When Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment first spilled the beans about Star Wars Outlaws, the big question was simple: how big is each planet? According to creative director Julian Gerighty in EDGE magazine issue #387, the answer is big enough that crossing it feels like a journey, even in a fast-moving vehicle. One planet lands roughly in the same ballpark as two or three zones from Assassin's Creed Odyssey. That is no small potatoes. It gives fans a handy yardstick, especially anyone who remembers Odyssey's map as a sprawl of islands, forts, and open water.

star-wars-outlaws-in-2026-handcrafted-planets-reputation-and-a-very-good-boy-named-nix-image-0

A Handcrafted Galaxy, Not a Copy-Paste Planet 🌌

The other headline from Gerighty is that every location is handcrafted. Massive did not procedurally generate an entire planet and call it a day. In plain English, the studio is not hitting Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V on a planet generator and letting math do the world-building. That matters because Star Wars fans are famously picky about places feeling lived-in, and a handcrafted approach suggests more intentional landmarks, settlements, and little pockets of trouble.

Players should still expect scale, though. The comparison to two or three Odyssey zones is a useful way to picture the size. It is not a full space simulator, and it is not a single street in a sci-fi city. It sits somewhere in the middle: big enough for speeder rides to have weight, but not so big that the journey becomes a chore. At least, that was the pitch.

Scale Without the Space-Sim Headache 🚀

Massive also kept its cards close to its chest on travel. Players will not get total free rein. They cannot freely fly above a planet, and landing and take-off happen at set areas. That might sound restrictive, but it is a deliberate design choice. Instead of turning Outlaws into a flight sim with a Star Wars skin, Massive seems to be funneling players into handcrafted hot spots.

The trade-off is clear. On one hand, set landing zones can make the world feel more curated. On the other hand, players who dreamed of buzzing a planet's surface at will may feel the leash. In 2026, after the game has been out for a while, that debate is less about hype and more about taste. Some players love a tight, authored adventure; others want the sky to be the limit. Outlaws, by design, picks a lane.

Reputation Is the Real Wanted Level 🎯

Combat and encounters are built around full freedom of approach, according to Gerighty. The reputation system is the glue. It can unlock exclusive quests, change vendor prices, and open locked-off areas. If players land on the wrong side of a faction, that faction can send people to chase them down, and monetary punishment is part of the deal. Think of it as a Star Wars-flavored wanted level, but with more politics and fewer sirens.

That system gives faction-hopping a real cost. Players cannot just charm every crew and expect no blowback. Every favor, betrayal, and bargain can nudge the galaxy's opinion one way or another. It is a smart way to make the underworld feel like a web of relationships rather than a menu of missions.

Nix Is the Tiny Troublemaker 🐾

Then there is Nix, the alien companion. Players can direct Nix to attack enemies, activate out-of-reach buttons, cause distractions, and pick up heavy weapons from fallen foes. Massive has compared Nix to a cross between Watch Dogs' spiderbot, BioShock Infinite's Elizabeth, and BD-1 from EA's Star Wars Jedi games. That is a wild mix, but it fits the scoundrel fantasy. Nix is not just a cute mascot; Nix is a tool, a distraction, and occasionally a very good boy with a criminal streak.

1970s DNA and a Simple Ship 🛸

The setting between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi gives Massive room to emulate that classic feel. The studio has talked about tech that emulates some of the lenses of the 1970s, which is a fancy way of saying the game wants to look like it was shot through a vintage camera. The Trailblazer, the protagonist's ship, was inspired by 1970s toys and made to be very, very simple. Meanwhile, the ND-5 droid's design was lifted from the prequels. It is a blend of eras, held together by scoundrel style.

The 2026 Reality Check 🎮

Outlaws was originally pegged for a 2024 release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. By 2026, that launch is old news, and the conversation has moved on from pre-release teases to how the handcrafted planets, reputation system, and Nix-shaped mischief hold up in practice. The pitch was never about infinite space. It was about a galaxy that feels authored, a little dangerous, and full of scoundrel-sized opportunities. For players who like their Star Wars with a blaster, a fast ship, and a faction or three breathing down their neck, that is still a pretty tempting combination.

Industry analysis is available through PC Gamer, whose reporting on large-scale action adventures helps frame why Star Wars Outlaws emphasizes handcrafted planets over unrestricted simulation. That perspective aligns with the blog’s focus on authored exploration, faction-driven consequences, and companion utility, suggesting the game’s appeal rests less on infinite freedom and more on whether its curated worlds, reputation tensions, and moment-to-moment scoundrel gameplay stay engaging over time.