Publisher Lyrical Games and Ghostrunner series developer One More Level have revealed Valor Mortis, a first-person Soulslike with Metroidvania elements. I’ve played it, and even though it was a pre-alpha demo, it’s already a game I can’t wait for more of. 

Revealed during Gamescom’s Opening Night Live showcase, Valor Mortis is set during Napoleon’s 19th-century conquest across a war-torn Eastern Europe. Players control a resurrected French soldier corrupted by the power of a mysterious, plague-like substance that runs through their veins. Unfortunately, that substance is key to saving “humanity from the very horrors of war it creates,” according to a press release. 

Watch 27 Minutes of Valor Mortis Gameplay: 

“With Valor Mortis, we wanted to try something new and original – a darker experience, while still offering players a true challenge,” One More Level CEO Szymon Bryla writes in a press release. “After Ghostrunner, we knew we had the foundation to create a [first-person perspective] title, but this time in a Soulslike genre. At the same time, we wanted to stay true to what we do best – making demanding games for hardcore players, set in an engaging expansive world, while showing that the studio has grown since our previous projects.” 

I played a pre-alpha demo of Valor Mortis and, after roughly an hour with what appears to be its opening level and first boss, I’m thoroughly impressed, even with its current rough edges. It’s clear it’s a pre-alpha dose of the game, as it isn’t the most optimized, but it still runs and looks well enough to understand what One More Level, a 60-person studio based in Poland, is cooking up here. 

Here’s One More Level’s description of the game to set the table: “In Valor Mortis, players will embody William, a soldier in the Grande Armée brought back to life from his battlefield grave. William awakens from his death to a plague-ridden Europe, only to find his former allies corrupted into abominations by the Nephtoglobin, an unknown substance that grants him supernatural powers but has taken over his comrades. Navigating this world of scorn, William must master combat and channel his newfound ability in a 19th-century history where war has corrupted the landscape, Napoleon’s Eternal Guard lurks around every corner, and unforgettable boss-fight encounters await players.” 

Immediately, it’s clear Valor Mortis is a One More Level game – it isn’t Ghostrunner, but it feels right at home in this team’s lineage. It’s much slower, naturally, but dodging and parrying feels similar to Ghostrunner II, and though it’s set in a fantastical take on a wartorn 19th-century Eastern Europe, I can see it’s the same visual team behind One More Level’s cyberpunk series. In fact, game director Radosław Ratusznik tells me in an interview that the visuals of this new IP are heavily influenced by the Soulslike nature of the game. 

He says the Ghostrunner games feature gorgeous visuals by One More Level’s art team, but due to the game's nature, players speed right past its vistas and sights. With Valor Mortis’ slowed-down pace, he’s excited for players to see what these artists can cook up. It’s another reason Valor Mortis is a first-person game, besides the fact that first-person is where One More Level feels most comfortable. 

All the typical Soulslike facets are there – challenging enemies to defeat, grueling and monstrous bosses, a stagger bar, parries, blocks, and dodges, lanterns (this game’s bonfires), and a tree of stats to adjust with a currency earned from defeating enemies. But where Valor Mortis really stands out is its first-person perspective. Truthfully, I don’t think I’ve played a first-person Soulslike before, and it’s such a simple but drastic change to the formula that I’m shocked I haven’t played one on novelty alone. It’s more immersive and adds a level of urgency (well, even more urgency) to every fight – I can’t scan what’s around me to ensure safety for a dodge or a place to heal. All I have is what’s right in front of me, and Valor Mortis feels all the more dangerous as a result. 

Furthermore, every action I take feels riskier; if I slash now, the enemy literally right in front of my face can follow up with a counter, and I need to be ready. Sure, the same rules apply in the typical third-person perspective of the genre, but, to use a cliché, it feels more immersive here. 

Alongside my cutlass, I have a pistol that I can use to aim-down-sights and shoot weak points on enemies, adding a fun FPS feel to the Soulslike combat. It’s a smart move – first-person perspectives are typically associated with first-person shooters, so why not borrow an element of that? 

