A collection of Star Wars Outlaws beginner tips for new players. Learn the DOs and DONTs for Star Wars Outlaws early game and discover how to improve your experience!
This article does not include story spoilers
Star Wars Outlaws is full of different mechanics, interactions, secrets, and more things that make the gameplay immersive and fun. It can be overwhelming to process so much information and because of this, we can miss a few things.
This article includes two major sections – one for general and one for specific tips with the intention of helping you learn as much about the game as possible while not ruining your experience with its story and have a smoother experience.
General Tips: Understanding the basics of the game
Know the basics about the planets you’ll visit
There are five unique main planets, and each one of them has a different biome, landscape and a ruling crime syndicate.
Canto Bight, the casino city located on the planet Cantonica is where you’ll begin the story. This is where Kay Vess grew and learned how to look for herself. It might look prettier than many other places in the galaxy but don’t be deceived by the fancy atmosphere, it can be very dangerous if you mess up with the wrong people.
Toshara is a Savanna Moon created specifically for Star Wars Outlaws. The arid wasteland resembles what you’d expect to see on the East side of the African continent. It is filled with clever hideouts and valuable vaults owned by syndicates. The local governors make deals with many crime lords, making this moon a key location for the underworld and black market activities.
Kijimi, is a frozen planet filled with mountain ranges. This dangerous place houses the dangerous Ashiga Clan. A mysterious criminal group created by Massive Entertainment and Lucasfilm for this game specifically.
Tatooine, you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. The most famous desert planet in the Outer Rim and in Star Wars. The scorching twin suns make it very hard for life to be sustained. Krayt Dragons and Tusken Raiders wander the entire planet but the most dangerous thing here is without a doubt the Hutt Cartel.
Akiva is a hot, humid jungle world in the Outer Rim. This planet used to be a part of the CIS during the Clone Wars, because of this a separatist droid factory remains hidden in the catacombs. Despite the hostile appearance of Akiva, different species have settled here, including Sullustans, Mon Calamari, and Besalisks.
The wildlife here is arguably the most dangerous of the game. Keep your eyes open when wandering into the treasonous jungle.
Keep a balance between main and side content
There is A LOT to do in Star Wars Outlaws aside from the main quest. The immense worlds are filled with contracts, quests, fauna, treasures, and a wide variety of enemies.
You should spend some time wandering around, trying to find as many things as possible. You might even run into some very cool easter eggs and references.
It will slightly delay your story’s progress but the tradeoff is more than worth it. This is how you will be able to acquire materials for upgrades, find cosmetic items for Kay and Nix, encounter fun interactions or easter eggs, and get truly immersed in the underworld.
I must point out that keeping a balance is important. Some areas aren’t reachable until getting an item quest and some items obtainable in sidequests will make your story progress a lot easier.
Learn which weapons are available in the game
Kay uses a VM19 modular blaster. You have three different modules, Plasma, Ion, and Power while also having a Stun function. Additionally, each module has different configurations that are useful in different scenarios and playstyles.
The stun mode only has one configuration and each shot has a fairly long cooldown, do not use it lightly.
Kay’s enemies carry different weapons. After taking them down you will be able to pick up their weapons and use them until the gun runs out of ammo. Expect to find grenade launchers, heavy repeater blasters, sniper rifles, rotary cannons, percussive cannons, and modulator rifles.
Figure out which weapons are most effective against specific enemies. Gamorreans and Death Troopers are anything but pushovers, you will need to use more resources to eliminate the tougher enemies.
Understand how stealth works
Stealth is the most important mechanic of the game. You rely on it to do some of the most important missions.
Sneaking is the most basic one. Like any other game with stealth, Kay will crouch to hide behind objects that block the enemy’s sight. The closer you are to an enemy, the more likely that they will see you.
Pickpocketing is extremely useful to acquire objects from NPCs without resorting to violence. You can do it yourself or send Nix in your place. Keep in mind that being spotted by an enemy will get you arrested or killed. In both cases, you will return to the last checkpoint.
You can expect to find alarms and cameras in every building that is remotely important. It might sound silly compared to other things you must worry about, but finding the blind spots or ways to deactivate them are key for a successful infiltration, especially if you want to avoid any confrontation.
Takedowns allow you to eliminate unsuspecting enemies without others around noticing, at least that is how it works in theory. Some enemies will react to the sound of their buddy hitting the ground.
