Valor Mortis (2026): Release Date, Platforms & Gameplay
Valor Mortis arrives in 2026 with a combat system built around death itself—here's the release date, platforms, and gameplay details revealed so far.
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Valor Mortis (2026): Release Date, Platforms, Gameplay & Everything We Know
I've been keeping an eye on Soulslikes for years and the vast majority of them start to look the same after a while. However, I was intrigued when I heard about the developer behind Valor Mortis. A first-person action RPG from One More Level (the team that brought you Ghostrunner) was definitely something I was eager to see.
They are releasing the game on the 13th of October 2026. Yes, you read that correctly. The same team behind one of the fastest, most brutal cyberpunk parkour games is developing a soulslike set in the Napoleonic period.
Does this sound like a bizarre mashup?
Then read on to discover what they are building.
- Valor Mortis is a first-person action soulslike set during the Napoleonic era.
- Developer: One More Level, the studio behind Ghostrunner.
- Release date: October 13, 2026.
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, and PC.
- The game blends soulslike combat with supernatural powers and gothic horror elements.
- Story follows a former soldier who rises from death to unravel a conspiracy threatening humanity.
What Is Valor Mortis, Exactly?
Valor Mortis is a first person action soulslike where you are a fallen soldier from Napoleon's army brought back from death, no, really, and are suddenly overwhelmed by powers and circumstances that put you in a strange new world full of terrible monsters and a conspiracy that could threaten all of humanity. The story premise itself is pretty out there, and a unique way to present a soulslike, though not quite as original for the genre, as there are so many recent soulslikes these days. This is a soulslike, which is an action game subgenre that is becoming more popular every day.
Seems like a new 'soulslike' hits the shelves every week, Lies of P, Lords of the Fallen, you name it. But for the most part, the setting is usually pretty similar to others in the same subgroup: medieval or gothic fantasy. Valor Mortis is going in a drastically different direction, with its Napoleonic War setting.
The thing that really piqued my interest is the first-person perspective. Most soulslikes are third-person by default (think Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Bloodborne). Going first-person for a genre built around careful dodges, parries, and enemy tell-reading is a gutsy decision.
The fact that One More Level already proved with Ghostrunner that they know how to do fast and readable first-person action has me a little intrigued to see how that translates into a slower and more punishing soulslike pace. The developer is One More Level and the publishing side is being handled by One More Level along with Lyrical Games. That partnership is important because Lyrical Games has been positioning itself as a publisher willing to fund weirder, more original ideas instead of chasing safe hits.
When Does Valor Mortis Come Out?
Valor Mortis is scheduled for release on October 13, 2026. Remember the date if you're even a little bit interested, since October has become a legitimate month to drop major game releases in the last few years, and you don't want to let this one slip by you.
Honestly, I figured it would be released in the first half of the year, so I was a little surprised that this is actually a fall release. However, it makes quite a bit of sense, since October has traditionally been a good window for horror adjacent and atmospherically intense action game releases, and the game has already been shown to use some genuinely creepy visuals.
Something worth thinking about: soulslike fans have long memories and long wishlists, and using a release date like this one gives the game several months to build momentum before the summer blockbuster season. Good idea, if you ask me.
Is the date going to stay? As of now, October 13, 2026 is the release date listed, and there doesn't appear to be a delay, although soulslikes are notoriously hard to balance, so if you've followed the genre as long as I have, you know to watch for updates as we close in on the date.
Where Can You Play Valor Mortis?
Valor Mortis is headed to Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 5, and PC, that's a pretty typical modern launch trinity, and frankly, the best decision for a game centered around quick, tight FPS combat. That makes sense; this kind of frantic FPS action (combined with supernatural powers and hordes of enemies) was never meant to run on aging consoles.
Ghostrunner was a wake-up call for One More Level, and it seems they've learned. Other highly anticipated action games launching on the same platforms this year include Gears of War, making 2026 a stacked year for the genre.
| Platform | Confirmed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | Yes | Full current-gen release |
| Xbox Series S/X | Yes | Both S and X supported |
| PC | Yes | Likely digital storefront release |
| PS4 / Xbox One | No | Not confirmed for last-gen |
So you've got a good gaming pc or either one of the current gen consoles? All good. If I had the hardware to do it, I would go PC, I feel like fps games play a lot better when you have a higher fps and soulslikes require the best input/response time possible.
