Lords of the Fallen II Gets a Massive Combat Overhaul as CI Games Borrows €28.6 Million to Finish It After Leaving Epic Exclusivity

CI Games has just dropped a new Lords of the Fallen II developer diary that outlines a major overhaul of the combat system even before the sequel's launch.

In the nearly hour-long conversation, Chief Creative Officer Ryan Hill and a few other developers discussed how CI Games meaningfully expanded the depth and diversity of all combat systems (melee, magic, and ranged) for the upcoming sequel, with a far greater focus on hybrid builds.

They also outlined some of the brand-new upgrades and abilities, including nearly 30 distinct weapon move sets, up from 15 in the 2023 game. Each weapon class includes unique maneuvers, such as repositioning strikes, infinite combo chains, and area-of-effect assaults. Some of the new weapon types include Scythes, Claws (with dedicated stance animations distinct from fists), Fists, and Katanas.

There's a lot more. Players can now switch from one-handed to two-handed stances on the fly, plus they can swap between two different melee setups mid-combo without breaking the flow of combat. Melee characters have way more strategic choices in Lords of the Fallen II, thanks to the more distinct weapon classes, clearer differences between one-handed and two-handed moves, fresh counterstrike attacks, and a bunch of boss weapons that come with their own unique signature moves.

Players can also equip two quickfire abilities for each melee loadout, letting them instantly access magic, ranged projectiles, and buffs right in the heat of battle without needing to change stances. That means you could throw a javelin mid-combo or re-buff your weapon in a flash.

Magic and ranged users will find dedicated stances that provide the same level of mobility as the default melee stance, and with easy button remapping available in ranged stances, spellcasters can have up to four spells ready to go with one catalyst and switch to another four spells with a second catalyst, all instantly castable and with chargeable options. Players can also refill their mana using the Sanguinarix without needing consumables this time, plus they can tap into seven different schools of magic. Ranged weapons also come with infinite base ammo in Lords of the Fallen II, and more powerful versions can be refilled at specific spots in the game world, making ranged builds more effective than ever for complete playthroughs. Lastly, fans can expect many more small enhancements, such as the ability to recover weapon upgrades for a small fee, which is meant to encourage players to experiment with different weapons as they progress.

Back in June, CI Games announced a delay from the original 2026 release window to Q1 2027. However, the new press release only mentions a vague 2027 target, so there's a decent chance it will slip further than the first quarter. We also recently learned a few interesting things: CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski (who previously made the controversial comment about the game's skimpy armor sets for female characters) confirmed on X that the overall budget for Lords of the Fallen II, including marketing, is less than €55 million. He also revealed the game is being made by 165 employees distributed across various European countries, though mostly in Spain.

Earlier this week, the publisher also secured a €28.6 million loan to fund the completion of Lords of the Fallen II. As you might recall, the game was supposed to be an Epic Games Store exclusive on PC, but CI Games decided to buy its way out of the deal and therefore had to take out a loan to finish development. On the plus side, it will be able to publish the game on Steam, and all of the proceeds will be its own.

As a reminder, the Unreal Engine 5-powered game will launch on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S and X, and Nintendo Switch 2.

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