Valor Mortis: One More Level’s Gory New Soulslike Will Make You Question Your Life Choices

What Is Valor Mortis and Why Should You Care?

So, you thought the Ghostrunner developers were done torturing us with impossibly difficult games? Think again! One More Level just dropped Valor Mortis at Gamescom Opening Night Live, and honestly, it looks like they’ve cranked the difficulty dial up to “why do I hate myself this much?”

This isn’t your typical zombie shooter, folks. Valor Mortis is a single-player, first-person Soulslike that’s basically asking the question: “What if Napoleon’s invasion of Russia, but with body horror that would make David Cronenberg squeamis h?” Because apparently, regular historical warfare wasn’t traumatic enough.

The Story That Nobody Asked For (But We’re Getting Anyway)

You play as William, a French soldier who had the brilliant career move of dying in battle, only to wake up with the power to control something called “Nephtoglobin.” Sounds fancy, right? Well, it’s basically a plague that turns your former buddies into grotesque zombie abominations. Thanks, mysterious resurrection powers!

The irony here is delicious – you died fighting for Napoleon, but now you’re using your newfangled plague powers to fight against him. Talk about a career change that HR definitely didn’t prepare you for.

Valor Mortis Gameplay: Pain With a Side of Fire Hands

The combat system promises “brutal, methodical” encounters with parries, dashes, and visceral finishers. Translation: you’re going to die. A lot. But hey, at least you can shoot fire out of your hands now! Because nothing says “subtle approach to conflict resolution” quite like becoming a walking flamethrower.

The developers are calling it a “fresh, new take on the Soulslike genre,” which in gaming speak usually means “we found new and creative ways to make you question your life choices.”

Release Date and Platforms

Valor Mortis is slated for a 2026 release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series consoles. A closed playtest is coming in the next few weeks, so masochists can sign up on the official website to get their suffering started early.

One More Level CEO Szymon Bryla promises this will be for “hardcore players,” because apparently, we didn’t suffer enough with Ghostrunner’s wall-running death simulator