What are the Star Wars Outlaws syndicates? It isn’t just Tattooine that’s a hive of scum and villainy in the galaxy far, far away – something protagonists Kay and Nix know all too well. Set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Outlaws takes place at the height of the Empire – a time when the only ways to make a living were either under an imperial boot or down in the criminal underworld.
While the latter is considerably more lawless, that’s not to say it’s leaderless. To survive on the Star Wars Outlaws planets it’s better to be in the good books of the local syndicates. While some of the Star Wars Outlaws syndicates may be instantly recognizable if you’ve watched the original trilogy, others have only more recently had their time in the spotlight. Additionally, there’s one syndicate that’s been created specifically for Outlaws – exciting!
Star Wars Outlaws syndicates
The four Star Wars Outlaws syndicates are:
Ashiga Clan
Though you won’t get to meet them (and by extension work for them) until later in Kay’s journey, the Ashiga Clan lord over the gorgeous, glacial planet Kijimi. While you may remember Kijimi if you watched The Rise of Skywalker, you’ll be forgiven for not recognizing its denizens. After all, the Ashiga Clan is a brand new faction created especially for Outlaws.
In the ‘Navigating the Underworld’ behind-the-scenes video, narrative director Navid Khavari says the Melitto are “very hierarchical” and “work for the collective of the hive.“ Art director Marthe Jonkers, meanwhile, explains that Kijimi’s Japanese influences have been incorporated into the Ahiga Clan’s designs – their kimono-inspired outfits, for example.
“The Melitto, they’re blind, so they favor textures and sounds over color and lights” Jonkers explains, “and you will see that in all of their designs. They’ve embedded metallic pieces on the floor to feel where they’re going. Everything they’re using, including their weapons, has these tactile elements.”
Crimson Dawn
Darth Maul enjoyers will have undoubtedly heard of the Crimson Dawn. After all, the former Sith lord served as its leader for some time before he was finally cut down for good by Obi-Wan in Star Wars Rebels. Now serving under Lady Qi’ra – another familiar face if you’ve watched Solo – the Crimson Dawn’s grand purpose is far less antagonistic than you may initially think.
“Lady Qi’ra is very elegant,” Jonkers says in the ‘Navigating the Underworld’ bts video, “she’s very stylish, but very much in the shadows. And we tried to use that look for the design of the Crimson Dawn.”
Expanding on this further in a recent IGN deep dive, Jonkers notes that the Crimson Dawn is “more fashionable” than the other syndicates. “The clothing is very practical but very clean as well,” she explains, “cleaner than any of the other syndicates really to show that they have access to better materials and it’s maybe also part of their style.”
Hutt Cartel
The Hutts shouldn’t require an introduction unless you’ve been living in a Sarlacc pit. After all, Tattooine’s Daimyo, Jabba, is one of the most famous Star Wars characters ever. We already know that the Hutt leader will feature at points during the game, with the ‘Jabba’s Gambit’ bonus mission allowing you to work directly for the big slug himself if you pick up the season pass. While we’re not exactly gassed about paywalled content, it’s there if you want it.
“The idea with the Hutts is really what you see is what you get,” Khavari tells IGN. “They aren’t afraid to use force, they take what they want and they’re just incredibly powerful.” As for how this will be reflected in the faction’s design, Jonkers says “their look is definitely Tatooine-inspired,” and that they “probably the most dirt and wear and tear on their clothing of all the syndicates.”
Jonkers further states we’ll also see other Hutt-based characters from the movies, such as the Gamorian guards and Jabba’s majordomo, Bib Fortuna. While they may be based on Tattooine, expect to find pockets of Hutt influence elsewhere. After all, if there’s a destabilized system out in the galaxy far, far away, the Hutts are bound to attempt to seize power over it.
The Pykes
While The Book of Boba Fett didn’t quite bang as hard as The Mandalorian (for us, at least), it did reintroduce the Pyke Syndicate – don’t worry, Clone Wars fans, we know they were there, too. Famed for their almost total control over raw spice production and distribution, the Pykes are slick operators. Needless to say, they would’ve thrived in a certain other major sci-fi franchise.
Jonkers says that Star Wars Outlaws’ Pykes are different from those we’ve seen on TV. To build this distinction, the devs went hard on incorporating a different color palette and design language to previous Pyke iterations. In Outlaws, the Pykes have “a lot more dark blues” in their garments. Additionally, “you will see on the helmets and the clothing they wear, they have different patterns which will show which rank they are or which group they belong to.”
