I'm a huge fan of many "Soulslike" action RPGs that draw heavy inspiration from FromSoftware hits like Elden Ring and the Dark Souls series, though ultimately, I feel many of them lack the refinement and polish of the studio's work.

With that said, there are titles such as Lies of P and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty that compare, and notably, both of them are available on Xbox Game Pass. Another Game Pass Soulslike that quickly became a favorite of mine is the 2023 Lords of the Fallen reboot, and I've very much been looking forward to its sequel that was announced in 2024.

Lords of the Fallen 2 was originally scheduled to launch in 2026, but developer CI Games has just announced that it's delaying the dark fantasy ARPG into Q1 2027. Given how excited I am for the game, I was quite disappointed to see this at first, but after reading the studio's reasoning, I actually don't mind the extra wait at all.

"Lords of the Fallen II is now set for a Q1 2027 release window. As development progresses, we have worked closely with the Gameplay Feedback Team, a dedicated group of seasoned Souls-like veterans within our Launch Creative Team," writes CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski. "Their valuable ongoing input, combined with the team’s vision, has identified meaningful opportunities to further refine and strengthen the overall experience."

"These enhancements will benefit from additional integration, iteration, and polishing time, enabling the team to deliver the highest possible quality at launch," he added.

Tyminski then went on to note that moving the release date back also gives Lords of the Fallen some breathing room, as plenty of big games are set to come out on the tail end of 2026. One that will no doubt come to mind for pretty much everyone is GTA 6, which is expected to have a launch so massive that the entire industry is shifting release schedules around it.

"This updated release window also strategically positions Lords of the Fallen II outside of a highly competitive holiday period, ensuring the game receives the dedicated attention it deserves," he said.

He then promised fans that "The team remains fully energized by the strong response to our recent reveals and is deeply focused on delivering a standout dark fantasy action RPG and a worthy successor to the Lords of the Fallen franchise."

"We are grateful for the continued passion, feedback, and support from our community, and we look forward to sharing more updates in the coming months," Tyminski added.

So, ultimately, Lords of the Fallen 2 is being pushed back for continued gameplay refinements and to give it a better chance to perform well — both of which will hopefully result in a more enjoyable and successful experience. For that, I hardly mind waiting a few more months, though after seeing how good the game looks in trailers like the one I embedded above, I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish I could get my hands on it sooner.

What are your thoughts on how Lords of the Fallen 2 is looking? Let me know in the comments, and in our poll.

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Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. He's been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you'll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he's not writing or gaming, there's a good chance he's either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once. Follow him on X (Twitter).