What you need to know about Nix and Merqaal

Companions and cronies have always been a fundamental part of the star wars experience, from R2-D2 and C-3PO in the original trilogy to K-2SO in rogue one and BD-1 in Respawn star wars jedi series. These companion characters often provide much-needed comic relief and offer some useful services that the main protagonist needs on his journey. Companions have become an important tradition for star warsand it is a tradition that Star Wars Outlaws‘developers are fully adopting it.

Nix, a furry axolotl-like creature, has been front and center of Star Wars Outlaws‘ marketing, which appears prominently in their various story and game trailers. The faithful companion of smuggling protagonist Kay Vess, Star Wars Outlaws‘Nix will apparently play a vital role in the game’s story and gameplay. Some of Star Wars Outlaws‘The developers recently sat down with Game Rant to discuss the creation of Nix, the Merqaal species he belongs to, and what fans need to know about this new star wars partner before jumping Outlaws for the first time.

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What Star Wars Outlaws developers want fans to know about Nix and Merqaal

What is a Merqaal, according to the developers of Star Wars Outlaws

Considered the first truly open world. star wars game, Star Wars Outlaws brings a good amount of new story to Galaxy Far, Far Away. One such piece of new lore is the Merqaal species, a mysterious new race that has never been seen before in star wars media. Star Wars OutlawsAssociate art director Marthe Jonkers recently provided Game Rant with a brief description of the Merqaal species, saying:

“Merqaals are small creatures that originate from a jungle planet. They are accustomed to a hostile environment with scales on their backs that provide protection from rain and predators. Merqaals have dexterous legs and large claws, and with their sharp teeth They are more than capable of defending themselves.

A very unique element of the Merqaals are their “sensors”. With them, they can sense the environment for danger. Nix also uses them to communicate with Kay, placing them up when she is excited or has found something, and lowering them when he is cautious.”

In Star Wars OutlawsIn the game’s trailers, fans can see Nix’s Merqaal ‘sensors’ in action, with Nix using them whenever a player orders him to survey the environment, an act that tags enemy units. Nix’s sharp paws, claws, and teeth will also come into effect whenever the player orders him to pounce on an enemy and distract them.

How the Star Wars Outlaws developers approached creating a new Star Wars companion

A central component for any iconic. star wars companion is that they should be likable, and one of the easiest ways to do this is to make them as adorable as possible. Jonkers briefly talked about how the team tried to make Nix a cute but trustworthy companion, explaining:

“For Nix, we get a lot of inspiration from just watching our own pets. The relationship we have with our cats and dogs inspired how we think about Nix’s design and behavior as a real animal. Nix can be very cuddly and cute when he receives a gift! Rub the belly, but be careful of its sharp claws and teeth!

Nix is not the first star wars companion whose creation was inspired by pets. Chewbacca was originally based on George Lucas’ Alaskan Malamute named Indiana.

How Kay and Nix’s relationship is different from other Star Wars duos

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star wars It is home to many iconic sidekicks and sidekicks, who with their counterparts create some of the most iconic duos in entertainment history. but each one star wars The duo has something distinctive that sets their relationship apart. Han Solo and Chewbacca’s partnership feels very different than Anakin and R2-D2’s. Star Wars OutlawsNarrative director Navid Khavari explained how Nix and Kay’s relationship is different from that of star wars‘other duos:

“I think there is something particularly unique between Kay and Nix, as they grew up together since Kay was young.”

[…]

“We infused a lot of our mascots into the character of Nix. I know every time we were writing scripts or talking to Humberly (González, who plays Kay) and our fantastic puppeteer Camille (Loiselle-D’Aragon) we wanted to show Kay “See Nix not just as a pet, but as a family.”

It is clear that Nix is going to play a fundamental role in Star Wars Outlawsthroughout its history and in its gameplay. Now, the combination of those two vital components is expected to bring Nix into the star wars fellow Hall of Famer.