In Star Wars Outlaws, protagonists Kay Wess and Nix must navigate the criminal underworld by interacting with the various crime syndicates that flourish during this time period. The Empire Strikes Back And Return of the Jedi. Kay’s standing with these syndicates is primarily represented by the reputation system, an ambitious mechanic that tracks his ties to these criminal organizations. In the recently released story trailer, we hear the names of the three syndicates in Star Wars Outlaws: the Hutt Cartel, the Pike Syndicate, and the Crimson Dawn. During our trip to Massive Entertainment, I was able to learn more about the fourth syndicate Kay has to balance her fame with: the Ashiga Clan.
The massive Ashiga clan was created in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, along with other original elements such as Kay, Nix, their ship, etc. Trailblazer, and the new moon, Toshara. “Every week, we have several calls with them where we share what we want to do, the objectives, and they challenge us; we go back and forth for several weeks to get the shape language right, to get the theory right, to make sure it becomes part of the Star Wars canon,” said the creative director. Julian Gerarity says. “The Ashiga clan is now part of the Star Wars canon. Toshara is now part of the Star Wars canon. And it’s so gratifying when you help design a creature as lovable and ferocious as Nix, and that’s part of the most storied IPs in the world.”
Ashiga beehive
The Ashiga Clan, which has a large presence on Kijimi (a planet most famous for its character The Rise of Skywalker), finds itself at a crossroads as it pushes to expand beyond Kijimi. “They have a long tradition, and certain events in recent history have them fork in the road, where there are different ways they can go forward, and they don’t agree on what the best way forward is,” says associate narrative director John Jarling.
It serves as a hive for Melitto species (first introduced The Force Awakens with Sarco Plank) emphasizing function and survival. “You have this insectoid, humanoid, ant-like species, and it’s taking that philosophy of, ‘What is a crime syndicate that operates very much like an ant — what does that look like?’ “It’s a syndicate with a long tradition, they have a strong hierarchy and there’s a lot about putting the hive in front of you,” says Bjorling. I think those factors make it stand out as a unique type of crime syndicate.”
To learn more about how you interact with the Ashiga Clan and its leader, Ashiga, head over to our feature on how the in-game reputation system works. Star Wars Outlaws comes to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on August 30. Be sure to visit our exclusive coverage hub via the banner below.