UPDATE:
Turns out I was wrong. Star Wars Outlaws uses an entirely different typeface called Marvin Visions. Its creator, Mathieu Triay, gave me the heads up (hey, Mathieu). They provided a link to the type specimen page for confirmation. Take a look at Marvin Visions:
Both Loadstone and Marvin Visions are reinterpretations of Marvin. Marvin Visions was designed for modern applications, while Loadstone is closer in proportions to the original Marvin typeface. Hence, the varying letterforms outlined in the original article.
Please take a look at Mathieu’s specimen page for Marvin Visions. It has an in-depth breakdown of the typeface, its history, and Mathieu’s process of redesigning the classic.
Original Article:
Star Wars Outlaws by Ubisoft launches today, August 30th, 2024. Watching gameplay leading up to the release has left me cold on actually playing the game. After experiencing the first two Jedi: Survivor games, I can’t fathom not being a Jedi in a Star Wars game now. You can keep your Han Solo fantasy Ubisoft. I’m good.
I was intrigued by the typography in Star Wars Outlaws. We covered the prevalence of ITC Serif Gothic in the Star Wars universe, and I was unconsciously looking for any sign of the perennial typeface in the menus or overlays. Sadly, I found no trace of the famous typeface in the gameplay footage. In its place was what I could only categorize as “ITC Sans Serif Gothic.” It looked like the classic typeface without all the edgy, sharp, pointy bits on the ends (all legitimate typographic terminology).
This sent me on a quest to find that mystery typeface. Every day, a tiny part of my brain was concerned with the font. I finally decided to do some sleuthing, and I believe I uncovered the culprit. Say hello to Loadstone Pro by Red Rooster Collection.
A Star Wars Outlaws Mystery Solved
I don’t think Ubisoft used the font right out of the box. The game presents letterforms that don’t match the Loadstone typeface 1:1. For instance, the “R” is a bit more rounded and less compressed.
Overall, Outlaw’s typeface is slightly wider, and its spacing is tighter than Loadstone’s. It feels more like a riff on Avant Garde Gothic than ITC Serif Gothic. Here are some examples of the types of treatments side-by-side.
The Wrap-up
I believe this is the type foundation for the display type in Star Wars Outlaws. I don’t know for sure, but I would love confirmation. If you work for Ubisoft on the Star Wars Outlaws team and can tell me the answer, please drop me a line! I am dying to know. In the meantime, I will pick up Loadstone as a companion to ITC Serif Gothic. Support great type!