Star Wars Outlaws patch notes: What changes in update 1.4.0?

Update 1.4.0 features a load of gameplay changes, notably reducing the number of times you are forced into stealth and giving the player more freedom of choice in combat.

This is something of a big deal as the forced stealth sections were a major bone of contention for many a player and critic alike.

Alongside these major gameplay changes are some new visual fixes that should improve how the game looks across all platforms.

Keep reading for the full list of Star Wars Outlaws 1.4.0 update patch notes and to find out everything that has changed.

What changes in the Star Wars Outlaws patch?

The most notable change included in update 1.4.0 for Star Wars Outlaws is the removal of many forced stealth sections and greater player choice when it comes to combat.

Yep, even in syndicate territories in cities, you should now be able to choose between stealth and action combat more seamlessly.

The development team seems to have put a lot of work into fixing the game's issues with stealth. Enemy weak points have been added to reward strategic players and AI and detection improvements should make stealth feel more rewarding and less taxing.

Another nice change is the improvement of facial expressions and animations during dialogue scenes.

All told, it's a big update, weighing in at 10.18GB on Xbox, 7.44GB on PS5 and 8.83GB on PC.

Full patch notes for Star Wars Outlaws update 1.4.0

Below are the full patch notes for the Star Wars 1.4.0 update (courtesy of Ubisoft):

General Gameplay

• Fixed an issue where players could get stuck by not being able to take off using the Trailblazer after certain missions
• Kay now holsters a two-handed weapon in more situations such as when climbing, grappling or using the speeder
• Improved AI speeder usage
• Improved enemy detection
• Improved enemy tactical decision-making in combat to encourage more active management of their positioning
• Decreased enemy damage per shot while increasing the damage cadence increase over time
• Improved detection signs and feedback of cameras
• Player state (crouched, standing) is now kept after traversal actions
• Fixed an issue where only one NPC would be alerted when whistling
• Fixed an issue where the player could remain undetected in high grass while performing aggressive actions
• Enabled the use of combat in parts of syndicate districts
• Added weak points to various enemies
• Adjusted weapon aiming (spread, recoil, etc.) to allow for more precision and management
• Updated weapon damage values for Kay for all weapons
• Increased headshot damage when hitting enemies
• Improved blaster module usage (Ion and Power)
• Removed player blast damage from the Power module
• Added enemy stagger to explosions
• Added body part-specific death animations to improve combat satisfaction
• Improved NPC cover usage during combat
• Fixed an issue where Kay would put away the holotracker when crouching
• Fixed an issue where hostile NPCs were sometimes marked as friendly and could not be damaged by blaster fire
• Adjusted jumping to give more control in the air of where you will land

UI, HUD and Settings

• Added visual indication of when an NPC starts detecting the player
• Added text highlighting which blaster module should be used when aiming at heavy guards, droids and cameras
• Prompt to ping the tracked objective is now more prominent and affected by HUD visibility settings
• Added icons to environmental objects that require unlockable abilities
• Improved Nix quick action icon by highlighting button when having an active target
• Made it clearer whether a takedown could trigger combat
• Added NPC tags above their heads (works with existing colorblindness settings)
  • White - Neutral
  • Orange - Aware
  • Red - In Combat
• Adjusted Adrenaline Rush cost based on difficulty
  • Story mode - 100% (unchanged)
  • Normal - 110%
  • Challenging/Hard -150%
• Improved wanted system messaging and display
• Fixed an issue where some gear effect icons were not showing correctly

Audio

• Improved enemy dialogue when they are going in and out of cover
• Fixed an issue where sound wouldn't play through the DualSense controller on PS5
• Fixed an issue where arcade games would be missing music after starting a new game

Cinematics

• Added facial animations to gameplay dialogue scenes and vendors
• Improved animations and visuals of some dialogue scenes
• Fixed an issue where ND-5 would be missing from the passenger seat when landing/taking off from Renpalli or Achra stations

Camera

• Improved camera when shooting, aiming down sights, and moving aim
• Improved cover camera, including the ability to manually shoulder swap when aiming
• Improved the camera by showcasing a better view of each shop when interacting with a vendor

Worlds, Fauna and Flora

• Fixed an issue with destructible flora
• Fixed an issue where the visual effects created by waterfalls were broken
• Increased the distance at which lights can be seen in the world
• Improved the visuals of some grass textures and mud, especially at distance

Photo Mode

• A new clean lens has been added

Accessibility

• Added a Custom Controller Preset to allow remapping of individual buttons. You can choose separate sets of button swaps for Kay, the speeder, and the Trailblazer.
• Added a new 'strong' aim assist setting
• Added a new auto-transfer option for climbing, which lets you automatically hop between climbable objects by moving towards them instead of having to press a button
• Added setting to change how large and clear the effect showing the security camera detection area is
• Sound effects slider split into two separate sliders, for gameplay sounds and background sounds
• Faster menu narration, settings now go up to 400% speed.
• Menu narration now reads lockpicking and slicing minigames, objective hints, and which Sabacc card is currently highlighted in your hand and while drawing/discarding
• Option added to toggle the Cinematic Lens (distortion, fringing, and vignetting effects) off for gameplay
• 'Fill screen' is now the default screen ratio, meaning larger text size for the initial menus before you reach the ratio setting screen
• 'Remove all' hold input for map markers added to 'change holds to presses' setting
• Descriptions of accessibility settings reworded for improved clarity

Miscellaneous

• Fixed an issue where destroying a ship by ramming it would not count towards the 'Never tell me the odds' trophy/achievement
• Fixed an issue where the 'Shoot First' achievement/trophy and 'The Better' ability could not be unlocked at the same time
• Fixed an issue where defeating Death Troopers during certain missions would not count towards the 'Defying Death' Ubisoft Connect Challenge

MAIN & SIDE QUESTS (beware of spoilers)

Toshara

• Rejected
  • Fixed an issue where Kay can't listen at the bar to progress the intel quest

Tatooine

• The Veteran
  • Fixed an issue where the quest line would not start if travelling to Akiva before the dialogue finishes
• Partners
  • Fixed an issue where the cinematic would not trigger if using Adrenaline Rush as the Rancor hits the hangar doors

Akiva

• Revelator
  • Fixed an issue where ND-5 could spot Kay when going from crouched to standing while on a steam vent

Still want more on Star Wars Outlaws? Check out our spoilery interview with its narrative director below!

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