13 years after it was taken offline, a legendary Star Wars MMO helped influence Star Wars Outlaws' iteration of Tatooine

Star Wars Outlaws developers drew inspiration from the defunct Star Wars Galaxies MMO to recreate Tatooine's Bestine city, expanding upon its design while staying true to its Star Wars roots, offering both familiar and new elements for players.

Star Wars Outlaws' developers looked to the long-defunct Star Wars Galaxies to help rebuild Tatooine. 

If you haven't heard of Star Wars Galaxies, I can't really blame you - a precursor to The Old Republic, the Sony Online Entertainment-made MMO launched in 2003 to a beloved reception. Galaxies received three expansion over the next two years, to 2005, when it was overhauled twice, and servers were shut down just six years later in 2011 - just five days before The Old Republic released.

It turns out the old MMO helped Star Wars Outlaws developer Ubisoft Massive create its own iteration of Tatooine. "Creating the city of Bestine was fun, because it doesn't really exist in any way – but it was in Star Wars Galaxies," said Benedikt Podlesnigg, art and world director of Outlaws, of the Tatooine city which has enjoyed a cult-like status among Star Wars fans.

Bestine has appeared in various Star Wars novels over the years, and even featured in two expansions for Star Wars Galaxies. "So we looked at that old game, at the city's footprint, and then we had to figure out, okay, how do we expand on this but still keep it somewhat aligned with the overall layout. We tried to bring in elements that are known to Star Wars fans and still add in new stuff," Podlesnigg continued.

In the Star Wars Outlaws version of Bestine, itself found in an Empire-controlled region of the Desert Valley, you can find a merchant and a scavenger, both hungry to trade, as well as various NPCs like Sona Plondu, who you can approach for new contracts. There's even a Hutt that can be found waiting to play Sabacc in Bestine, if you're feeling bold. 

"We wanted a Star Wars fan to be able to look at Outlaws and go, 'oh yeah, I know that thing' or 'I recognize that place,'" Podlesnigg continued, which is likely where the decision to feature Bestine originates from. At the same time, though, Ubisoft Massive wanted to introduce brand new elements to players, which is where aspects like the completely original planet of Toshara come from. 

*Take a look at our Star Wars Outlaws review for what we made of Ubisoft's new game, or you can check out our full guide to the best Star Wars games to see if Outlaws made the cut. *