Lords of the Fallen has launched update 1.6, which adds a “more refined” tutorial and further performance improvements and gameplay balancing.
Lords of the Fallen is a dark fantasy RPG released in 2023 as a sequel/reboot of the 2014 original. Taking inspiration from the Dark Souls games, it tells the story of fabled Dark Crusaders who must embark on an epic quest to overthrow Adyr, the demon God.
In our 8/10 Lords of the Fallen review, IGN said: "Lords of the Fallen is an awesome Soulslike with a fantastic dual-realities premise, even when performance shortcomings and wimpy bosses crash the party."
Developer Hexworks also added a “more exploration-friendly” Umbral realm with update 1.6, as well as enhancements to take advantage of the PS5 Pro, which comes out November 7. Patch notes are below.
Hexworks said Lords of the Fallen on PS5 Pro has a 40% increase in pixel density, with an enhanced Performance Mode running at 4K60 based on 1440p, and Quality Mode running at a native 4K30.
Here’s the official blurb:
With version 1.6, new Lords of the Fallen players are more empowered on their journey across Mournstead, with a series of changes during the early part of the game. These include a more gradual onboarding into the Umbral Lamp’s unique abilities, and improved navigation in the tutorial area.
As for the wider community, a highly-sought player request has been the ability to more thoroughly explore Umbral – the game’s secondary, darker realm that runs alongside its core world. While retaining its dark allure and tension, the changes – which include subtler soundscapes, an adjusted enemy spawn curve for improved pacing, and reduced vignette effect - all combine to better support exploration of the Umbral.
Rounding off the update is a raft of additional performance updates and further difficulty adjustments, including mob redistribution, adjusted ranged enemy perception, and improved platforming. Full patch notes are available to read.
Lords of the Fallen Update v.1.6.12 patch notes:
Gameplay Improvements
We’ve implemented further gameplay adjustments informed by community feedback and extensive playtesting. It’s rewarding to see our Steam ‘Recent Review’ score rising, reflecting the positive impact of these ongoing improvements, and we’re committed to continuing this journey with your valuable input.
Highlights include:
- Mob Density: Based on your feedback, we’ve fine-tuned certain mob encounters to create a smoother, more immersive combat experience by isolating instances to prevent mobs from stacking up. Returning players may find it worthwhile to start anew, as we’ve added a few fresh surprises along the way! (Original enemy distribution and density can still be accessed via NG+ modifiers.)
- Ranged Enemies: We’ve adjusted the perception of certain ranged units to correct instances that felt unfair or unrealistic.
- Jumping: Platforming in Pilgrim's Perch has been refined with improved indicators, making jumps clearer and navigation smoother.
- PvP Scaling: To elevate skill-based play in PvP, we’ve rebalanced scaling mechanics, particularly where magic-infused weapons and spells are concerned. These tweaks apply exclusively to PvP, so PvE players can continue with their current builds unaffected.
- Attack Displacement: Some weapon attacks have received slight adjustments to reduce displacement, providing a greater sense of control while preserving effectiveness and supporting your playstyle.
Enhanced Tutorialisation, Onboarding, and Start-Up Experience
We’ve taken steps to further enrich the onboarding experience for new players in Lords of the Fallen, building on feedback from our veteran Lampbearers. We want every new player to feel empowered on their journey, and we understand that some early tutorials may have presented a steep learning curve. Here’s what’s new:
- Improved Lighting in the Defiled Sepulchre: Enhanced lighting and visual adjustments make this initial tutorial area clearer and easier to navigate.
- Gradual Umbral Tutorialization: Core abilities like ‘soulflay’ and ‘syphoning’ now have dedicated tutorial spaces later in Redcopse, allowing new players to engage with each feature more gradually.
- Simplified First Jump Tutorial: We’ve refined the jump tutorial to be more accessible (hands up in the comments if you cleared it on the first attempt!).
- Lightreaper Boss Adjustment in NG0: To clarify the intentional design of this encounter, we’ve removed the Lightreaper boss fight from the tutorial area for NG0 players. Rest assured: the Lightreaper still lurks within Mournstead and will make a return as a surprise in NG+.
A More Immersive Umbral Realm for Explorers
Umbral, the parallel realm intertwined with the living world of Axiom, is accessible at any point in the game, offering an expansive world of alternate pathways, hidden treasures, and secrets. We know how much you enjoy exploring Mournstead, and many of you have asked for a more exploration-friendly Umbral realm. Embracing this idea, we’ve made some tweaks to enhance its immersive vibe while preserving its mysterious, challenging nature.
While Umbral remains intentionally hostile, we’ve made adjustments to its sounds, visuals, and enemy spawn curve. Now, the threads (Umbral natives) are slower to detect your presence, allowing you some precious time to explore before the realm’s haunting intensifies. Eventually, the Scarlet Shadow will appear, forcing you to decide: escape or engage in an epic showdown.
These changes make Umbral better suited for exploration while preserving its eerie intensity and challenging atmosphere:
- Dynamic Ambient Sound: Initial entry into Umbral is now accompanied by subtler soundscapes, building in intensity as you remain longer, reaching a crescendo before you must find an exit, or risk facing the Crimson Reaper.
- Adjusted Enemy Spawn Curve: Enemy appearances are now better paced to create a smoother, gradual build-up of tension.
- Increased Delay for Scarlet Shadow: You’ll now have more time to explore before the Scarlet Shadow emerges, enhancing the suspense.
- Reduced Vignette Effect: Based on player feedback, the vignette effect has been softened to improve visibility while exploring Umbral.
- Clearer Umbral Eggs: We’ve added a special VFX to eggs set to spawn Umbral natives, as we noticed some players had difficulty distinguishing between active and inactive ones.
These updates create a richer exploration experience within Umbral, preserving its dark allure and escalating tension for daring adventurers.
Performance Improvements
We’ve implemented additional performance enhancements across several of the game’s more graphically demanding areas, optimising the experience for players with lower-spec computers.
New Challengers Incoming!
With Lords of the Fallen now fully harnessing the power of the PS5 Pro, prepare for a fresh wave of cross-players venturing into Mournstead! Be sure to welcome them - whether with a warm salute in co-op or the cold edge of your blade in PvP.
Alongside ongoing support for Lords of the Fallen, Hexworks is working on a sequel due for release at some point in 2026. Publisher CI Games has said Lords of the Fallen 2 (for lack of an official name) will have a "more commercial" art style and narrative, suggesting it wants the game to have more mainstream appeal.
CI Games also promised gameplay improvements, more game mode options, and full "shared-progression" co-op alongside the "core" single-player campaign, all developed with "elevated production values" fueled by Unreal Engine 5.
The publisher confirmed it had received a "major investment" from Epic Games for PC exclusivity on the Epic Games Store, which means Lords of the Fallen 2 will not initially launch on Steam.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
