Today at Gamescom Opening Night Live’s pre-show, the developer of Ghostrunner revealed a new game, Valor Mortis. It’s a single-player, first-person soulslike taking place in an alt-history Eastern Europe during a fictionalized version of Napoleon’s invasion.
In Valor Mortis, you play as William, a French soldier who died in battle, and who has mysteriously come back with the power to control a corrupting, plague-like substance called the Nephtoglobin. The Nephtoglobin has corrupted his former comrades-in-arms, but William can use it to fight against Napoleon and his army to reclaim his home.
Valor Mortis looks plenty gory and gruesome, with all sorts of body horror going on as enemies turn into increasingly messed up zombie things from the effects of the Nephtoglobin. In turn, finding more of that substance appears to enhance your own abilities, letting you do things like shoot fire out of your hands.
Valor Mortis is planned for a 2026 launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series consoles. A closed playtest will be held in the coming weeks, and you can sign up for it on the official website.
You can catch up on everything announced at Gamescom ONL right here.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