That said, Ratusznik warns that bullets are highly limited (they are) and players shouldn’t treat any aspect of Valor Mortis like an FPS. The pistol is best used for targeting weak points, and I found switching from my pistol, after shooting a weak point, to my BioShock-like left hand that spews flames prevented me from relying on my pistol for more than that. Plus, the fire adds a burn status to enemies after I scorch them enough, inflicting constant damage and opening them up for easy finisher attacks. 

The final element of Valor Mortis that stands out to me is its setting. Fighting undead French soldiers and more while the ghost/phantom/voice of Napoleon whispers in my ear, harkening me to inflict damage to all around me in his name, is a unique twist on the fantasy of Soulslike. I’m reminded of Lies of P, which excellently used an odd but ultimately standout setting to tell its story – I look forward to seeing if Valor Mortis can reach similar heights. 

There’s more at play in Valor Mortis, including abilities gained that allow you to traverse to prior levels in Metroidvania fashion, optional bosses, and more, and you can get a taste of that in Game Informer’s hands-on gameplay at the top of this story. 

Valor Mortis is due out sometime in 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, and I can’t wait. 

I don't know how many players expected Sonic the Hedgehog and Pac-Man to become best buds, but pummeling each other in Super Smash Bros. games seems to have formed a mutual respect between the two. So much so that they'll be crossing over into each other's upcoming titles: Sonic Racing CrossWorlds and Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac.

Sonic Racing CrossWorlds, a game already crossover-heavy with guest characters like Hatsune Miku, Like A Dragon's Ichiban Kasuga, and even SpongeBob SquarePants, will add Pac-Man to the roster via a DLC pack next year. The pack also adds the Pac-Village racing track, which even lets players race on the classic arcade maze. 

Meanwhile, Pac-Man World Re-Pac 2, the remake of the PS1 sequel, is getting Sonic-themed DLC in 2026 as well. This update sees Pac-Man rocking a Sonic hat to race through Green Hill Zone and other Sonic levels. 

Fittingly, both games launch only a day apart, with Sonic Racing CrossWorlds releasing on September 25 and Pac-Man World Re-Pac 2 arriving on September 26. 

Hollow Knight: Silksong has been so anticipated for so many years that it's become a meme, crowding the chat of every major game showcase of the last seven years. While we've had recent glimpses, like the announcement that it was coming to Switch 2, we haven't heard a concrete update from Team Cherry since its announcement that it wouldn't be releasing in 2023. This week, that will finally change.

Team Cherry's official YouTube channel has a premiere set for Thursday, August 21, at 10:30 AM ET/ 7:30 AM PT. Its title reads, "Hollow Knight: Silksong - Special Announcement," while the caption simply reads, "The countdown is on! Join us in 48 hours for a special announcement about Hollow Knight: Silksong!" It is unclear what exactly this announcement will involve, but fans are mostly just hoping for a release date.

Despite the general lack of information, Silksong is playable at this year's Gamescom, according to Xbox, and it will be available on Microsoft's ROG ALLY device, so we're expecting some kind of announcement during Opening Night Live in a few hours. Geoff Keighley seemed to support this by posting a photo with a clown nose, potentially referencing the meme of Hollow Knight's protagonist in clown attire that's posted whenever we don't get news about its sequel. 

However, partnered with this announcement is a series of Bluesky posts from Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, who is known for accurately digging up information from behind the scenes of the games industry. Not only does he claim to have "the story behind why Silksong took seven years to make," citing a video call he did with Team Cherry's founders earlier this month, he also says, "No, Silksong's release date will not be announced today at Gamescom Opening Night Live, despite Geoff Keighley's teasing." Team Cherry's Thursday announcement will come after Opening Night Live, however, so there's a chance we might get a date then. While Schreier has a solid track record in this line of work, none of this is confirmed, so take it all with a grain of salt.

