Ubisoft’s CEO Yves Guillemot has spoken out following the underwhelming commercial performance of Star Wars Outlaws, and his explanation is raising eyebrows across the gaming community. 
During Ubisoft’s 2025 General Meeting, Guillemot blamed the game’s disappointing sales largely on the state of the Star Wars brand itself, claiming it was in “choppy waters” at the time of the game’s release.
While he pointed to recent flops like The Acolyte-which aired and was promptly canceled within two months-as a factor, many fans find it hard to believe a single TV show could sink a major AAA release. After all, other recent Star Wars titles like The Mandalorian and Andor have been widely praised and enjoyed successful runs.
More to the point, Guillemot also admitted what players already knew: Outlaws launched with issues. “The game had a few items that still needed to be polished,” he said. Those rough edges were addressed post-launch, but the damage was already done. The game’s buggy release hurt its momentum, and Ubisoft is now banking on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 version to turn the tide when it launches September 4.
Guillemot also took time to comment on the growing Stop Killing Games movement, sparked by frustration over games being rendered unplayable after support is dropped. He emphasized that “nothing is eternal,” noting that games with online service components eventually become obsolete. However, critics argue that’s not the real issue-gamers don’t demand eternal support, they simply want the ability to preserve and enjoy the games they purchased.
As many point out, the problem is bigger than Ubisoft. The entire industry faces backlash for shipping half-finished games, only to fix them months (or years) later-if ever. Players are increasingly skeptical of buying on day one, and it’s not just about the IP. It’s about trust.
Ubisoft’s fate with Star Wars Outlaws might change on the Switch 2. But the core issue isn’t the galaxy far, far away-it’s what’s happening here and now in the gaming industry.