Cal Kestis casts the camera a serious look, while BD-1 is perched on his back and peering over his left shoulder. They stand in front of the Cantina on Koboh.

You Can Pet the Boglings Now—Plus, 5 More Reasons to Get Excited for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

By Jocelyn Buhlman

We’re less than a month away from the release of the highly anticipated Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the sequel to the fan-favorite game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The video game continues to follow Cal Kestis, a Jedi who survived Order 66, in a third person galaxy-spanning action-adventure game from Respawn Entertainment, developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. This narrative-driven, single-player title picks up five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and follows Cal’s increasingly desperate fight as the galaxy descends further into darkness.

Cal Kestis kneels on one knee, with BD-1 on his back, to pet a bogling. The squirrel-like alien leans its head into his touch. They are standing in a desert-like area, surrounded by rocks and plant life.

Set in between the films Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: A New Hope, this game brings all of action and excitement of its predecessor, plus all-new features and enhancements sure to take you on a lightspeed jump to fun! It’s not just about new fight styles or ways to travel—you can also make some adorable new friends. “Oh, you can pet the bogling in this one,” Narrative Technical Director Joanna Robb tells us. Before you start searching your ship for the tiny, squirrel-like creature native to Bogano, check out what else you can look forward to in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

1. Experience Cal as a Jedi Knight
In 2019, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order introduced us to Cal as a Padawan, but he has grown much more confident. Robb explains, “As we were jumping years ahead, Cal goes from Jedi Padawan to Jedi Knight, and we were so excited to think about how that is going to change the character and change the gameplay. We really looked at everything in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order holistically and broke down how to improve every mechanic and every system, and how to evolve it for the new era that that Cal finds himself in, where the Empire is only growing stronger.” 

Cal Kestis, with his back to the camera, crosses blades with an unknown enemy. Cal wields a blue lightsaber, while his armor-clad opponent wields a yellow-bladed lightsaber.

2. An Evolved Cinematic Style
Cinematic Director Dori Arazi promises a game that is as stunning to look at as it is to play—but also, visuals that reflect where Cal is, emotionally. “Cal’s story is in a very dark place, and we take the story into some interesting twists that I’m really looking forward for players to discover,” Arazi says. “We’ve also changed the cinematic style. It’s a lot more visceral, immersive, gritty—almost found footage. The whole design of the game is to really pull you in and make you experience these dark times.

3. Dual Wielding, Plus More “Uncivilized” Weaponry
Part of Cal’s growth? New ways to challenge foes. The game offers five different styles of lightsaber stances: Single, Dual Wield, Double-Bladed, Crossguard, and Blaster. “We were building on the foundation of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, so one no-brainer for us was more lightsaber stances, and more ways to fight as a Jedi,” Arazi explains. “In this game, we added the dual wielding stance, and that allows you to just be very aggressive in how you fight—which is awesome! Then, later in the game you’ll find a blaster stance, which gives you some ranged combat options, and then also a crossguard stance, which allows you to trade speed for power.”

Cal Kestits and BD-1, their backs to the camera, look out over an expansive landscape of rock formations and greenery, while the sun rises off in the distance.

4. Fast Travel Across the Galaxy
As you explore through Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, you might find yourself compelled to revisit the locations you’ve already traversed. Luckily for you, hopping from location to location is easier than ever! “We made the Holomap better; that’s the tool that you used to orient yourself in the world.” Arazi tells us. “Stuff like that and fast travel removes obstacles, so you can enjoy the experience of going back to areas you’ve already been through, but now you understand them in a different way because of a new tool or power you’ve learned.” Keep a note of that hint—as you grow and learn throughout the game, you should revisit old locations and see if your new skills lead to new discoveries!

A close up of Cal Kestis, wielding his blue lightsaber with BD-1, his droid, perched on his back.

5. We Explore a “Compelling Place, Psychologically” With Cal
After surviving Order 66—and the tough decisions he had to make afterwards—Cal is experiencing a complex range of emotions, which we’ll see through his actions as we experience the game. Robb elaborates, “He’s very hardened by the last five years and the toll that that has taken, because he cannot give up this fight. It’s so important to him. He’s carrying the guilt of everyone that he’s ever lost, so he cannot stop fighting, but at the same time, he isn’t winning. The Empire only gets stronger and now he’s one of the last Jedi survivors. So, it’s a really compelling place psychologically.” Although he may feel alone in the galaxy, he still has something to fight for—and the path of a Jedi to follow. “It boils down to the pure conflicts between good and evil and the ramifications of those conflicts,” Robb says. “What does it mean to be a Jedi in the ramifications of these conflicts?”

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will be available to play April 28, 2023, on PC, Xbox, and PS5. You can pre-order the game and learn more about it here.