Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card – Developer Tips to Win Big at Kessel Sabacc

Star Wars Outlaws’ first story pack, Wild Card, is out now for Xbox Series X|S. To access the story pack, players need to complete the Gunsmith quest as well as The High Roller quest for Lando Calrissian.

In Wild Card, Kay Vess is tasked by Toshara’s own Governor Thorden with infiltrating a high-stakes Kessel Sabacc game and winning a coveted prize – only to find out another, secret game is being played in the underworld. This game of Kessel Sabacc is only part of the adventures that await in Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card. However, the game is invite-only, so Kay will have to use her scoundrel charm and wit to locate and find a way into the game.

The basics of Kessel Sabacc remain the same in Wild Card: you’ll face off against opponents and draw blood and sand cards to see who can piece together the winning hand. Each round consists of three turns, and once you’re out of chips to draw new cards, you’re out.

However, this high-stakes iteration of Kessel Sabacc will look a little different from the Sabacc tables players are used to. Protocol Droid EY-E9 is the host of the event and the owner of the casino cruiser Morenia, where the game takes place. She sets the house rules, one of which is that shift tokens are banned. Shift tokens are typically a tool for Kessel Sabacc players to give themselves the upper hand at the table, or devastate an opponent’s strategy. However, EY-E9 wants to ensure every player has a fair shot to win, so no shift tokens are allowed at her table.

Cheating, on the other hand, is still possible (provided you can get away with it). The three primary cheats in Star Wars Outlaws are using magnetic dice, Lando Calrissian’s double draw trick (which allows you to draw two cards instead of one), and spying on opponents’ hands with Nix. However, in Wild Card, Nix won’t be able to be the usual extra set of eyes for Kay. The game takes place in an open, lively environment with a crowd watching, making it difficult for Nix to sneak behind players unnoticed. However, that doesn’t mean the beloved merqaal can’t help Kay out. In Wild Card, Nix has a new cheat up his furry sleeve: the ability to plant cards on other players in the hopes that EY-E9 catches them “cheating” and ejects them from the game.

Another new Kessel Sabacc element in Wild Card is that the other players will also be able to use cheats of their own to gain an advantage at the table. It’s up to Kay to pay attention to their actions, and their dialogue with one another, to catch them in the act and surreptitiously alert EY-E9 to their antics. This will make the droid more suspicious of those players, and will often lead to their ejection from the game.

Speaking of other players, Kay will have to outwit more of them in Wild Card. Across the galaxy, Kay typically encounters four-person tables, with herself and three opponents playing at one table. On the casino cruiser Morenia, there are six total players at the table. EY-E9 will also oversee the table, to announce what’s happening to the audience, interact with the players, and keep an eye out for cheating.

To help players craft their best strategy for victory in Wild Cards’ twist on Kessel Sabacc, we spoke to Thibaut Machin, game director at Ubisoft Paris, about how to handle these new rules and win big.

Double Draw

“The double draw technique, the expert skill players learn from Lando, is crucial in this game,” says Machin. Typically, in a game, players would use double draw for a better chance at pulling a favorable card, then use double discard to discreetly return the extra card to the deck before getting found out. Machin advises players to use the double draw cheat, then pair it with Nix’s new card-planting ability instead of discarding the bonus card. Not only will you get to keep the better card for your hand, but you’ll get a chance to have one of the other players kicked out.

Gather Intel

According to Machin, players will need to explore the Morenia to find a way into the game, and players should keep their eyes peeled for useful pieces of information about the others at the Sabacc table.

“During that investigation, there are many clues to find about the other players, which will help you know how they cheat during the game,” says Machin. “If you collect those clues, you’ll be able to act during the game to expose them.”

Have a Good Reputation

Many of the syndicates will be onboard the Morenia, having received an invitation to the Kessel Sabacc game from EY-E9. In addition to adding flavor to the casino cruiser, these syndicate representatives will be key for Kay to find her seat at the table. According to Machin, Kay will either ally with or betray them, but “having a good reputation with the syndicates will help Kay navigate the cruiser, and will make things easier in the story pack.”

Take Your Time

“The best tip I can give is not to rush,” says Machin. “With so much happening at the table, it’s safer to play carefully and avoid acting too quickly. Also, paying close attention to the table dynamics is crucial to stay ahead.”

He goes on to describe that a common strategy for players is to immediately spend chips to draw a better hand, but in Wild Card, the game will last for more rounds, and players will only have eight chips. It’s better to use discretion when spending chips to draw cards, as well as paying close attention to your opponents’ banter and interactions.

“Lando has a few funny lines that I really like, as do the others,” says Machin. “The mood is pretty intense for the player, so they’re meant to make it more lively.”

Play Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card today on Xbox Series X|S! There’s more content coming to the game, so stay tuned to Star Wars Outlaws official channels on Facebook, Instagram, X (Formerly Twitter), and here on Xbox Wire.