Regardless of when it drops or what this trailer will bring, people will be there to watch it. With 15,000 in the YouTube audience a full 47 hours before it even happens, it's safe to say this is one of the most anticipated games of the decade. Here's hoping Team Cherry gives them something to get excited about.

Nintendo's big Switch 2 direct back in April revealed a lot of games releasing during the console's launch window, and one of them was Kirby Air Riders, an apparent sequel to the GameCube racer from 2003. Today, Masahiro Sakurai himself walked us through the new game in great detail, showing off its characters, mechanics, modes, and ending with a release date. 

Watch The Archive Of The Kirby Air Riders Direct Here

The original Kirby Air Ride's big selling point is its simplicity – everyone plays as Kirby (save for two unlockable cameos), and there's only one button, which you use to drift around corners. It's only natural that the sequel, Kirby Air Riders, would expand on each of these aspects. For starters, you can play as a lot more than just Kirby. Here's the full roster so far:

• Kirby
• Meta Knight
• Waddle Dee
• King Deedeedee
• Chef Kawasaki
• Cappy
• Magolor
• Gooey
• Waddle Doo
• Knuckle Joe
• Susie
• Starman

Each character has slight differences. While Kirby is a simple, all-around racer, Meta Knight can glide, King Deedeedee can swing his hammer, and Cappy (the little mushroom, not to be confused with Mario's sentient hat) can use his mushroom cap to avoid taking damage. Each rider is relatively balanced, however. While Kirby was the only one who could copy abilities in the original, now everyone can gain copy abilities from enemies roaming the tracks. 

 

There's also a second button now; when your meter is full, press Y to activate a special move, unique to each character. They unleash an attack and/or speed boost to give you a big advantage right when the moment demands it. It's another incentive to choose a character other than Kirby.

The two modes detailed are Air Ride, a standard race that now supports up to six players, and City Trial, where players explore an open map to collect power-ups before facing off in the end. City Trial now has a new map, too – the floating island of Skyah, a mishmash of different mini-areas to explore. Up to eight players (on different consoles) can play City Trial locally, but it supports up to 16 online.

Finally, the showcase ended with a tease of a mysterious new character with an exhaust pipe for an eye. Then, we got a release date: November 20, 2025. Kirby Air Riders will be available just three months from tomorrow, making it one of Nintendo's big holiday games. For more Switch 2 news, check out our review of Donkey Kong Bananza.

Update (August 18 at 6:07 p.m. CT): Sony has offered a very short follow-up to our outreach simply writing, "This account is not associated with Cory Barlog or Santa Monica Studio."

Update (August 18 at 12:02 p.m. CT): Following publication of this story, it became apparent that the account in question is more than likely intentionally inauthentic. As a result, we have cause to believe this news is likely inaccurate. We apologize for this mistake. We have reached out to Sony for further confirmation, and will update this story again should we receive comment.

Original story (posted August 18 at 9:27 a.m. CT):

Cory Barlog (pictured above being asked rapid-fire questions about God of War), director of God of War II and 2018's God of War, shared some vague details about what the team at Sony Santa Monica is currently working on. Sony Santa Monica is the developer, most recently, behind God of War Ragnarök.

"I’d like to share a little bit about our new project," Barlog wrote on Facebook. "I’m incredibly proud of what the team at Santa Monica Studio has been accomplishing. It’s a technically ambitious project, something that’s not easy to achieve. This is a new IP we’ve been working on for years, and if all goes well, we’re planning to show it to you later this year. I couldn’t be more excited." Barlog ended the post with two heart emojis.

Barlog's post doesn't specify that this is Sony Santa Monica next project or that it is its only project. Since the release of Ragnarök's free rogue-lite mode DLC, it has been quiet about what's next.

In terms of God of War, developer Bluepoint Games (primarily known for its remakes of Shadow of the Colossus and Demon's Souls) was working on a live-service game connected to the God of War franchise. That game was publicly cancelled earlier this year according to a statement Sony shared with Bloomberg.

Whatever this new project may be, we will apparently learn more about it later this year.