Outlaws’ Pykes will set up shop on the game-exclusive moon Toshara, which will serve as the syndicate’s base of operations. Khavari notes that the Tosharan Pykes fall under the command of underboss Gorak, and that the group has managed to work out a deal with the imperial presence there – the Pykes get to do what they want, “and the Empire always gets its cut.”
Star Wars Outlaws reputation explained
Having a solid reputation with each syndicate in Star Wars Outlaws is crucial to Kay’s ability to navigate the galaxy as painlessly as possible. Accruing reputation points relies on the not-so-noble pursuit of people-pleasing. Performing jobs for a syndicate, helping out syndicate members, and double-crossing another syndicate will help Kay get in their good books. If, however, you find yourself in their bad graces you could find yourself marked for death.
While you may have a specific syndicate or specific syndicates that you want to get in the good graces of, it’s important to note that, when you reach a certain reputation level, each faction offers an exclusive skin for your blaster, an exclusive armor set (chest, waist, and leg pieces), and charms with bonus effects. As such, you’ll most likely end up performing a delicate balancing act to gobble up all of the loot Outlaws has to offer.
There are five reputation levels in Star Wars Outlaws:
- Terrible
- Bad
- Poor
- Good
- Excellent
If you have a Terrible relationship with one of the syndicates, you won’t be able to stand in their territory without being targeted by everyone and the faction won’t speak to you. They will regularly send out kill squads to hunt you down, similar to being hunted by the Empire when you get six stars on the Wanted system. You can talk to their merchants, but they will charge you over the odds for regular items.
A Bad reputation is similar to Terrible, but you won’t have any death squads chasing you down. Having a Poor rapport, meanwhile, means you’re hostile to the faction, but you can speak to everyone to directly strengthen your relationship. Your relationship can be damaged or improved by doing certain missions, so if you happen to anger a faction like this, speaking to NPCs and going on their side quests can repair the damage.
A Good rep means you won’t be randomly attacked when you enter the faction’s district. In addition to receiving an unlockable cosmetic item, you also gain a discount on items from the merchants, and you’re more likely to be given work by NPCs. You can also enter certain faction areas without being chased off – restricted areas are still off limits, though.
Finally, an Excellent rep will see you treated like a member of the faction, unlocking the ability to roam anywhere within their turf without any restrictions. You can also take any items you find in their territory, and it won’t be classified as stealing because, technically, you’re part of their faction. There are more secret cosmetics that unlock for reaching the highest reputation, and shops will not only offer you their whole range of goods, but you’ll receive a heavy discount on their stock.
Gaining access to restricted areas can be helpful during missions as it gives you an alternate route if you’re being chased among other benefits. As such, try and max out your rep with each syndicate, grab their goods, and then move on to the next one – that is, unless, you try and master the art of keeping everyone happy at once (good luck).
Star Wars Outlaws syndicate rewards
Here is every reward on offer from each Outlaws syndicate:
Pyke syndicate
- Imperial Coating – blaster cosmetic.
- Pyke Syndicate Crest – small chance to gain a free grenade when thrown.
- Ship Parts Bundle – a bundle containing materials to upgrade the Trailblazer.
- Imperial Disguise Jacket
- Imperial Disguise Belt
- Imperial Disguise Pants
- Imperial Chestbox – Nix Cosmetic.
Crimson Dawn
- Crimson Reign Coating – blaster cosmetic.
- Crimson Dawn Crest – increases ability to avoid detection.
- Speeder Parts Bundle – a bundle containing materials to upgrade the speeder.
- Crimson Reign Tunic
- Crimson Reign Belt
- Crimson Reign Trousers
- Crimson Reign Satchel – Nix cosmetic.
Hutt Cartel
- Boonta Brawler Coating – blaster cosmetic.
- Hutt Cartel Crest – reduces damage taken from melee attacks.
- Blaster Parts Bundle – a bundle containing materials to upgrade the blaster.
- Boonta Brawler Jacket
- Boonta Brawler Belt
- Boonta Brawler Pants
- Boonta Brawler Splash – Nix cosmetic.
Ashiga Clan
- Kijimi Explorer Coating – blaster cosmetic.
- Ashiga Clan Crest – restore some health on melee takedowns or finishers.
- Blaster Parts Bundle – a bundle containing materials to upgrade the blaster.
- Kijimi Explorer Jacket
- Kijimi Explorer Belt
- Kijimi Explorer Pants
- Kijimi Explorer Scarf – Nix cosmetic.
And that’s everything you need to know about the Star Wars Outlaws syndicates and how the new PC game‘s reputation system works. When you’ve finished blitzing through the game now the Star Wars Outlaws release date has arrived, check out some of the other best open-world games out there.
Additional guiding by Christian Vaz.