They will slowly start looking and walking around trying to find the source of the noise. Find some cover or take them down before things turn ugly.
The stun mode from your blaster is also a great way to keep things quiet. Remember that it has a long cooldown so use it wisely.
Even if you get discovered, things can still be salvaged if you sabotage the alarm. This will prevent enemy reinforcements from arriving and your reputation won’t be affected if the hideout belongs to a crime syndicate. If the place is an Imperial installation, the Wanted System won’t trigger.
Remember that you’re no Jedi
One of the best (or worse) things about playing Star Wars Outlaws is that it often reminds you that Kay is just a regular person in the galaxy. The Force is not with you, you are not a Jedi and you can’t get away with being reckless that easily.
Don’t get me wrong, it is possible to shoot your way out of an enemy hideout but it won’t be as easy as if you were Cal Kestis.
Using the environment to your advantage, sabotaging the alarm, and shooting fuel cells will all be required for you to complete the objective and come out alive.
Weak enemies go down with a few shots, but that goes both ways. If you simply start shooting at multiple enemies without a plan it’s likely that you die in a matter of seconds, even a small group of Stormtroopers can be deadly. As funny as that might sound.
Going stealthy and using Nix to its full potential will give you a higher chance of survival compared to the more violent approach. Of course, you can completely avoid the stealth option (when the game lets you) and shoot everyone but this is going to make things a little bit harder and more time-consuming.
Scout the area before engaging the enemy
As I stated above, Kay is no Jedi and the game does a very good job of reminding us that taking out a squad of Stormtroopers is no easy feat for common people. More than once you’ll find yourself in a dangerous situation where stealth is the only option for survival. The first example of this is Gorak’s base.
It can be overwhelming but what has helped me a lot in my first mission playthroughs, is to scout the area and try to map alternative routes in case I get cornered.
This is not the easiest thing to do at first because Nix’s senses have a limited range but after some hours you’ll be able to identify alarms or vents from a distance without the assistance of Nix.
Flexible approach is key
I’ve lost count of how many times I got frustrated in my first hours with the game because a stealth-only mission appeared to be extremely difficult. Thankfully, it took just a few tries before I realized that there is another way to do it.
There are different access points to many of the heavily guarded places, you might not think that’s a big deal but positioning and vision from both you and the enemy are extremely important when getting inside a heavily guarded enemy hideout.
There are some instances where using vents on the floor or climbing above the enemy is possible. Depending on your playstyle and patience level, one of them could make your life a lot easier.
Use Nix to his full potential
Kay is a skilled thief but she would have never gotten so far without her trusted companion. To say that Nix is important would be an understatement. This adorable cat/axolotl-like creature is what makes everything in the game more interesting, entertaining, and fun.
As mentioned in a previous segment, stealth is vital in Star Wars Outlaws. Some missions can only be completed by being stealthy and this would not be possible without Nix. With him, you have access to so many options that it almost feels unfair.
Nix can steal objects from NPCs, fetch weapons from fallen enemies, gather quest items, access small spaces, sense enemies, interact with levers or buttons, alert you from nearby enemies, pickpocket NPCs, sabotage alarms, and more.
Having so many different options gives possibilities for slightly different playstyles. Regardless of what approach you have, you must make a habit of using Nix regularly.
Even walking on a regular street can be turned into a treasure hunt thanks to the help of our little friend. His full range of abilities is explained in our dedicated Nix guide.
Prepare to deal with different Crime Syndicates
There are many criminal syndicates in Star Wars but five of them have a big influence in Star Wars Outlaws. It’s important that you know how they work, their internal codes, and the things that they value.
The Hutt Cartel
The Hutt Cartel is the oldest one, they made their obscene wealth by conquering and enslaving worlds. Their days as warriors are long gone but their domains remain with Jabba at the head of the organization.
The Hutts control many hyperspace lanes in the Outer Rim and they tax anyone who uses them, including the Galactic Empire. Power and brutality are valued among the Hutts. Since they have been around for centuries it’s nearly impossible for anyone to intimidate them so don’t even considerate it.
As Han Solo knows from experience, Jabba always collects what is owed to him. As long as you deliver what was asked you shouldn’t have any issues and the reward will be considerable, but double-cross Jabba and that will be your last mistake.
