The June 2023 reveal of Star Wars Outlaws gave us our first glimpse of Kay Vess and Nix, two of the game’s main characters. Speaking with Massive Entertainment during our recent trip to Sweden to get our hands on Star Wars Outlaws, it sounds like their relationship will be special. However, they are not alone on this journey, as they are accompanied by a trench coat-wearing BX-commando droid named ND-5. While Kay and Nix were heavily emphasized during our studio visit, we had to ask the developers about the internet-popular droid that joins the Star Wars Outlaws adventure.
ND-5 joins Kay Vess on a journey around the Outer Rim and beyond, but has a long history in the Star Wars galaxy before meeting Kay. “He’s a BX-commando droid — a Clone Wars veteran — and he acts as an enforcer droid for a character named Jaylen,” says associate narrative director John Bjerling. “ND-5 is there to make sure Kay gets through the heist job, but together, they’re going to face some big challenges and really get to know each other.”
The work Björling refers to is referenced in the latest story trailer (see below). At the beginning of his adventure, Kay crosses Silero, the leader of the Xerek Besh criminal syndicate, leading to a bounty on his head. Jaylen Vrax and ND-5 accompany Kay to offer her a way forward. The only way out is for him to pull off the ultimate heist to gain his freedom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcdKEy-aJ6o
As Kay soon meets ND-5, he plays an important role in the story, as well as Kay’s mission to pull off the heist. Since he has experience with the Clone Wars and the criminal underworld, he is a valuable asset to him. “He comes from The Clone Wars and he’s wearing a lot more emotional stuff than that,” says Björling. “She’s an enforcer droid and she’s seen a lot and has a lot of experience in the underworld. Pairing her with Kay, it feels like a great combination because she’s new to this world; she’s the key syndicate. Don’t know the big players, but the ND-5 is there to guide and support them as they move towards the mark.”
Disclosure of ND-5 Encouraged many enthusiasm, with a lot of social media attention put on its design. “First of all, I was really excited to see the fan reaction to the ND-5’s design; it was really cool to get all of that reaction, and I think it really added to the character, “For her design, we really had the same approach as we did with all the other characters, to really give her backstory to her look,” says associate art director Marth Jonkers. I tried to show. So, he’s a BX-commando droid. He’s been through a lot during the Clone Wars, but he’s got one Tries to hide it. You’ll learn more about it in the game. A lot, but you know, he’s running a little bit. [lumbering]. He usually sits hunched over. And, you know, we tried to put a lot of personality into that droid by using those kinds of elements. I’m really happy that people really picked up on it and it became so popular. I think he’s a very interesting character and I’m looking forward to learning more about him and people playing the game.”
The ND-5 inherits the box and key art of Star Wars Outlaws, but guarantees he’s a major player in the game.
Star Wars Outlaws arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on August 30. For more exclusive information on Star Wars Outlaws, be sure to check out our exclusive coverage hub on the banner below.