Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars introduces the Fifth Brother and a stormtrooper deserter ahead of Jedi: Survivor

The cover and plot summary for an upcoming novel bridging the gap between Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has offered a bit of insight into the story leading up to the new game.

The novel Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars will feature the core crew of the Stinger Mantis, including Cal Kestis, Cere Junda, Greez Dritus, the Nightsister Merrin, and BD-1 continuing to strike blows against the Empire. The book will see them meeting a stormtrooper deserter with "word of a powerful, potentially invaluable tool for their fight against the Empire".

Maybe the most notable detail in the plot description is that the crew is going to be hunted by the Fifth Brother - the round-hatted Inquisitor you may recognize from Rebels or the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. The connections between the Jedi games and Obi-Wan have already been pretty deep, as the Fortress Inquisitorius which appeared at the climax of Fallen Order plays prominently in a few episodes of Obi-Wan.

It's unclear exactly where Battle Scars takes place in the five years between the two games, but the cover art implies that it'll be a number of years before Jedi: Survivor. It also remains to be seen how directly the novel will tie into the story of the new game. The plot summary suggests that it could simply be a sort of side adventure for the Stinger Mantis crew, though characters like the Fifth Brother and that unnamed stormtrooper could end up appearing in Survivor.

As previously announced, the novel is written by Sam Maggs and set to be released on March 7, 2023. EA has pointedly refused to discuss the release date for the upcoming game, though insider reports suggest Jedi: Survivor is on track for launch in March, presumably after Battle Scars.

It's worth noting that publisher EA has recently begun moving to much shorter marketing cycles for recent releases like Need for Speed Unbound, so it may be very close to launch before we see more of Jedi: Survivor.

If you're looking to explore the galaxy far, far away right now, check out our guide to the best Star Wars games.