Valor Mortis: Everything We Know

If you ever dreamed of an FPS Soulslike, your dreams are just about coming true when Valor Mortis launches on October 13, 2026. But there’s more under the hood of this game beyond shifting perspective. It takes a leap of faith, creating a riveting story of the undead set during the Napoleonic era. 

Most Napoleonic era games have been in the turn-based, real-time tactical, or grand strategy and action RPG genres. So, it’s definitely a bold step that One More Level and Lyrical Games are taking, immersing us in the 1792 and 1815 ages. 

Certainly plenty to be excited about, so let’s break it all down in today’s “everything we know about Valor Mortis” article. 

What is Valor Mortis?

Valor Mortis is an upcoming first-person Soulslike. Most Soulslike games have been third-person slayers. So, it’s definitely an exciting move to be fighting enemies through the eyes of the main character. Interestingly, the devs behind this game are also the creators of Ghostrunner, which is a single-player, fast-paced, action-platforming game. 

While the genres differ, Ghostrunner’s swordplay is fast, frenetic, and focused on timing and precision. And similar concepts of timing and precision apply to Soulslike. The setting is the most drastic change, shifting from a cyberpunk apocalyptic setting to the historic French Revolution. And that’s exciting, given that no other Soulslike has implemented the Napoleonic era. We’ve just about had a decent number of Soulslikes set in feudal Japan and rooted in Chinese mythology. 

Your player-controlled character? A zombie who was once a soldier of Napoleon’s army. Because of the “resurrection,” your abilities have evolved beyond swordplay. You can cast supernatural magic, which you’ll very much need to face the gigantic, horrifying monsters of this world. And amid it all, a dark conspiracy looms that threatens humanity’s future.

Story

Valor Mortis is single-player, just the way I like Soulslike games to be. It’s steeped in action and adventure, with role-playing gameplay. The story goes: You’re a soldier of Napoleon’s army, and have died for his cause. However, you awaken from death to serve Napoleon once again.

Your name is William of the Grande Armée, but you’re now practically a zombie. And it seems that your strange resurrection also has something to do with the new state of Europe. Your home isn’t like you remember, now crawling with a mysterious plague that’s creating horrifying monsters. 

The plague is a double-edged sword because it seems to have given you supernatural powers. And beyond that, every time you die, your supernatural powers grow stronger. Quite the twisted incentive there that should otherwise motivate a likely challenging mission ahead.

Valor Mortis takes a chance on the Napoleonic 19th-century setting. Rather than adhere to history, the game chooses to tell an alternate story, where the endless war has created a corrupted power that tears through the continent. 

You guessed it: The monsters you’ll be fighting are former soldiers of Napoleon’s army as well. They have arisen as abominations, donning grotesque features and builds. I must say, the designs are truly terrifying, just as they are creative.

Do look forward to spotting some familiar, historical figures. Although the zombie apocalypse will be in full swing, it’ll contrast with realities that did take place many decades ago. There’s a dark conspiracy at the heart of the story, surrounding the plague and your resurrection, which you’ll work toward uncovering. 

Gameplay

You know how it goes in Soulslike games: a combat system that’s action-heavy and challenging. In Valor Mortis, the devs have created a sweet blend of parries and sword strikes. You can dash and execute brutal finishers using different weapons. 

Remember, though, that you have supernatural power that you can use to amplify your attacks. And these powers will grow more varied as you kill enemies and progress. Further, the environment will have a huge role to play in your combat, with hidden secrets you can exploit to your advantage.

In addition to uncovering the secrets of the alternate Napoleonic setting, you’ll master mysterious abilities and switch between melee and ranged weapons during intense combat.

Development

One More Level returns with their upcoming game, Valor Mortis, which they will launch in partnership with Lyrical Games. They’ve leaned toward designing a grim world, using a first-person camera perspective and combining it with action-heavy gameplay. The setting mixes in horror elements, as well as supernatural forces and endless war. Moreover, they have designed exploration to be Metroidvania-like, where you unlock new levels with varied, haunting environments. 

Trailer

So far, Valor Mortis does have an official release date trailer unveiled at the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 event. It’s pretty detailed, with in-game footage of the story, gameplay, and cinematics. Right off the bat, the trailer transports you to a grimdark, heavy, atmospheric world. It’s pretty impressive visuals, with intricate details, to the point that you can see little raindrops splatter on the wet ground.  

I’m keen to see how many enemy designs Valor Mortis will have that are a mix of Napoleon’s army and grotesque monster features. The enemies in the trailer look menacing, and will surely have your hands full trying to navigate a bloody, war-torn battlefield. Oh, and that shotgun rules, especially how you manually reload it. Looks punchy, which, combined with the gory combat, heads getting chopped off, and all, already has my senses tingling with excitement. 

Release Date, Platforms, & Editions

It’s settled, then, that Valor Mortis will be arriving on October 13, 2026. Although the release date is a bit far off, you can busy yourself with the demo, currently available on Steam. It’s not only PC users who’ll be able to access the final game, but PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S users as well.

In fact, the respective PlayStation and Xbox stores have the game’s pages live as well, where you can go ahead and add Valor Mortis to your wishlist. Otherwise, you’ll need to wait a bit longer for any announcements on editions or preorders, most likely via the official social media handle.