Star Wars Outlaws' latest patch includes more stealth improvements, speeder fixes

Ubisoft's efforts to improve the Star Wars Outlaws experience continue today with arrival of its newest update, this time promising further stealth tweaks, speeder improvements, performance and stability optimisations, and more.

Title Update 1.2, as the latest update is officially known, weight in at 3.8GB on PS5, 4.71GB on Xbox Series X/S, and 5.6GB on PC. Its primary goal, according to Ubisoft's release notes, is "improving the camera on your speeder and its responsiveness", as well as "other tweaks to ensure your adventures are smoother and more rewarding."

Top of its list of notable changes, though, are those aforementioned stealth tweaks. Star Wars Outlaws' previous Title Update 1.1.2 already made some initial changes to the games's stealth sequences - which director Julian Gerighty acknowledged were "unfair" and "incredibly punishing" shortly after launch - but Title Update 2 seems to take things further.

This MIND-BLOWING Star Wars Outlaws First-Person VR Gameplay Is OUT OF THIS WORLD! - Ian's VR Corner

Ubisoft says it's adjusted AI detection to improve stealth, as well as the number of NPCs and their positioning, patrol pathing, and camera detection. Additionally, it mentions "highlighting environmental opportunities to reduce player friction." That's on top of various much-requested speeder enhancements, including camera improvements when FOV is increased, improved response and reaction when the speeder is called, plus better environmental collision to reduce the likelihood of players being knocked off the speeder during travel.

Elsewhere, stability and performance improvements are promised across all platforms, Kay's movement animations have been enhanced, and various progress-impacting issues have been fixed, including one that would cause players to get stuck in the hyperjump sequence towards Kijimi. The full list of fixes is considerably more expansive - Kay, for instance, now closes the correct eye while aiming down sights - and you'll find them in Ubisoft's patch notes.

Star Wars Outlaws hasn't, of course, been the unmitigated success Ubisoft was hoping for. Last month, the publisher admitted the game's launch had been "softer than expected", a situation it was hoping to remedy with a "series of updates to polish and improve the player experience in order to engage a large audience during the holiday season".

Today's Title Update 2 is just one part of that plan, with future content set to include Star Wars Outlaws' first bit of post-launch story DLC, starring Lando Calrissian, on 21st November. That's alongside continued work on "optimisation, gameplay polishing, and tweaks, as well as quality of life changes includes adjustments to combat and stealth gameplay".

Whether Ubisoft can turn Star Wars Outlaws' fortunes around in time for the holidays (or at all) remains to be seen; Eurogamer's Chris Tapsell felt the experience was fundamentally flawed when he reviewed it back in August, awarding it two out of five stars.