News · Updated October 13, 2026
Valor Mortis launches today, October 13, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC for $39.99. The first-person Soulslike from Ghostrunner developer One More Level is also listed for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass through the official Xbox Store, with Xbox Play Anywhere support. A $59.99 Deluxe Edition includes cosmetic packs and a major story DLC planned for 2027.
The setting is an alternate Napoleonic Europe consumed by plague and supernatural corruption. Players control William Dowsett, a dead soldier of Napoleon’s Grande Armée who rises with corrupted powers and hears the emperor’s voice guiding him through a war that has become something far worse.
Valor Mortis release details at a glance
| Detail | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Release date | October 13, 2026 |
| Platforms | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC |
| Standard price | $39.99 in the US |
| Deluxe Edition | $59.99 in the US |
| Game Pass | Listed for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on the US Xbox Store |
| PlayStation Plus | No PS Plus inclusion is listed on the US PlayStation Store page |
| Developer | One More Level |
| Publisher | Lyrical Games; One More Level is also listed as a PC publisher |
| Players | Single-player |
| Xbox features | Xbox Play Anywhere, cloud saves, achievements, HDR10, 4K label, and 60 fps+ label |
| PS5 features | DualSense vibration and trigger effects; PS5 Pro Enhanced label |
Regional prices and unlock timing can differ. Check the platform store you intend to use before buying or downloading.
Is Valor Mortis on Xbox Game Pass?
Yes—but the plan matters. The official US Xbox Store listing currently shows Valor Mortis coming to the PC-only and Ultimate subscriptions.
That means players should not assume every Game Pass tier includes it simply because the game carries a Game Pass label. The store page is the best place to confirm access for the account, device, and region you actually use.
Xbox Play Anywhere is also listed. For an eligible digital Xbox purchase, Play Anywhere can provide access on Xbox console and Windows PC with supported cross-device saves and achievements under Microsoft’s terms. A Steam purchase is a separate storefront license.
Our Game Pass Ultimate vs. Premium vs. Essential comparison explains the current plan differences, prices, cloud limits, and why a game’s individual store page matters more than assumptions based on the subscription name.
What is Valor Mortis?
Valor Mortis is a first-person action RPG built around Soulslike combat. Instead of looking over the shoulder of a sword-wielding character, the player sees attacks, parries, firearms, and supernatural abilities directly through William’s eyes.
One More Level is best known for Ghostrunner, another first-person action series built around mobility and demanding combat. Valor Mortis uses that studio experience for a different structure: hostile areas with secrets and shortcuts, character growth after death, deliberate encounters, side quests, and large boss fights.
The developer’s official gameplay overview highlights:
- First-person melee combat with parries, dashes, and finishers
- Dual-wielded swords, firearms, and supernatural powers
- Weapons and abilities that can be upgraded
- Historically inspired Napoleonic architecture
- Secrets, shortcuts, side quests, and environmental exploration
- Boss encounters designed around a first-person field of view
This is not a Ghostrunner sequel, and players should not expect its one-hit-kill rhythm simply because the studio name is familiar. The official descriptions emphasize a Soulslike progression loop in which death becomes part of growing stronger.
The story turns Napoleon’s campaign into supernatural horror
William served Napoleon, died in battle, and awakens to a Europe transformed by a mysterious plague. That same corruption has entered his body, granting dangerous abilities while connecting him to the emperor’s voice.
The conflict includes Napoleon’s Eternal Guard and a resistance led by a figure known as The Shrike. One More Level describes the campaign as a conspiracy that mixes historical people and places with horror rather than an attempt at a faithful recreation of the Napoleonic Wars.
The official PlayStation Store page frames the central mystery around the plague, William’s resurrection, and the truth behind the corrupted power he carries. The Xbox listing describes 19th-century battlefields warped by endless war and supernatural abominations.
That unusual setting is the clearest reason Valor Mortis stands apart. European military history supplies the uniforms, weapons, architecture, and political background, while the plague gives the developers room to turn those recognizable elements into dark fantasy.
How does combat work?
Official material describes a system built around timed parries, evasive dashes, weapon attacks, firearms, finishers, and supernatural abilities. Different weapons are intended to change the risk and defensive options available to the player.
During development, One More Level discussed the unusual problems created by a first-person Soulslike: judging distance, reading attacks, tracking enemies, and making very large bosses understandable from a close camera. The studio says it uses dynamic field-of-view scaling to make giant enemies easier to read.
