictable ritual, like following a recipe from a well-worn cookbook. Players fully expected protagonist Kay Vess and her furry friend Nix to be scaling Star Wars-themed communication arrays or ancient spires to clear the fog of war from their galactic map.

However, in a refreshing twist, Star Wars Outlaws is boldly stepping away from this tradition. According to Game Informer's online content director Brian Shea, who recently had hands-on time with the game and spoke with developers at Massive Entertainment, these map-revealing towers simply do not exist in Outlaws. When Shea directly asked the creative director about the infamous towers, the answer was a definitive no. Instead of performing this repetitive cartographic chore, players will uncover the map organically through exploration—a return to a more classic and immersive approach to world discovery. This decision is like swapping a pre-packaged, processed meal for a fresh, foraged feast where every new vista is a reward in itself.

A New Philosophy for Galactic Exploration

This shift signifies more than just the removal of a single gameplay element; it points to a potential evolution in Ubisoft's open-world design philosophy. For years, the tower system acted as a structured guide, systematically unlocking areas and populating them with icons for activities, collectibles, and missions. While effective for player orientation, it could sometimes make exploration feel like a checklist rather than an adventure.

Star Wars Outlaws appears to be placing greater trust in its world's inherent appeal and the player's curiosity. By removing the towers, the game encourages:

• Organic Discovery: Players find points of interest naturally by traveling through environments, talking to characters, or following narrative threads.

• Environmental Storytelling: The landscape itself becomes the guide, with landmarks, lighting, and terrain subtly directing attention.

• Player Agency: The pace and path of map revelation are controlled entirely by the player's choices, making the experience more personal.

This method harkens back to older adventure games and the original spirit of exploration in titles like The Legend of Zelda, where the joy came from stumbling upon secrets. In the vastness of the Star Wars galaxy, this approach feels particularly fitting. The galaxy should feel wild, unknown, and full of mystery, not pre-gridded and waiting for its radio towers to be activated.

The Broader Impact and Player Response

The removal of the tower mechanic has been met with widespread approval from the community. Many players have expressed fatigue with what they see as a formulaic and outdated design crutch. For them, climbing towers had become a tedious interruption, a mandatory mini-game that broke immersion. One common sentiment echoed online is relief at never having to engage with a mechanic akin to "listening to Chadley prattle on again," a reference to a famously verbose NPC from another franchise who accompanies a similar tower activity.

This change could have a ripple effect across the industry. If a major publisher like Ubisoft successfully abandons this trope in a high-profile release like Star Wars Outlaws, it may encourage other developers to rethink their own reliance on similar map-unlocking systems. The goal is to create worlds that players want to explore for the sake of exploration, not just to fill a progress bar. It's a move from treating the open world as a theme park with clearly marked rides to viewing it as an uncharted wilderness full of potential stories.

Balancing Guidance with Freedom

A legitimate concern with removing structured map revelation is player confusion or frustration. Without towers or similar mechanics, how will players know where to go or what to do? The developers at Massive Entertainment likely have alternative systems in place to ensure the game remains accessible. These might include:

Potential Navigation Tools	Description
Scanner/Ping System	Kay's ship or a handheld device could scan areas, highlighting points of interest within a certain radius, encouraging local exploration.
NPC Dialogue & Rumors	Information gathered in cantinas or from contacts could directly add locations to the map, tying discovery to narrative.
Mission-Based Unlocking	Completing story missions in a sector could naturally reveal that area's map, as Kay gains influence and knowledge.
High-Ground Vistas	While not granting a full map reveal, climbing high points could offer a breathtaking, panoramic view that lets the player visually spot a distant landmark to investigate, like a hawk spotting movement in a field far below.

The key will be providing enough subtle direction to prevent aimlessness while preserving the thrill of genuine discovery. The hope is that finding a hidden bounty hunter den or a secret Rebel cache feels earned because you followed a clue or simply investigated an unusual rock formation, not because an icon appeared on your map after climbing a specific tower.

In an era where open-world games are often criticized for being bloated and repetitive, Star Wars Outlaws' decision to ditch the tower mechanic is a promising sign. It suggests a confidence in the richness of its world and a respect for the player's intelligence. As of 2026, this move is being watched closely, as it could mark a turning point toward open-world design that prioritizes organic wonder over mechanical convenience. The galaxy far, far away is vast and mysterious; it's only right that uncovering its secrets should feel the same way.