STAR WARS™: Squadrons vs The Outer Worlds 2

• Perspective: First-Person / Third-Person (Switchable)
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: Arcadia Star System
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass
• Unique Feature: A deep, choice-driven RPG with a unique 'Flaw' system, switchable first/third-person perspectives, and a complete absence of a stamina bar for movement.

• Vanguard / Titan Squadron: During the single-player campaign, your AI squadmates fly alongside you. You can issue direct commands to them to focus fire on a specific target or defend you from attackers.
  NPC Wingmen
• Support Class Starfighters: In multiplayer, a human player piloting a U-Wing or TIE Reaper serves as the ultimate companion, deploying tactical shields and resupply droids to heal the team mid-flight.
  Player Role

• The Crew: The game features six unique companions, including Niles, Inez, Aza, Tristan, Marisol, and the robot V.A.L.E.R.I.E. They are integral to the story, act as moral compasses, and provide unique dialogue and combat support. They can be easily downed in combat.
  Varies (Human, Robot)

• Cockpit Dashboard Bobbleheads: Purchased in the hangar menu. Includes items like holographic planets, plush Ewoks, or thermal detonators that bounce physically on your dashboard.
• Starfighter Holograms: Cosmetic projectors mounted near the control stick that project rotating 3D holograms of the Millennium Falcon or Imperial Star Destroyers.
• Pilot Emotes / Victory Poses: Custom animations displayed to the entire lobby on the victory screen, allowing the winning squad to flaunt their customized characters.

• Science Weapons: Iconic, one-of-a-kind weapons with bizarre effects, hidden throughout the galaxy.
• Perks: Unlocked by leveling up and meeting skill prerequisites. There are over 90 perks that provide powerful passive bonuses and new abilities.
• Flaws: Offered to the player dynamically after performing certain actions repeatedly (e.g., getting burned, reloading early). Accepting a Flaw provides a negative detriment in exchange for a benefit.

• Star Wars Universe
• Galactic Civil War
• Space Combat
• Dogfighting
• First-Person Immersion
• Tactical Simulation

• Sci-Fi
• Action RPG
• Satire
• Hyper-Capitalism
• Player Choice
• Narrative-Driven
• Space Opera
• First-Person

• Standard Laser Cannon: Primary Weapon
  The quintessential Star Wars weapon. It balances range, damage, and energy consumption, perfect for sustained dogfights against enemy starfighters.
• Proton Torpedo: Auxiliary Ordnance
  Slow-moving, high-yield warheads that require a long lock-on time. They are absolutely devastating when fired at the slow-moving hulls of massive Capital Ships.
• Ion Cannon / Missiles: Disruption Weapon
  Weapons designed specifically to deal massive damage to energy shields and temporarily disable enemy ship systems, leaving them dead in the water for a teammate to finish off.

• Firearms: Varies (Rifles, Pistols, etc.)
  The game features a significantly improved combat system with 'snappier' gunplay. Weapons can be heavily modified with attachments like explosive rounds.
• Melee Weapons: Varies (Hammers, etc.)
  A variety of close-quarters weapons for melee-focused builds.
• Science Weapons: Unique
  The series' iconic, bizarre weapons return, including the 'Shrink Ray', 'Boarst Blaster' (fires exploding tumors), and 'Armageddon' (fires little arms).
• Gadgets: Utility
  Six different tactical gadgets that run on a regenerating energy system, such as an acid gun for stealth or a deployable shield.

• Deflector Shields: Standard energy armor for New Republic ships and the Imperial TIE Defender. Players must actively angle their shields (front or back) to absorb incoming directional damage.
• Reinforced Plasteel Hull: A component upgrade that significantly increases a ship's maximum health at the severe cost of reduced acceleration and maneuverability, favored by Y-Wing bomber pilots.
• Reflec Hull: A stealth-oriented hull plating that completely prevents enemy players from achieving a missile lock-on at long ranges, favored by hit-and-run interceptors.

• Armor & Helmets: Players can equip various pieces of armor and helmets. A new quality-of-life feature is that gear does not have levels; its power scales with the player's investment in relevant skills and perks.
• Gary: A unique, sentient set of science armor that will lash out at foes.

• New Republic Orange Flight Suit: The legendary, highly recognizable orange jumpsuit and chest box worn by iconic heroes like Luke Skywalker, available for Vanguard pilots.
• Imperial TIE Pilot Armor: The menacing, all-black pressurized flight suit and enclosed, terrifying helmet designed to strip Imperial pilots of their individuality.
• Custom Flight Helmets: Players can purchase dozens of unique, battle-scarred paint jobs for their helmets using earned Glory points to show off their veteran status.