How Does Valor Mortis Play?
Valor Mortis is a first-person action RPG that combines the core soulslike combat that players know and love with supernatural powers inspired by the game's undead soldier setting. You're not simply swinging a musket bayonet, you're apparently throwing around supernatural abilities that a Napoleonic soldier could never hope to wield. Just think about what that entails.
Soulslikes are generally designed to promote patience through tight timing and stamina management, but add supernatural powers to the mix and you might just have a combat system that is far more aggressive and flamboyant than Dark Souls, while keeping the deathtrap tension of the subgenre. If you find yourself between gaming sessions looking for something to watch, Korean dramas have become a massively popular choice among action and fantasy fans worldwide.
Combat and Enemy Design
The description states "horrific monsters," which suggests it isn't just historical fiction with muskets and swords, and features real horror elements in the enemies. Considering how One More Level created a kinetic and brutal feel in Ghostrunner, I would assume enemy encounters will require precise responses rather than button-mash.
RPG Elements
As an action RPG it's assumed that Valor Mortis will allow you to develop your character's supernatural powers as you go, but until there are more details on the actual gameplay (such as a skill tree or stat system), we only really know that progression is tied to your character's cycle of dying and coming back to life.
The Story: A Conspiracy Beyond the Battlefield
The story is about a soldier from Napoleonic times who comes back from the dead and gets involved in a conspiracy that could end mankind. That's a far wider story than most soulslikes where guys just come back from the dead for revenge.
Napoleon's time really is underrepresented in games. We have a lot of medieval stuff and a lot of World War II shooters, but not really much in the early 1800s. There's a certain grandeur in that time too, the soldiers in their shiny uniforms, the vast armies that hang in the distance, the empire and the ambition crumbling. Valor Mortis seems to be drawing on that as a backdrop for something more strange and supernatural.
What interests me, though, is how this story-skeleton echoes what made Ghostrunner's world interesting in the first place. It wasn't just about climbing a tower and fighting bosses, it had a mystery at its core that drove you forward. Valor Mortis looks like it's doing the same here, but with gothic war horror instead of neon cyberpunk. If you enjoy action games with a strong atmospheric horror edge, you might also want to check out our full Phantom Blade Zero breakdown for another 2026 release worth watching.
Will there be choice and multiple endings? That hasn't yet been confirmed, but the mention of conspiracy in the official description makes me think we might see more than one possible ending.
Is Valor Mortis Worth Getting Excited About?
Yes, and I say that as someone who's legitimately a little burned out on soulslikes recently. The differentiator for Valor Mortis for me is that we have a novel historic setting combined with a tried and true action-oriented developer and a first person perspective that very few others have used in this genre.
Compare it to a game like Lords of the Fallen or Lies of P. Those are good games, but both also go quite safe with the third person medieval fantasy shtick. This one is taking a risk in trying something different, and I appreciate the guts for it even if it doesn't quite succeed.
My gut feeling? Valor Mortis is going to be one of the more talked about soulslike releases of late 2026, exactly because it doesn't want to look and feel like all the rest in the genre right now.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I play Valor Mortis on?
Valor Mortis will be released on Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 5, and PC. A release on the last-gen consoles has not been announced yet, so you'll need current-gen hardware or a good PC to play it upon its release on October 13, 2026.
Is Valor Mortis a good game?
It's too soon to tell for sure until Valor Mortis comes out, but the pedigree is positive. One More Level is the team that made Ghostrunner, an insanely good fast paced action game, and they're taking their combat sensibilities to this new Napoleonic soulslike world.
Is Valor Mortis a soulslike game?
Yes, Valor Mortis is officially said to be a first-person action soulslike. It blends the usual soulslike difficulty and rhythm of combat with RPG leveling and supernatural powers in a Napoleonic War setting as opposed to the classic medieval fantasy worlds.
Is Valor Mortis a horror game?
Valor Mortis isn't advertised only as horror, but horror is definitely fused into the game. The game description states there are "horrifying monsters" and a sinister conspiracy that threatens mankind, so a strong horror atmosphere should be present over its RPG action framework.
Valor Mortis looks like it could be one of the most unique soulslikes in quite some time and with so long until October 13, 2026, I'm going to be eagerly anticipating it. If you're even the slightest bit interested, ensure that you're wishlisting and keeping up to date with One More Level. I'll be waiting with bated breath.