When does Star Wars Outlaws take place, and does it matter much for the story? The Star Wars timeline covers thousands of years at this point, with different factions, powers, types of status quo and levels of technology, so exactly when in the canon timeline Star Wars Outlaws is set makes a significant difference to Kay Vess' story: after all is the Old Republic, the Empire or the First Order currently in control? Are the Jedi still a dominant force? Is the galaxy going through one of its increasingly rare moments of peace? We'll explain when Star Wars Outlaws takes place below, and what the implications for the narrative are.
When is Star Wars Outlaws set?
Star Wars Outlaws is set between the original series films "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" and "Episode VI: Return of the Jedi", with Star Wars timeline scholars placing the exact year as 3 ABY (after the Battle of Yavin, the official method by which the Star Wars community frames the timeline of events).
Taking place at this point in the Star Wars canon has some meaningful impact on the story and the setting, with the following to keep in mind as you play:
- The Empire is currently the dominant authority and power in the Galaxy, having not yet been defeated by the Rebels in Episode VI.
- The war between the Rebellion and the Empire is at its peak, especially after the destruction of the first Death Star in A New Hope. It's mentioned frequently in Outlaws that the rebellion serves to distract the Empire and make it easier for criminal syndicates to operate.
- The Jedi are not a significant force (pun intended). Though Jedi and force users like Luke Skywalker and Yoda do exist at this point in Star Wars lore, there aren't many of them, and those that are around are mostly in hiding.
- This timing can also provide context about certain characters who show up. We won't spoil who appears, but we all know how cameo-happy Star Wars as a franchise can be these days, and Outlaws has a few characters coming back from the films and expanded media, to varying degrees of significance. Keeping the timeline in mind can help you better understand their motivations, importance and where they are in their personal journey.
Going into further detail than this risks spoilers, but having these facts and dates in mind before you go into the narrative will help players better understand the context in which Kay Vess' criminal journey takes place. You might also notice that a couple of the Star Wars Outlaws planets that appear are those that feature in the sequel series, like Cantonica and Kimiji. This means that players are seeing them prior to their appearance in the films, and can see how they've changed accordingly.
For a more in-depth discussion of the narrative, check out our Star Wars Outlaws review, or find out where it sits on our ever-changing list of the best Star Wars games.
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