Crimson Dawn
Arguably the most secretive syndicate of all. After Maul’s defeat, they remained hidden but eventually revealed themselves with Lady Qi’ra leading them. Crimson Dawn has spies infiltrated every major organization in the galaxy. Empire, Rebel Alliance, and other crime syndicates.
Their sophisticated appearance and more discrete nature might make you think that they aren’t as dangerous as the others but that couldn’t be further from the truth. They move in the shadows, doing whatever is necessary to achieve their objective.
Crimson Dawn even managed to put all syndicates against each other. This hurt not only their rivals but the Galactic Empire as well. As a result, Palpatine put a price on Qi’ra’s head.
While the Hutts are more upfront in their “conflict resolutions”, Crimson Dawn has a more discrete approach. If Lady Qi’ra wants you gone, you will never see it coming. It would be unwise to have them as enemies.
The Pyke Syndicate
The Pykes are mostly known for their spice mining operation on Kessel. While this is their main source of income they are also involved in slavery, coaxium mining, and black-market distribution.
As a crime family, the Pykes value tradition and status above most things. Their headquarters are located in Oba Diah but resources allow them to be spread all over the galaxy.
Pykes have a very goofy appearance that’s only matched by their cruelty and lack of decency. In case you don’t remember, it was them who wiped out the Tusken Raider tribe in The Book of Boba Fett.
The Ashiga Clan
The Ashiga Clan was created specifically for Star Wars Outlaws. This criminal syndicate is made exclusively of Melitto, an insectoid species that functions as a hive under a very strict hierarchy.
For them, everything is about the survival of the hive. You can expect all of their actions to work for the benefit of the collective. This means that they aren’t driven by the same motives as the other syndicates.
They don’t care about being “good or bad”, everything they do is for the survival of the hive. With a Queen as their ruler, the Ashiga Clan has managed to establish and dominate the planet Kijimi.
Zerek Besh
Zerek Besh was also created for Star Wars Outlaws. The head of this syndicate is Sliro, one of the wealthiest people in the entire galaxy. With their extremely deep pockets, Zerek Besh quickly established themselves as one of the top criminal groups.
Zerek Besh is directly involved in the main story of the game so I will refrain from adding more details to avoid spoilers.
Don’t mistake allies for friends
As someone who works in the underworld, it’s important that you make a name for yourself. Only the people with the best (or worst) reputations are considered by the top crime lords for the truly important jobs.
Out of the five criminal syndicates mentioned above, you can earn reputation points with The Ashiga Clan, Crimson Dawn, The Pyke Syndicate, and the Hutt Cartel.
We have an in-depth guide to Syndicates and Reputation in Star Wars Outlaws. It explains how the system works in detail and gives you recommendations on how to improve and rise your reputation with the syndicates most efficiently.
Doing missions for a specific syndicate will increase your reputation with them. Maxing out a reputation with a syndicate unlocks unique rewards like cosmetic goodies, items that provide specific stats, huge discounts with some vendors, access to restricted areas that otherwise wouldn’t be available, and secret quests.
On the contrary, if your reputation with one criminal group is at its lowest point they will periodically send assassins and bounty hunters after you.
For example: If Crimson Dawn sends their people after you, but you are near a group of Pykes, and you have a good reputation with them, they will fight Crimson Dawn’s grunts.
There are many instances where you’ll be forced to choose which syndicate will benefit from your actions. Your reputation will increase with the chosen option while the opposite effect will occur with the losing side.
It’s nice to have maxed out reputation but don’t forget that you should put yourself as a priority. Any of these criminal groups would betray you if that benefits them and you shouldn’t hesitate to do the same.
How to deal with the Empire and the Wanted System
The WANTED system is triggered when you interfere with Imperial activities. It doesn’t matter if it’s hitting a Stormtrooper or breaking into an Imperial base.
They will hunt you down, if they sound the alarm. Just like with syndicate hideouts, if they are unable to report your activities, the wanted system won’t trigger.
Imperials will abandon search after not spotting you for some time if you are still on the lower levels. This won’t happen on the higher levels. In that case, the only way to get rid of the wanted status is by deleting the data from communication beacons in space, hacking an Imperial terminal, or bribing a corrupt official.
You will find a corrupted officer in each planet. Usually they will be waiting to introduce themselves to you near an entrance to a cantina or an important main area.
The downside of being wanted is that all major roads are guarded and access to important cities or settlements is blocked. This is a huge detriment if you are attempting to finish a main quest.
