Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – Story, release date, and everything we know

The Force is strong with EA and Respawn Entertainment as they prepare to release Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. The sequel to the smash hit Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order releases in a few short months. Ahead of that, we’ve spent some time compiling everything we know about Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, including the story, release date, characters, and more.

As Cal Kestis’s second adventure through the galaxy far, far away approaches, we’ve been learning more about the new game, including new or returning characters, mechanics, combat moves, and system requirements. Here’s everything we know about Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – Everything we know

Jedi: Survivor – release date

One of the first things we know about Star Wars: Jedi Survivor is the release date, April 28, 2023. Like the first game, it will release simultaneously on most current platforms: the Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Jedi: Survivor – Story details

In terms of the story, here’s what we know: five years have passed since the first game, and the Empire is only getting stronger. We’re still set in the period between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, so the Empire rules the galaxy with an iron fist. Of course, they’re hunting down any remaining Jedi. The first game left things pretty open-ended, so Cal and the rest of the Mantis crew can go in almost any direction. Direct story details are scarce, but we can bet Cal will run into some old and new faces.

According to IGN’s First preview, the Mantis crash-lands on a new planet called Koboh early in the game. Of course, Cal must find help and components to repair the ship. On Koboh, he doesn’t find the Empire’s Stormtroopers but Clone Wars-era Battle Droids instead. They seem to be led by a new faction not seen before in the Star Wars mythos; they don’t seem to have anything to do with the Jedi, Sith, or Empire. Cal encounters several models of Battle Droid, including Super Battle Droids and Commando Droids from the Clone Wars cartoon. The wildlife on Koboh isn’t exactly friendly to Cal, either.

Returning characters

Some of said old faces include Cal’s trusty companion droid, BD-1, who seems to be traveling directly with Cal, just like in the first game. Another character confirmed to return in the sequel is the former Jedi Knight and Cal’s mentor, Cere Junda. After the first game’s events, Cere seems to be rediscovering her connection to the Force.  We see her in an area similar to the Jedi Archives in the trailer.

Image via EA

While they haven’t been seen in trailers or any promotional material, it’s safe to assume characters like Nightsister Merrin and Greez Dritus will at least make an appearance, given their prominence in the first game and status at the end. We also might be hearing from the Ninth Sister, one of the first game’s many memorable boss fights since there was no direct confirmation of her death.

New characters

However, the trailer showcased a number of new characters on whom, sadly, there isn’t a lot of information. These include the mysterious white-haired Force user whom Cal releases from a Bacta tank at the beginning of the trailer. There’s also a duo of armored, lightsaber-wielding warriors who belong to the new faction mentioned above. One of the most interesting new characters is Bode Akuna, a mercenary who joins Cal on some missions. The devs have stated that Bode is a new ally, and his journey will mirror Cal’s in several ways.

Image via EA

Jedi: Survivor – combat and mechanics details

Another thing we know about Jedi: Survivor regards combat and gameplay. Respawn seems to have done a great job keeping the Souls-like style of the first game while expanding on it meaningfully. Mechanics returning from the first game include the same climbing and platforming elements, with the new addition of a grappling hook for some vertical traversal. Judging from the trailer, there is a mount system for faster travel and/or a new ability where Cal can tame animals with the Force and ride on them.

The trailer also showcased a number of new and old combat moves and mechanics, including several of Cal’s Force abilities. Just like the first game, Cal can slow nearby enemies, pull them towards him, push them away, and block incoming blaster fire, all with the Force. In fact, Cal looks as if he can move and sprint around more freely while blocking than in the first game.

Image via EA

There were also several new moves showcased in the trailer, the most Jedi-like being one where Cal grabs an enemy with the Force and turns that enemy’s blaster on their allies. Cal also carries a blaster himself, confirmed by the pre-order bonuses. Additional new moves include more freedom when switching between Cal’s three saber styles: single, double-bladed, and dual lightsabers, as well as combo moves with certain allies. The trailer showcased one of these combo moves with the new swashbuckling rebel character mentioned above.

Additionally, BD-1 can enter a binocular/environment scanner mode, where Cal can get more details on his surroundings and place map beacons. Cal’s Force Psychometry ability also returns, allowing Cal to glean information from interacting with certain items through traces left in the Force.

AI Companions

Respawn also just revealed their new “Characters-in-Gameplay” system, which sees certain characters joining Cal on missions as AI companions. The new character, Bode Akuna, mentioned above, is one of several characters using this new AI system. Cal’s companions attack enemies independently, but Cal can give them basic attack commands. While Bode provides our only insight into this new system, Respawn teases many more companions throughout the game. Each has their own distinct moves, which complement Cal’s in various ways.

Cosmetic Customizations

Furthermore, Jedi: Survivor contains significantly more robust cosmetic customization options than its predecessor. Game director Stig Asmussen admitted to Xbox that customization was “kind of an afterthought” in the first game, and promises Jedi: Survivor‘s customization elements to be deeper. Lightsaber customization returns from the first game, with massively expanded options and choices for those options. Additionally, players customize Cal’s outfit, facial features, hair style, and parts of BD-1.

Jedi: Survivor PC system requirements

Finally, those itching to experience Cal Kestis’s story on PC should know the system requirements for Jedi: Survivor. According to what we know from the game’s page, minimum requirements include the following:

• Windows 10 64-bit
• 8 GB RAM
• A CPU with 4 Core/8 Threads
• Intel Core i7-7700/AMD Ryzen 5 1400 CPU
• A GPU with DirectX12 and 8GB VRAM
• Nvidia GTX 1070/AMD Radeon RX 580 GPU
• 155 GB Storage

Meanwhile, the developer-recommended system requirements include:

• Windows 10 64-bit
• 16 GB RAM
• A CPU with 4 Core/8 Threads
• Intel Core i5 11600K/AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU
• A GPU with DirectX12 and 8GB VRAM
• Nvidia RTX2070/AMD RX 6700 XT
• Storage: 155 GB SSD

Moreover, Jedi: Survivor has larger maps with significantly more detail and enemy variety than its predecessor. Asmussen also spoke on this, saying the better hardware of current-gen platforms “aligned perfectly with how we wanted to push the game.” He further maintains the devs only want to build upon the framework set by Fallen Order without breaking anything. Of course, this leads to a massive game. EA and Respawn confirmed Jedi: Survivor‘s file size on PC and PlayStation 5. The game’s a pretty hefty download, at 148 GB on the PS5 and 155 GB on PC.

You can pre-order Star Wars: Jedi Survivor at EA.com.