GamesOpen WorldStar Wars OutlawsThe Star Wars universe has a new moon – how Ubisoft’s Massive made Toshara for Star Wars Outlaws, “a true haven for the outlaws and the underworld"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesOpen WorldStar Wars OutlawsThe Star Wars universe has a new moon – how Ubisoft’s Massive made Toshara for Star Wars Outlaws, “a true haven for the outlaws and the underworld"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
Star Wars Outlawsis set to take us to five distinct planets and let us explore space in its handcrafted open-world in the Outer Rim. I learnt a lot about Massive’s approach to world-building and how it draws from George Lucas' inspirations during my time at the developer’s studio in Sweden - with the team delving into the making of the familiar desert planet of Tatooine from the original trilogy, to the frozen landscapes of Kijimi from Star Wars: Rise of the Skywalker, and more. But what’s perhaps most intriguing of all is the prospect of visiting an entirely new location when we take on the role of Kay Vess.
For Star Wars Outlaws, Massive worked in collaboration withLucasFilmGames to create and introduce a new moon world to the Star Wars canon. Named Toshara, lead open-world artist Anton Sander spoke at length about the creation of Massive’s signature world. With the ambition “to make sure every planet has something unique to offer”, Sander reveals what sets this moon apart, the real-life location that influenced its design, and what we can expect to experience when we visit it during our adventures. Below are five of the most interesting facts I learned about the original new world of Toshara.
Star Wars Outlaws: The Big PreviewThis month, we’re diving into our most anticipatedupcoming Star Wars games. To find our coverage, visit theStar Wars Outlaws Big Preview hub.
Star Wars Outlaws: The Big PreviewThis month, we’re diving into our most anticipatedupcoming Star Wars games. To find our coverage, visit theStar Wars Outlaws Big Preview hub.
Star Wars Outlaws: The Big PreviewThis month, we’re diving into our most anticipatedupcoming Star Wars games. To find our coverage, visit theStar Wars Outlaws Big Preview hub.
Star Wars Outlaws: The Big PreviewThis month, we’re diving into our most anticipatedupcoming Star Wars games. To find our coverage, visit theStar Wars Outlaws Big Preview hub.
Star Wars Outlaws: The Big PreviewThis month, we’re diving into our most anticipatedupcoming Star Wars games. To find our coverage, visit theStar Wars Outlaws Big Preview hub.
Star Wars Outlaws: The Big PreviewThis month, we’re diving into our most anticipatedupcoming Star Wars games. To find our coverage, visit theStar Wars Outlaws Big Preview hub.
1. Tanzania inspired its design
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
Toshara is described as a “savanna moon”, but its design and conception began with a hypothetical question, says Sander: “If we were to shoot a movie featuring Toshara, where would that be?”. This led the team at Massive to draw inspiration from the savannas of Tanzania, which not only fit the kind of world they wanted to create, but also provided diverse environments that influenced Toshara’s design.
“We needed some variety and progression to keep Toshara interesting throughout the player journey,” Sander says. “And luckily for us, Tanzania has plenty of good references ranging from lush riverbeds, to seasonal shifts, and iconic grasslands.”
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
A galaxy far, far away(Image credit: Ubisoft)The making of Star Wars Outlaws' galaxy: “We instantly realized that the true Star Wars open-world experience needs to go beyond planet surfaces”
A galaxy far, far away
(Image credit: Ubisoft)The making of Star Wars Outlaws' galaxy: “We instantly realized that the true Star Wars open-world experience needs to go beyond planet surfaces”
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
The making of Star Wars Outlaws' galaxy: “We instantly realized that the true Star Wars open-world experience needs to go beyond planet surfaces”
“It actually has a directional set of consistent wind flow going from north to south”, Sander says. “Defining this early on helped everyone keep to a visual consistency both across the world and [for] weather effects. But it also helps our game and level designers contextualize their gameplay ingredients used for the game.”
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3. Toshara is full of opportunity
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
Since the open-world is all about its sense of scale, Massive is also setting out to give us the incentive to jump off our speeders and explore locations “a little bit further” outside of cities. As such, there will be plenty of notable landmarks dotted around Toshara for us to explore.
“Toshara is full of opportunities, ranging from large Empire compounds to smaller Tosharam dwellings that you can find,” says Sander. “all of this comes together in an open world. We realized that navigating this can be a bit tricky – So to allow the player to stay in the world, we designed Toshara to feature several clearly visible landmarks that you as a player can use to orient yourself, and also to plan your journey across the Savanna.”
“Toshara is a true haven for the Outlaws and for the underworld,” associate narrative director John Bjorling says, “it’s riddled with Imperial corruption [and] crime syndicates that are competing over control of it. And our goal here was to make sure that this is a world that really puts Kay to the test, where she learns the hard lessons of the underworld. It’s focused on reputation and credits, and also providing those opportunities and making a career in that underworld.”
4. Toshara is home to a new city
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
One such landmark on the moon is Mirogana, a new city built upon the savanna. Since Toshara is a new creation, Sander says it presented the team as world-builders with a blank canvas, and they felt it was important to “seize this opportunity to lean into the fantasy of the underworld that sits at the center of Star Wars Outlaws”. Described as the “urban beating heart” of the world, Mirogana is a diverse place with plenty to offer.
5. The moon is corrupt with a strong Pyke syndicate presence
(Image credit: Ubisoft)
“Although they [the Empire] don’t have proper support from Coruscant, and the Emperor and the core worlds, this detachment on this moon has fallen heavily into corruption,” Bjorling says, “They’re colluding with the crime syndicates, which means that the syndicates here can operate fully in the open; bribing the Empire using thieves and smugglers to carry out their shady business.”
With corruption allowed to run rife, we can expect to encounter the Pyke syndicate in Mirogana, who are known spice traffickers in the Star Wars universe.
“[Mirogana is] a city with signs of civil unrest and a clear Pyke presence,” Sander says. “And although the Empire has a strong presence overall on Toshara, we wanted it to be clear that the scales are tipped more in favor of the Pykes, showing them as the true masters of Mirogana.”
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