Star Wars Outlaws Lets Players Wager on Sabacc Across the Galaxy

In the sprawling underworld of Star Wars Outlaws, Kay Vess steps into smoky cantinas and high-stakes back rooms where credits change hands over a deck of Sabacc cards. The game’s official ESRB rating summary has confirmed that players can wager in-game currency on Sabacc, described as “a blackjack-like card game with detailed rules.” That single detail transforms an iconic piece of Star Wars lore into a fully interactive pastime, giving scoundrels and gamblers a reason to linger between heists.

South Korea’s ratings board took a stricter view of the same gambling activity. The listing for Star Wars Outlaws carried an adults-only badge because of the wagering element. For players outside the region, however, the mention of Sabacc is more exciting than alarming — it hints at a lived-in galaxy where downtime matters as much as blaster fire.

The key details at a glance:

• 🎴 Card game: Sabacc, inspired by blackjack

• 🪙 Stakes: in-game currency wagers

• 👥 Opponents: Quarren, Aqualish, and other Outer Rim gamblers

• 🗓️ Launch: 30 August 2024

Sabacc has existed in Star Wars fiction for decades, appearing in novels, comics, and reference books as the preferred card game of smugglers and gamblers. Its rules vary depending on the source, but the core usually revolves around building a hand as close as possible to twenty-three or negative twenty-three, with shifting card values and sudden shifts that can ruin even a confident player. Han Solo famously won the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian in a game of Sabacc, cementing the card game’s legendary status.

Until recently, video game appearances were surprisingly rare. A few hands could be played in The Sims 4’s Journey to Batuu expansion, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order mentioned Sabacc only in passing. Star Wars Outlaws changes that by making Sabacc a fully realized activity rather than a background reference. The sight of Kay Vess sliding cards across a table, reading opponents, and occasionally cheating brings the game to life in a way that earlier adaptations never attempted.

That moment was teased in the game’s reveal trailer. Kay sat across from a Quarren and an Aqualish, calmly working through a hand before the scene was interrupted by a bounty hunter. The trailer made it clear that Sabacc would not be a shallow mini-game. It would be threaded into the scoundrel fantasy, complete with deception, risk, and the kind of tension that defines the Outer Rim’s criminal circles.

The Star Wars Outlaws story trailer also introduced the villainous Sliro and expanded Kay’s adventures beyond card tables. Still, the inclusion of Sabacc remains one of the most talked-about features because it offers a different kind of challenge. Instead of shooting through an Imperial patrol or sneaking past syndicate enforcers, players must learn the game’s detailed rules and manage their credits carefully. Betting in-game currency adds a layer of consequence, especially after a bad run or a bold bluff.

The development team at Massive Entertainment, the studio behind The Division, built Star Wars Outlaws as an open-world scoundrel story set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The game launched on 30th August 2024, giving players their first chance to sit at Sabacc tables across multiple planets. Card games appear in cantinas and other shady locations, reinforcing the idea that every corner of the galaxy has its own risks and rewards.

Beyond the card tables, Star Wars Outlaws uses its syndicate system to shape player choices. Sabacc fits naturally into that framework, since a table can be found near syndicate-controlled territory, and a high-stakes win might affect a player’s reputation or credit balance. The game encourages exploration and role-playing, letting scoundrels approach problems with charm, stealth, or violence. A round of Sabacc offers yet another path — one where a quick mind and a steady hand matter more than a blaster.

Some controversy also surrounded the game before release, but it did not affect the overall release structure. Ubisoft faced criticism when early messaging suggested that Jabba the Hutt and the Hutt Cartel would be locked behind more expensive editions. The company later clarified that Jabba the Hutt and the Hutt Cartel are one of the main syndicates in Star Wars Outlaws and would be part of the experience for everyone who purchased the game, regardless of edition. That statement reassured fans who wanted the full scoundrel experience without paying extra for key storylines.

In the end, Sabacc’s playable inclusion gives Star Wars Outlaws a distinctive texture. It connects Kay Vess to a long tradition of Star Wars gamblers, from Han Solo to Lando Calrissian, and it invites players to create their own table stories. A winning hand can fund new gear, while a losing streak can force difficult decisions. For those who have always wanted to sit in a cantina booth and risk a pile of credits on a shifting deck, the game finally delivers.

🃏 Whether playing fair or slipping a card up a sleeve, Kay Vess proves that in the Star Wars underworld, the riskiest move is often the most memorable.