Progression relies on unlocking ship components rather than vertical stat upgrades, ensuring a balanced, skill-based competitive environment. Playing matches earns Requisition points used to unlock over 50 different components spanning primary lasers, auxiliary weapons (like ion missiles or repair droids), countermeasures, hull plating, engines, and deflector shields. Each component comes with profound trade-offs; for instance, equipping a Plasteel Hull drastically increases maximum health but significantly reduces your starfighter's maneuverability. Glory points are also earned, spent purely on cosmetic items for pilot suits, helmet paint jobs, and detailed cockpit decorations.

Features a deep, complex, and irreversible progression system. Players invest in 12 skills (like Speech, Sneak, Hacking) and over 90 perks (like Serial Killer, Charlatan). The unique 'Flaw' system returns, offering players a powerful benefit tied to a gameplay-altering detriment based on their actions (e.g., 'Bad Knees' Flaw for frequent crouching).

The game features several distinct, visually stunning space arenas rather than a continuous open world. Multiplayer and campaign maps include the debris-filled orbital graveyard of Yavin Prime, the shattered moon of Galitan surrounded by highly volatile asteroid fragments, the treacherous, stormy gas giant of Yavin, the Nadiri Dockyards built deep inside an asteroid, and the mysterious Zavian Abyss. Each map features dense cover mechanics, forcing players to weave through massive capital ship wreckage and asteroid fields to lose target locks.

The game features a 'semi-open world' or 'open-zone' structure, not a single seamless map. Players travel between at least four large, distinct planets (like the tropical Eden and the snowy Cloyster) and orbital installations, each with a unique visual identity and controlling faction. Enemies do not respawn, allowing zones to be cleared permanently.

• T-65B X-Wing: New Republic Fighter
  The iconic, versatile workhorse of the New Republic. It balances shields, firepower, and speed perfectly, making it the most adaptable ship in the game.
• TIE/LN Fighter: Imperial Fighter
  The terrifying, unshielded backbone of the Imperial Navy. What it lacks in defensive shielding, it makes up for with raw speed and instantly reroutable engine-to-weapon power.
• BTL-A4 Y-Wing: New Republic Bomber
  A slow, heavily armored bomber designed specifically to carry massive payloads of proton torpedoes and ion bombs to devastate Imperial Star Destroyers.

• Porgs: Avian
  Not enemies, but popular cosmetic dashboard bobbleheads players can place in their cockpits to provide comedic relief during intense combat.
• Trandoshans: Reptilian Sentient
  A highly aggressive reptilian alien species available as a playable cosmetic race for New Republic pilots, known for their history as bounty hunters.
• Twi'leks: Humanoid Alien
  An iconic, lekku-sporting alien race that players can select for their custom Vanguard Squadron pilot, representing the diverse coalition of the New Republic.

• Vanguard Squadron Leader: Player Avatar (New Republic)
  A fully customizable pilot fighting for the newly established New Republic, believing in a galaxy free from Imperial tyranny.
• Titan Squadron Leader: Player Avatar (Galactic Empire)
  A fully customizable, ruthlessly efficient Imperial pilot dedicated to maintaining order and destroying the Rebellion's latest superweapon.
• Astromech Droids: Co-Pilot / Support
  The iconic R2 and BB unit droids seated behind New Republic pilots, actively managing repairs and adding critical character to the cockpits.

• The Commander: Playable Protagonist
  An agent of the Earth Directorate who awakens after a decade in cryo-sleep to find their associate has betrayed them and the Arcadia system is in chaos.
• Niles: Companion
  A fellow Earth Directorate agent and the Commander's first companion, who shares a history from the game's opening mission.
• Inez: Companion
  A former Auntie's Choice contractor and combat medic who was abandoned by the corporation after failed experiments.
• Aza: Companion
  A violent cultist with a taste for chaos and murder, seeking out her former cult, The Glorious Dawn.
• Tristan: Companion
  A heavily armored, hammer-wielding member of the authoritarian Protectorate faction.

