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Electronic Arts has announced Battlefield 3 will be getting a tie-in novel this October that’ll help fill in the game’s backstory. The novel, titled Battlefield 3: The Russian, is being written by ex-SAS operator (and Battlefield 3 military consultant) Andy McNab and co-author Peter Grimsdale.

In the game, the single-player storyline is revealed through a series of flashbacks as Marine Staff Sergeant Henry Blackburn races to prevent an attack on New York City by a deadly force known as the PLR. As Blackburn recalls key events leading up to the attack, players take control of several characters in heart-pounding missions across land, sea and air. One of these characters is Dmitri “Dima” Mayakovsky, a legendary and pragmatic GRU operator in the twilight of his Special Forces career. Known as a “cleaner,” Dima is the sort of person that does whatever it takes to get the job done. The book picks up where the game leaves off, allowing McNab and Grimsdale to give a thrilling new perspective into Dima’s own personal quest as well as the events of Battlefield 3.

“It is impossible for any single medium to fully capture the emotion and intensity of war. The Battlefield 3: The Russian novel is one window into the experience, and the game is another. They complement each other perfectly,” McNab said. “Working with DICE has been a fantastic ride. Battlefield 3 is going to surprise people this autumn. The story, the characters, the world and the intense action come together to create a resonant, memorable experience.”

Battlefield 3: The Russian will be published by Grand Central Publishing on October 25. Battlefield 3 will be released for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on the same day.