OWhether the level of your wanted level depends on your actions. Different enemies will be sent your way depending on this. On the max level, Death Troopers are deployed to hunt you down.
Play with the game settings
Like almost every new AAA title, Star Wars Outlaws has proved to be a very demanding game. Many people are struggling to have a smooth experience without common issues like frame drops.
Personally, my experience has been great but that’s because I have an AMD 7800X3D paired with a 4080 Super, and obviously not everyone is playing the game with the same hardware as me.
Because every PC configuration is different I can’t recommend something specific for you but the best idea is to play around with the graphic settings and see if the performance improves or not. Our UI and Settings guide explains what every option does for anyone who is not familiar with their functions.
Specific tips
Below you will find specific tips for things we recommend you to do to make your experience with Star Wars Outlaws smooth and fun from the very beginning.
Rush Nix’s Treasure Hunter Ability
Treasure Hunter is an ability that allows you to highlight containers when using Nix’s Senses. I can’t emphasize enough how helpful this ability is to find items.
Some main quest-related instances can only be accessed once in the entire game and it’s important to gather every item available.
For example, there’s a particular place in Toshara that has very little visibility. The place is filled with materials and containers but without this ability is near-impossible to see them unless you walk very close to them. Because of the importance of a main quest, it can be hard to remember to explore.
It also comes in handy when doing stealth missions. Many hideouts have empty rooms and without this ability, it is impossible to know if it’s worth risking getting caught to get to that room.
Additionally, it also helps to figure out how to get to specific areas. Some places feel like small mazes with thick walls, different levels, and multiple access points.
Treasure Hunter allows Kay to see containers behind walls. With this, you can map out the route more easily and decrease the chance of getting caught while also reducing the time invested in it.
To get the Treasure Hunter ability you must unlock the Mechanic Expert on Toshara. Then find 10 Containers, Find 4 different ways to Make Nix Happy, and Use Nix to Fetch an Item.
Don’t chase reputations early on
Chasing reputation with a specific syndicate very early in the game is not a good idea. Since the number of contracts is limited, you would do so at the expense of having a bad reputation with others and that can be very detrimental to your progress as you need to be on good terms with pretty much everyone to have access to some areas.
Since your gear and stats are still on the weak side it’s going to be a nightmare having to enter the territory of a group that sees you as an enemy. Take it easy and don’t force things, there will be enough time later in the game to get those sweet rewards without hurting your own experience in the process.
Farm reputation without damaging your status with the syndicates
The reputation system is one of the best mechanics of the game, but it can also be quite frustrating. I know that many of us want to get the fancy Max Reputation Rewards that the Syndicates grant but that can be difficult to do when, on appearance, every choice will negatively affect your reputation with another syndicate.
The way to avoid this is by completing contracts. These quests do not involve other criminal groups usually. Many contracts require you to deal with pirates, the Empire, or smuggle artifacts.
You must find the contracts brokers first, then you will have access to these side missions. The brokers are in the main cities and hubs on each planet. Usually near or inside a cantina.
A lot of these contracts take place in space, you must acquire the Trailblazer’s hyperdrive before getting the chance to get out of Toshara. As with other contracts, jobs in space can be separated into regular and high-risk jobs.
High-risk jobs grant good rewards but you only get one chance at it and failing results in a decrease in reputation with the syndicate that hired you. Taking many high-risk contracts in space without being prepared will only make things worse. This takes me to my next point.
Upgrade the Trailblazer
It took me some time to adjust to the space gameplay but once I did it felt very smooth and natural.
Navigating through Kijimi’s Nebula became boring rather than annoying. I even got pretty good at space combat, or at least those were my thoughts before realizing how unprepared I was.
Fighting a few enemy fighters is not a challenge, even a half-dozen is manageable with the right use of missiles and the auto-repair function but things change dramatically when the enemy is a light cruiser being escorted by multiple fighters.
This job was the first high-risk contract that I accepted in space, and oh boy it really caught me by surprise. I could only get rid of the fighters and the cruiser shields before the Trailblazer got obliterated by the enemy’s superior power.
Obviously, my ship was not ready to deal with this situation because it only had a few basic upgrades. I understand why spending a considerable amount of credits on ship upgrades is not appealing but if you want to take the best jobs in space, you absolutely must get as many upgrades as possible.
