Hello, my name is not important, but my emotional damage is. I am one of those people who paid extra for early access to Star Wars Outlaws, because I have the impulse control of a Jawa in a droid junkyard. And in 2026, I am still not over the email Ubisoft sent to some PlayStation 5 players back in the day. You know the one: update the game, then please start a new save file so you can 'fully enjoy' the experience as the team intended. Ah yes, the intended experience: deleting my progress like it is a side quest I forgot to finish.
Ubisoft's email went out to a subset of PS5 players after a chunky bug-busting patch. The message explained that a maintenance had rolled out to make sure everyone was on the latest version. If you had accessed an older version, you might hit issues after the patch. Ubisoft apologized for any inconvenience. Then it asked the truly cursed question: would you kindly start a new save? If you kept playing on an earlier save, you would 'unfortunately face issues and progression blockers.' That is corporate speak for 'your save file is now a haunted artifact.'
The kicker? This email did not go to every Outlaws player. Our friends at Digital Foundry got one. Tom Morgan had captured footage on PS5 version 1.000.002 and Xbox Series X/S version 1.0.0.3. Meanwhile, Eurogamer's guides team and deputy editor Chris did not receive the email. So the suffering was randomized. It was like a loot box, except the prize was existential dread.
Naturally, players who had paid more for Gold or Ultimate editions were thrilled. And by thrilled, I mean furious. One Reddit user said they got the email after already playing five hours. Another wrote, 'I'm disgusted. Paid $110 and played all night, 12 hour stretch.' Then the timeless question: 'This is how Ubi thanks us??' Honestly, if I paid $110 to be told my save file is invalid, I would also consider joining the Sith.
Here is a quick table of emotions I cycled through:
| Stage | My reaction |
|---|---|
| Denial | Maybe my save is fine? |
| Anger | I paid extra for this? |
| Bargaining | Can I keep the cosmetics at least? |
| Depression | I have to replay the first planet. |
| Acceptance | Fine, but I am naming my new save 'Betrayal.' |
In 2026, this whole saga feels like a museum exhibit titled 'Why Early Access Is a Gamble.' Star Wars Outlaws has had time to grow, patch, and maybe even win back some goodwill. But the original email remains a masterclass in how not to handle a live game. You cannot sell early access as a premium perk, then tell paying customers that their early progress is a bug. That is not a feature. That is a slap in the face with a lightsaber.
To be fair, progression blockers are real. If a quest flag breaks, you might be stuck forever. Ubisoft probably made the safest technical call. But the communication was clumsy. A single email to a random slice of players, asking them to restart, with no in-game warning before they sank a dozen hours? That is not the way.
My advice, if you are playing Outlaws in 2026 and somehow get a time-displaced version of this email: do not ignore it. Start the new save. Cry into a cup of blue milk. Then move on. Also, maybe wait a week before diving into any big Ubisoft launch. I know I will. I say that every year, and then I preorder anyway. I am part of the problem, and I have made peace with it.
So thank you, Ubisoft, for the memories. I will never forget the night I learned that my save file was less stable than a stormtrooper's aim. And if you ever wonder why players are cynical about early access, just look at this email. It is still in my inbox. I keep it there as a warning.