Finally, a fresh setting: In Valor Mortis from One More Level (Ghostrunner) and Lyrical Games, players take on the role of a resurrected soldier of the Grande Armée, wielding Napoleonic-era weaponry and supernatural powers in a reimagining of 19th-century Europe.
The Kraków-based studio One More Level, known for the Ghostrunner series, has something truly wild and unprecedented in store with Valor Mortis. Set in a supernatural reimagining of 19th-century Europe, the game sees players take on the role of William, a resurrected soldier of the Grande Armée wielding Napoleonic-era weaponry and supernatural powers. He is guided by the disembodied voice of Napoleon, voiced by actor Vincent Cassel. Players can expect a story in which historical figures and events intertwine with horror and the paranormal. However, this creative and rarely used scenario had the potential to deliver more, particularly in terms of the story and character development.
William traverses battlefields, mountains, and European-inspired cities that have been consumed by a grotesque, continent-wide plague — the same corruption that courses through his veins and gave him life. Valor Mortis is a first-person, Souls-like game centred on skill, stamina and visceral, high-mobility combat. Every death is a stepping stone to mastery. If the player dies, they will respawn at the last Lantern they activated. Upon death, all Catalysts (required for upgrades) are lost. These will remain where they were lost, providing an opportunity to retrieve them. However, if another death occurs before they are reached, they will be lost forever. Enemies respawn when the player dies, but bosses remain defeated. It's very 'Soulslike'. Lanterns act as fast-travel points and Catalysts can be spent there.
But it's also about learning your opponents' moves and then reacting accordingly. Players can perform parries, dashes and finishers with a variety of weapons, including dual-wielded rapiers and flintlock pistols, as well as supernatural powers (like fire). Speaking of upgrades and builds: Throughout the journey, players can also discover Ambers that can significantly change their playstyle and allow them to experiment - for example, parrying bullets or receiving a health bonus for every melee attack instead of using healing flasks. However, it is only possible to add a new Amber to the build every five levels. And, all the weapons and powers acquired throughout the game can be enhanced using materials scavenged from the game world. Overall, it's worth the effort, even if it takes some time to get used to.
Valor Mortis © One More Level and Lyrical Games
As well as challenging and intense combat, the game features Metroidvania-style exploration. William must utilise his mobility to outrun and flank Napoleon’s plague-ridden Eternal Guard, while uncovering environmental secrets. wall runs (like in Ghostrunner) and grappling hooks are a must. "We believe that fans of our last game will be delighted with William's new ability. Thanks to this ability, he can travel to faraway places, so it's a return to the dynamic gameplay of our earlier, popular titles. It allows the Valor Mortis protagonist to swiftly traverse war-torn cities, scaling walls, crossing bridges, and climbing buildings," said Radosław Ratusznik, Valor Mortis Director, in April 2026.
Originally scheduled for release in September, the game's release date was pushed back to October because 'September has become absolutely packed with incredible-looking games'. The developers plan to use the extra time to incorporate player feedback from the demo. Improvements include enhancing combat, particularly readability, hitbox range, staggering enemies, boss difficulty and the difficulty curve, as well as optimising performance.
Jennifer English (The Shrike) and Vincent Cassel (Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte) star alongside James Alexander, who voices protagonist William Dowsett.
Valor Mortis © One More Level and Lyrical Games
Valor Mortis is One More Level's sixth game, or seventh when the Ghostrunner DLC Project_Hel is included. The studio was founded in 2014 and is based in Kraków. It has developed titles such as God's Trigger, Ghostrunner and Ghostrunner 2. The team currently comprises 70 developers. The studio is currently working on two projects: Valor Mortis and the as-yet-unannounced 'Project Swift'. The company went public in 2018, moving from the NewConnect market to the main market of the Warsaw Stock Exchange in February 2026.
The publisher is Lyrical Games, an independent company based in Los Angeles that focuses on ambitious indie and AA games in an increasingly risk-averse marketplace. Founded by Lyrical Media and led by Blake Rochkind, alongside industry veterans with experience at Private Division, Devolver Digital, Humble Games and Microsoft, Lyrical Games partners with studios through collaboration-driven agreements that preserve creative control and IP ownership. Its current portfolio includes Valor Mortis, Erosion (Plot Twist), and unannounced titles from Blackbird Interactive and The Chinese Room.
Valor Mortis is launching on 13 October 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam. It will also be available on Xbox Game Pass from day one. Fireshire Games will release the retail version of the game for PlayStation 5, and CentreSoft will distribute it.
In order to balance the game's 20-hour length with the crowded autumn release schedule, One More Level and Lyrical Games decided to launch Valor Mortis at $39.99/€39.99 instead of the full price. A Deluxe Edition is also available for $59.99/€59.99, including a major future story DLC and cosmetic packs. Several updates for the game are planned for the weeks and months after launch. This includes a New Game+ mode, which will be released in Q4 2026. This new mode invites players to play through the game a second time, facing new challenges and tougher enemies while retaining the loot and character progression from their first playthrough.
Valor Mortis boasts intense and challenging combat in a setting that is truly fresh.
