Valor Mortis Brings First-Person Soulslike Combat on October 13

The Soulslike market remains crowded with third-person action RPGs, while players continue to look for new takes on the formula beyond FromSoftware’s releases. Valor Mortis is positioning itself as one of the next major alternatives, combining first-person combat, an alternate-history setting and day-one access through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate when it launches on October 13.

A first-person spin on the Soulslike formula

Valor Mortis comes from One More Level, the developer behind the Ghostrunner games. Rather than following the common third-person Soulslike structure, the studio is building its new project around a first-person viewpoint. That perspective is a significant differentiator in a genre where close-range combat, difficult encounters and deliberate progression are usually presented from behind the player character. The game’s setting also moves away from familiar dark-fantasy territory, taking place in an alternate version of 19th-century Europe.

Napoleonic weapons meet undead enemies

Players control a soldier brought back from death after falling in Napoleon’s forces. The journey involves fighting through undead enemies with period-appropriate equipment, including swords and flintlock pistols. Alongside those weapons, the protagonist develops supernatural powers over time. The combination gives Valor Mortis a distinct identity: historical-inspired armaments and an undead conflict framed through first-person action, rather than a conventional medieval fantasy world.

Release plans and Game Pass availability

Valor Mortis launches Tuesday, October 13 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The standard edition is priced at $39.99, while the $59.99 Deluxe Edition includes access to planned story DLC scheduled for 2027, alongside other unspecified extras. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers on console and PC will be able to play at launch without buying the game separately. That day-one subscription release may broaden the game’s audience, particularly among players willing to try a new Soulslike without an upfront purchase.

What Valor Mortis could offer Soulslike fans

Interest in new single-player Soulslike experiences remains strong as FromSoftware’s currently announced next project, The Duskbloods, is a Nintendo Switch 2-exclusive PvPvE multiplayer game. Valor Mortis therefore has an opportunity to reach players seeking a more traditional combat-driven challenge on PC, PlayStation and Xbox platforms. Its final reception will depend on how successfully One More Level translates the genre’s tension and progression into first-person play, but its premise has already helped it stand apart.

Key points

• Valor Mortis releases on October 13.
• It is developed by Ghostrunner studio One More Level.
• The game launches on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
• Game Pass Ultimate members receive day-one access on PC and console.

Valor Mortis release overview

Expert View

Valor Mortis reflects a broader push to make Soulslike games more accessible through a recognizable hook and subscription availability. A first-person format could attract Ghostrunner players and action-game fans who do not usually engage with third-person Soulslikes. Its Game Pass launch also gives One More Level a route to rapid player exposure, although long-term momentum will rely on whether the combat and progression earn sustained community interest.