The developer also adjusted the full game after public playtests and a demo. Its development updates specifically mention work on combat readability, hitbox range, enemy staggering, boss variety, difficulty progression, CPU optimization, and the balance between platforming and combat.
Those statements describe development goals and changes, not proof of final performance or balance. New Game Wire has not completed a hands-on review of the released game.
How long is Valor Mortis?
One More Level describes the main story as approximately 20 hours. Actual completion time will depend on player skill, exploration, optional content, deaths, and whether someone searches for every shortcut and side quest.
A hard action RPG can produce widely different playtimes. The developer’s estimate is useful for understanding the intended scale, but it should not be read as a guarantee that every player will finish in exactly 20 hours.
Standard Edition vs. Deluxe Edition
| Edition | US price | Included content |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $39.99 | The base game |
| Deluxe | $59.99 | Base game, cosmetic packs, and a major story DLC planned for 2027 |
The developer says the planned DLC will tell a complete side story separate from the main campaign while exploring the same world and characters. A precise release date and full feature list were not announced in the launch information reviewed for this article.
The safer choice for an uncertain buyer is the Standard Edition or eligible Game Pass access. The Deluxe upgrade makes the most sense for someone who already expects to return for the story expansion and values the included cosmetics.
One More Level also says multiple free updates are planned for the weeks and months after launch, with the team considering additional modes. Planned content can change, so buy based on what is available now rather than treating every future idea as guaranteed.
Voice cast includes Vincent Cassel and Jennifer English
The announced English-language cast includes:
- Vincent Cassel as Napoleon Bonaparte
- Jennifer English as The Shrike
- James Alexander as William Dowsett
- Adam “Nergal” Darski as Captain Raphael
- Mars Lipowski as Lucjan Skawiński
- Will de Renzy-Martin as James Stewart
- Yvan Chamoiseau as Louis Moreau
English is known for performances including Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3 and Maelle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Cassel voices Napoleon, whose presence reaches William through the corruption affecting him.
Xbox and PS5 feature differences
On Xbox, Valor Mortis is listed for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and handheld play through the Xbox ecosystem. The store displays Xbox Play Anywhere, cloud saves, achievements, HDR10, 4K Ultra HD, and 60 fps+ capability labels.
Those labels indicate supported capabilities; they do not promise one fixed resolution and frame rate in every scene or on every device. The exact experience can depend on platform, display, graphics mode, and updates.
On PlayStation, the game is a PS5 release with DualSense vibration and trigger-effect support. The US store also labels it PS5 Pro Enhanced. Our PS5 120Hz setup guide explains why a console or store capability label still depends on the game’s mode, compatible display, cable, and HDMI setup.
Is Valor Mortis multiplayer?
No multiplayer mode is listed on the official Xbox or PlayStation store pages. Both present Valor Mortis as a single-player experience, and the PlayStation page specifies offline play for one player.
That matters because the combat may look suitable for co-op from a trailer, but no official listing reviewed for launch promises cooperative or competitive multiplayer. The planned updates and Deluxe story DLC should not be assumed to add co-op unless One More Level announces it directly.
What to check before downloading
- Game Pass plan: Verify that your current subscription shows access on the store page.
- Platform license: Xbox Play Anywhere applies to eligible Xbox ecosystem purchases, not a separate Steam or PlayStation copy.
- Edition: The Deluxe price mainly pays for future story content and cosmetics.
- Age rating: The US Xbox and PlayStation stores rate the game Mature 17+ for intense violence, blood and gore, and strong language.
- Reviews and performance: Wait for coverage of the final release if frame rate, difficulty balance, or PC optimization will determine your purchase.
The bottom line
Valor Mortis has a clear launch pitch: a $39.99 first-person Soulslike in a plague-twisted Napoleonic Europe, from a studio already experienced with fast first-person combat. It is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with Ultimate and PC Game Pass access listed on Xbox.
The unusual perspective and historical-horror setting make it one of October’s more distinctive releases. Whether the combat remains readable and satisfying across a full campaign requires evaluation of the finished game, so this launch guide should not be mistaken for a review.
Valor Mortis is also included in our Xbox releases for October 12–16, alongside Planet Zoo 2, Deep Dish Dungeon, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, and other Game Pass launches.
Release details, pricing, subscription listings, features, and developer statements were checked against official Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam pages on October 13, 2026. Store availability and subscription access can change by time and region.
Leave a Reply