• Dogfight Mode: Competitive Multiplayer
  A pure, brutal 5v5 team deathmatch in space. The objective is simply to coordinate with your squadron and out-fly the enemy team until the kill limit is reached.
• Fleet Battles: Objective Multiplayer
  A massive, multi-stage tug-of-war. Teams push the frontline by destroying enemy fighters, assault two escort cruisers, and finally systematically dismantle the enemy flagship's subsystems.
• The Campaign: Story Mode
  A 14-mission, highly cinematic single-player narrative exploring the final, desperate days of the Galactic Empire and the rise of the New Republic's Starhawk project.

• Main Story Quests
  A 25-30 hour cinematic campaign that follows the Commander's quest for revenge and their investigation into the destructive space-time rifts, forcing them to navigate a three-way faction war.
• Side Quests
  A large number of valuable side quests that are highly unpredictable and often 'swerve' at the end, providing crucial information that can influence main story decisions.

The competitive multiplayer suite features two primary modes. 'Dogfight' is a pure, intense 5v5 team deathmatch where communication and flanking are key. The crown jewel is 'Fleet Battles', a massive, multi-stage objective-based mode. In Fleet Battles, two teams of five push a tug-of-war frontline. First, players dogfight in the center; the winning side pushes forward to assault two enemy capital ships (like Nebulon-B Frigates or Imperial Light Cruisers). Finally, the attacking team must strip the shields and systematically target the subsystems (shield generators, targeting computers, power systems) of the enemy's flagship (a Star Destroyer or MC75 Cruiser) to win the match.

STAR WARS: Squadrons launched as a complete, focused experience at a lower-than-usual $39.99 MSRP on October 2, 2020. EA deliberately launched the game as a finished, stand-alone product with no microtransactions, avoiding the live-service controversies of previous titles. Players who pre-ordered the game received cosmetic items inspired by the New Republic and Imperial Ace styles. The game is also included as part of the EA Play subscription service and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Although EA initially stated the game would not be a live-service title, its massive popularity prompted Motive to release free post-launch content. Notable updates introduced the B-Wing for the New Republic and the TIE Defender for the Galactic Empire as fully playable, highly complex starfighters. They also added the Fostar Haven multiplayer map (originally from the campaign's prologue) and custom matchmaking lobbies for esports tournaments. All updates were completely free, honoring the 'no microtransactions' promise.

The game features an 'Expansion Pass' available with the Premium Edition, which includes two post-launch story packs. 'Loose Cannon' (Q2 2026) and 'The Flower & the Flame' (Q3 2026) will allow players to experience new stories through the perspective of other characters.

• Q: Do I need a VR headset to play?
  A: No, the game is completely playable and highly optimized for standard flat-screen monitors and TVs. However, playing in VR offers an unparalleled, highly immersive experience.
• Q: Can I use a flight stick (HOTAS)?
  A: Yes. The game features full, robust support for Hands-On Throttle-And-Stick (HOTAS) setups on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, adding to the extreme simulation feel.
• Q: Is there a third-person camera?
  A: No. To maintain competitive balance and maximum immersion, the entire game is locked strictly to a first-person cockpit view.
• Q: Are there microtransactions?
  A: No. EA deliberately released Squadrons with absolutely no microtransactions. All cosmetic items, paint jobs, and ship components are unlocked exclusively through gameplay.

• Q: What is The Outer Worlds 2?
  A: It is the sequel to the 2019 action RPG from Obsidian Entertainment. It's a single-player, first-person (and third-person) shooter set in a new star system, continuing the series' signature style of dark humor and anti-capitalist satire.
• Q: Is it a true open world?
  A: No, like the first game, it features a series of large, separate 'open-zone' maps on different planets, rather than one single seamless world.
• Q: Are there any major gameplay changes from the first game?
  A: Yes. The gunplay is 'snappier' and more competent, there is no stamina bar for movement, players can switch between first and third-person, and the inventory is limitless. The 'Flaw' system has also been revised to be more impactful on gameplay.
• Q: Do I need to play the first game?
  A: No, The Outer Worlds 2 is a standalone title with a new protagonist, a new star system (Arcadia), and a new story.

Powered by the Frostbite engine, the game delivers photorealistic rendering of the iconic ships. The cockpits are painstakingly detailed, featuring worn paint, hanging wires, and physical bobbleheads. The lighting is spectacular, with laser fire illuminating the dense volumetric gas clouds and asteroid fields. In VR, the sense of scale is awe-inspiring; players can physically lean around in their seats to track enemy fighters through the canopy glass or gaze up at the overwhelming, kilometer-long underbelly of an Imperial Star Destroyer.