Adapt on the fly
One of the most surprising things about the Trailblazer is that you can change the weaponry while in combat. As I just pointed out, sometimes you will encounter a cruiser with smaller fighters escorting it. Different weapons are required to deal with different ships.
Once you’re done with one enemy, open the vehicles menu and select which missiles and cannons you decide to use. This might not look like much but it can certainly make a difference when doing a high-risk contract.
Use Fast Travel efficiently
The open-world aspect of Star Wars Outlaws is super fun. It’s filled with fun NPC interactions, world events, sidequests, treasures, and hidden mysteries but sometimes you just want to go from Point A to Point B, and having to travel big distances can be annoying when your destiny requires hyperspace travel.
You can fast travel between planets. The map in the game has four layers: area, world, orbit and galaxy. You can zoom out from any of them. The map layer is displayed in the bottom right corner on the map screen.
To zoom in, click an objec or use the Missions tab to navigate directly to an objective and start working towards its completion.
Be realistic about your combat capabilities
As fans and players of Star Wars games, we might be a little too comfortable picking fights with anyone regardless of how bad the odds look. That’s because many games provide ways to defeat every enemy but that’s not exactly what happens in Star Wars Outlaws.
There are some enemies that you simply can’t defeat with your current gear. A blaster and a cute Merqaal aren’t enough to take down an AT-ST.
There’s no shame in escaping an area that’s too dangerous, particularly when there are worse things than any Imperial war machine.
You are more than free to give it a try but remember that failing will send you back to the most recent checkpoint and sometimes that means the undoing of some hard-earned progress.
Where to head after Toshara
As I already mentioned, there are three planets you can go to after being able to leave Toshara. Akiva, Kijimi, and Tatooine. ND-5 suggests that you head to Kijimi but that the final choice is up to you.
You should follow ND-5’s suggestion and go to Kijimi right after Toshara. That’s because you will meet the Ashiga Clan and unlock them in the reputation system.
Unlike the other planets, Kijimi is small and most activities are done inside the city. This also means that all types of jobs are very close to each other, therefore you can complete many of them fairly fast.
If maxing out your reputation to get the rewards is one of your goals, I suggest going all in with the Ashiga Clan while you’re in Kijimi.
You can focus on the other syndicates once the maximum reputation with the Ashiga Clan is reached. Just remember that in order to use the rewards you should be in good terms with them.
Don’t get too fixated on favoring one Syndicate over another
While the reputation system is great, we must remember that this game is not an RPG. Having a good or bad reputation mostly affects how the environment interacts with the player.
Getting discounts from vendors, being able to enter Syndicate areas without issue, or being hunted down by their hired kill squads are just a few examples of it. That’s how far it goes. For better or worse, the outcome of the main story won’t change no matter which syndicate you benefit the most.
Steal the syndicates’ vaults
Every Syndicate has a vault on a planet where it has an operations base. You require three different keycards that are spread around on the planet or its orbit.
To learn where these cards are you must get inside the syndicate base and interact with the terminal that’s in front of the energy barrier that protects the vault.
The loot inside each vault is of five thousand credits and valuable items like key upgrade parts or cosmetic items.
I highly suggest that you try to loot as many as possible. Do the Toshara vaults as early as possible. Keep in mind that these vaults are inside the main cities, meaning that your blaster is unavailable. Stealth is the only way to get to them. It’s tedious but the reward is more than worth it.
You can disable the slicing and lockpicking mini-games
I have found the lock-picking and slicing mini-games to be very enjoyable. While simple, they are refreshing and a way to keep myself focused. However, I understand that they are not everyone’s cup of tea. Having to do them so many times can be annoying for people who don’t enjoy it.
To save you from some frustrating moments just head to Settings/Gameplay. Scroll down until you find the options to turn them off.
Look cool without losing any stats (Transmog feature)
Transmog is a feature that allows you to change Kay’s appearance without changing the actual clothes she is wearing. This way we are not forced to wear something only to keep the bonus stats. The following image shows how I am using the Kijimi Explorer set while having the appearance of the Kessel Runner outfit. You can learn more about transmog in the Loadout guide.
Guides like this one can be expanded indefinitely. For now, these are the most important tips and recommendations we have for you when you first start out your adventures in Star Wars Outlaws. It is very likely that we will keep expanding this guide with more tips. If you have any, feel free to share them in the comments.
