Lords of the Fallen release date, gameplay and latest news

Lords of the Fallen follows on from the 2014 game of the same name, though this time the scope and scale is much larger. In fact, the team over at Hexworks has expanded upon not only the lore, but the world of Lords of the Fallen as well, giving players a huge map to explore, filled with a diverse army of enemies and bosses.

From what we've seen so far, Lords of the Fallen is absolutely one of the most exciting upcoming games of 2023. Its fast-paced yet heavy gameplay has made quite the impression already, and has helped to distinguish it from games like Elden Ring, which clearly inspired the team. We even managed to go hands-on with the game earlier this year and found that Lords of the Fallen’s polished combat and distinctive flavor set it apart from many of its soulsborne contemporaries.

Here's everything you need to know about Lords of the Fallen, including when it's coming out, what the gameplay is like, as well as all of the latest trailers and news. As new details are announced, this page will be updated.

Lords of the Fallen - cut to the chase

•  What is it? A sequel/soft reboot to the 2014 Souls-like of the same name
•  When can I play it? October 13, 2023
•  What can I play it on? PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
•  Who makes it? HEXWORKS

Lords of the Fallen release date and platforms

(Image credit: Hexworks)

The Lords of the Fallen release date is October 13, 2023. This puts the game among some very stiff competition indeed. For one, it's a week before Super Mario Bros. Wonder, though hopefully Lords of the Fallen can carve out its own audience there. Then there's Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Alan Wake 2 releasing a week later, so it's a very busy time indeed.

In terms of platforms, Lords of the Fallen will launch on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It'll skip last-get consoles with the aim of offering a fully-fledged next-gen experience. From what we've seen so far, it's certainly set to be an impressive game in terms of visuals and performance. 

Lords of the Fallen trailers

The latest trailer for Lords of the Fallen was shown off as part of an Xbox Showcase. It's 17 minutes of extended gameplay, giving us our best look yet at how traversal, exploration, and combat will work at launch. Check it out below:

We've included other Lords of the Fallen trailers throughout this article. For more of them, head on over to the official CI Games YouTube channel. You'll find developer commentary, as well as lore breakdowns to study before the game comes out later this year.

Lords of the Fallen gameplay

Lords of the Fallen is essentially a Souls-like RPG, with the core gameplay loop revolving around progressing from checkpoint to checkpoint, with resources lost upon death. It does have its own unique spin on the formula, however, because there are two worlds wrapped up in one in-game map. These two worlds are named 'Axiom' and 'Umbral'. These act as worlds of the living and the dead respectfully.

Through the use of a lantern, players can peer into the world of the dead, allowing them to solve puzzles, and traverse areas that would otherwise be inaccessible. The trade-off is that the world of the dead has powerful enemies that stalk the player, and death results in the loss of resources. Die in the realm of the living will give the player a chance to cross over to the land of the dead, giving another chance at enemies and boss encounters. It's this dual-realm concept that really gives Lords of the Fallen its distinctive gameplay loop. 

While exploring Lords of the Fallen's large map, players can customize their hero with an assortment of weapons and armor. If you've played a Souls-like game before, particularly Elden Ring, you'll likely feel right at home. The combat is definitely faster than that found in the Dark Souls series, however, and as a result, the action is much faster and boss fights more frenetic. There's uninterrupted multiplayer baked in as well, meaning you'll be able to team up with a friend to brace the horrors that await.

Lords of the Fallen story and setting

(Image credit: CI Games )

Lords of the Fallen is set after an age of dark tyranny. The demon God, Adyr, was finally defeated during this tumultuous era. Now, eons later, Adyr’s resurrection draws near. As one of the fabled Dark Crusaders, players will journey through both the realms of the living and the dead. 

Things appear to continue on from the 2014 game of the same name, in essence anyway. We expect the narrative to be doled out by NPCs, cutscenes, and lore found throughout the world.

Lords of the Fallen - is it a reboot?

Lords of the Fallen is a reboot of the 2014 game of the same name. It has gone through a number of name changes, having been referred to as 'The Lords of the Fallen' when it was first announced. 

Since then, the developer has hammered home that it intends this 2023 RPG to be a reboot that builds upon what was shown and achieved in the first game. The stories do apparently continue on from each other, so Lords of the Fallen is best described as a reboot/sequel. It's expected that new players won't really need to have played the 2014 series entry, though it's unclear just how similar the overarching narratives will end up being.

Lords of the Fallen latest news

New gameplay details on Lords of the Fallen
There's a new PS Blog post about Lords of the Fallen, detailing new gameplay features and online co-op. The article touches on the game's fast and fluid combat and even shows off some of the areas that players are set to explore.

That's everything we know about Lords of the Fallen so far. For more on the biggest games yet to release this year, check out our upcoming games guide.