The sound design is a masterclass in Star Wars authenticity. Every laser blast, the iconic scream of Twin Ion Engines, and the comforting hum of the X-Wing's reactor have been meticulously recreated from the films' sound archives. The music, composed by Gordy Haab, masterfully references and expands upon John Williams' legendary motifs, dynamically responding to the flow of battle. The roar of a Star Destroyer dropping out of hyperspace in surround sound is truly terrifying.

A core feature of the game's immersion is that almost the entire UI is diegetic—meaning it is physically built into the instrument panels of your starfighter's cockpit. Radar, hull integrity, shield balancing, and engine throttle are read by looking down at the glowing instruments of your X-Wing or TIE Fighter. The most critical system is power management, allowing players to instantly reroute reactor power to weapons (for overcharged lasers), engines (for massive speed boosts and drifting), or shields (for overshields and directional focusing).

The game includes a highly commendable suite of accessibility options. This encompasses comprehensive colorblind modes, fully customizable subtitles with scalable text sizes, and text-to-speech features for multiplayer chat. Crucially, it allows for complete controller, keyboard/mouse, and HOTAS (flight stick) remapping, ensuring players with mobility issues can customize their input methods perfectly. There is also a 'Story Mode' difficulty setting for players who want to experience the narrative without frustrating combat.

• System requirements are verified against the official Steam storefront. STAR WARS: Squadrons utilizes the Frostbite engine, making it exceptionally optimized for flat-screen play, but the native VR mode significantly raises both CPU and GPU demands.
• Laptop Performance Note: Because of the game's high-speed action and reliance on split-second visual tracking during dogfights, mobile GPUs need to sustain high frame rates. Playing the VR mode on a laptop will push thermal limits to the maximum, requiring robust cooling to prevent nausea-inducing frame drops.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: A minimal TGP of 60W is sufficient for 1080p standard rendering. However, if attempting to play the game in VR mode on a laptop, a TGP of 115W+ (RTX 3070 Mobile or higher) is strictly required.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The Frostbite engine heavily utilizes multi-threading for physics and projectile calculations. Use a cooling pad to prevent CPU thermal throttling, which can cause severe micro-stuttering during multiplayer Fleet Battles.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: Set Windows power delivery to 'Performance'. Restricting the CPU power will severely bottleneck the GPU's ability to maintain high refresh rates.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch is extremely helpful to reduce display latency, ensuring your steering inputs and trigger pulls translate perfectly to the starfighter.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: Standard resolution scaling is available. Lowering volumetric effects (like nebula gas clouds) provides the most significant performance boosts on struggling hardware.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Lighting Quality, Volumetric Effects, and Post-Processing heavily impact GPU overhead. VR players will need to lower these to hit the mandatory 90 FPS threshold.
• Game Name: STAR WARS™: Squadrons

• OFFICIAL PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. These specifications reflect a next-generation title built on Unreal Engine 5. An SSD is a mandatory requirement for all tiers.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop performance will vary based on the model's cooling and TGP. The game's open-zone maps and high-fidelity visuals can be demanding.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU is essential to handle the advanced graphical features of Unreal Engine 5, including ray tracing.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and intense combat will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the complex AI of various factions and the physics-based combat.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance in a fast-paced FPS.
• Game Name: The Outer Worlds 2

• Upscaling Tech: Standard resolution scaling is available. Lowering volumetric effects (like nebula gas clouds) provides the most significant performance boosts on struggling hardware.
• Key Settings Impact: Lighting Quality, Volumetric Effects, and Post-Processing heavily impact GPU overhead. VR players will need to lower these to hit the mandatory 90 FPS threshold.

• G P U T G P: A minimal TGP of 60W is sufficient for 1080p standard rendering. However, if attempting to play the game in VR mode on a laptop, a TGP of 115W+ (RTX 3070 Mobile or higher) is strictly required.
• Cooling Thermals: The Frostbite engine heavily utilizes multi-threading for physics and projectile calculations. Use a cooling pad to prevent CPU thermal throttling, which can cause severe micro-stuttering during multiplayer Fleet Battles.
• C P U Power Limits: Set Windows power delivery to 'Performance'. Restricting the CPU power will severely bottleneck the GPU's ability to maintain high refresh rates.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch is extremely helpful to reduce display latency, ensuring your steering inputs and trigger pulls translate perfectly to the starfighter.

• G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU is essential to handle the advanced graphical features of Unreal Engine 5, including ray tracing.
• Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and intense combat will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the complex AI of various factions and the physics-based combat.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance in a fast-paced FPS.