While 2025 did give us the much-awaited DLC for Lies of P, a mechanically solid offering in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, and a true test of perseverance and skill with Clair Obscur’s Thank You update, the genre spent a relatively quiet year for the most part. However, that’s about the change with a bunch of new titles designed to invoke a lot of clenched jaws and aching fingers on the way.

Join us as we take a look at some of the brand-new Soulslikes coming your way in 2026 and beyond!

1. Code Vein 2

The sequel to 2019’s Code Vein is all set to build on what made its predecessor a title worthy of the genre, expanding on its size, scope, and ambition to present an experience that’s sure to have you glued to your screens.

With a new story and a new set of party members to engage with, along with a world that’s going to be significantly larger for you to explore, this one is shaping up to be quite the sequel. We’re expecting it to be among the more approachable ones on this list if you’re thinking about dipping your toes into the deep waters that come with the Soulslike genre.

2. Lords of the Fallen 2

We’re quite eager to step into this dark world again, and with good reason. Its trailers are looking really good, and showcase a gameplay loop that’s every bit as immersive and punishing as its predecessor. The new boss designs are a highlight, as are the new levels, with the Axial and Umbral worlds presenting us with stunning vistas to behold.

If the sequel is anything like the previous game, this one is going to be a love letter to those of you who like to learn from their mistakes and come back stronger after every defeat.

3. Nioh 3

A true sequel in the popular franchise is only days away at the time of writing this list, and it’s bringing a whole lot of new additions to the table. There’s a new protagonist who’s poised to travel across time to influence the fate of Japan in the wake of their brother’s betrayal. The mechanics that you know and love are also coming back to the new game, albeit with a twist.

They are now part of the Samurai playstyle, which is to be joined by the Ninja playstyle that forgoes the Ki Pulse mechanic that’s been a staple of the franchise so far in favor of some cool weapons and moves. It’s a great balance between the old and new for a franchise that’s known to push its players past their limits and send them right back to the last save point quite often.

4. Mistfall Hunter

This PvPvE extraction RPG has everything you’d expect from a Soulslike, along with the added allure of bringing a new gameplay loop into the mix. There are fantasy-inspired levels, enemies, and bosses, along with a variety of weapons and spells for your character, the Gyldhunter, to use against their foes.

With smooth animations, tight windows for your parries and dodges, and your success purely reliant on your skills in the field, this one is sure to have you playing on the edge of your seat when it releases later this year.

5. Phantom Blade Zero

While the game’s director has insisted that it isn’t a Souls-like title, there are enough similarities to the genre for it to earn a spot on this list. Its slick, wuxia-based combat and traversal mechanics are a sight to behold, while its enemies pack quite a punch in a story that gives you 66 days to uncover a conspiracy surrounding your character.

While it’s probably going to be approachable on lower difficulties, everything we’ve seen about this one is evidence that putting it on the hardest possible level of challenge is going to have you in desperate battles for survival, thanks to combat mechanics and enemy designs that are geared to dish out as much punishment as they receive.

6. Valor Mortis

This is an interesting one. Set in an alternate version of 19th-century Europe where Napoleon’s military ambitions have resulted in a world gone horribly wrong, you step into the shoes of William, an English soldier who’s been resurrected and forced to fend off undead hordes with his own comrades among their ranks.

That sets the stage for an excellent first-person Soulslike where you use your cutlass, flintlock pistol, and a host of magical spells to strike, slash, dodge, and parry your way through an adventure full of mystery and conspiracy. We’ve definitely got our eyes on this one and will be diving in when it releases later this year.

7. The Relic: First Guardian

This dark action-RPG has a lot of interesting twists to the traditional Soulslike formula. For starters, your attacks don’t consume stamina, and all your skills work off of cooldowns as opposed to mana or other resources. Second, every weapon or piece of gear you find is unique, which is another feather in its cap.

But the story is probably going to be a highlight of the experience with your character, the Keeper, exploring the remnants of a past civilization that has faded out of existence. Memories of lives long past are going to be a key focus of your experience, and it’s quite a poignant narrative from what we’ve seen so far. This one drops in May this year, and we’re expecting it to be a title that haunts us long after we complete it.

8. Fatekeeper

A protagonist with a talking rat stowed away in his backpack, exploring a fantasy world that’s designed to catch your attention, is something that’s sure to appeal to any Soulslike fan. That’s exactly what Fatekeeper is bringing to the table, with visuals and a gameplay loop that could have you losing track of the many hours you’re going to spend exploring its world.

The game’s demo showcases many familiar mechanics and a combat system that’s seemingly easy to learn but is probably significantly harder to master. It’s entering Early Access on Steam later this year, with a console version confirmed to come along sometime after that.

9. Beast of Reincarnation

Game Freak’s attempt to break away from Pokémon looks like a solid effort to bring a dystopian Japan to life. From horrifying mutants to gigantic robots, your character and her pet dog are going to have their work cut out for them as they set out to heal the land from the effects of a mysterious blight and take down the creature that has caused it.

The visuals are definitely impressive, while the combat has been compared to Sekiro, which is always good news for a game that aims this high. It’s coming out later this year and is certainly looking like it could be worth your time and money.

10. The Duskbloods

Hidetaka Miyazaki is back again with a new project, although this one’s a Switch 2 exclusive. You get to pick from a lineup of Duskbloods, characters with vampiric abilities, and you will be thrust into a dark fantasy world with both PvP and PvE elements.

While the director has been typically cagey about the details, we know that each Bloodsworn comes with unique weapons, gear, and abilities, and must fight against beings that have left their humanity behind in the pursuit of a mysterious power across time and space. That’s more than enough to pique our curiosity, and our Switch 2 is probably going to be quite busy when this one releases sometime this year.

11. Lies of P 2

Neowiz is hard at work on a sequel to its runaway hit, but details are scarce about when it’s going to release. However, the studio has been quite open about how it has been enjoying the process of creating a sequel, and there have been hints at a more expansive, less linear world for P (or Carlos, if you will) to explore.

Of course, the cliffhanger at the end of the first game has us expecting characters from another popular childhood story to make an appearance, and curious to know more about how they could fit into Krat’s grim world in the process. We could hear more about this one over the course of the year, and maybe even play it this year or in 2027.

12. Knights Path

Set in the Roman Empire and placing you in the shoes of Alryk, a disgraced noble out to restore his name, this one is sure to delight those among you who prefer a more methodical approach to combat. You’re going to want to take your time mastering its mechanics, as it’s designed around each move you make being intentional, which is always a good thing in a Soulslike.

Your character arc is going to be woven into how well you manage to take down your enemies, and with a story that lets you choose a path between honor and acting in your own self-interest, this is a game to watch out for, although there’s no release date yet.

13. Shadows of The Lost

Lies of P has demonstrated that it’s always nice to have a Soulslike with a story, and this dark fantasy title with mythological elements woven into its world is a great showcase of that. Or it’s going to be when it eventually releases, either in 2026 or 2027.

Aside from the story, its focus on momentum-based combat, where the game rewards you for skillful play, is definitely something we’re eager to check out. We think that this one could be a Soulslike game for the ages, just as it seemingly aims to be.

14. LUOYANG

This single-player action-RPG might be a long time away from its final release, but with the success of other Chinese Soulslikes and action-RPGs with settings in Chinese history, LUOYANG is looking like a sublime blend of everything good about the titles that inspired it.

Its combat is definitely up there with the genre’s best, while its worldbuilding and enemy designs have us quite enthusiastic to see more of the game in action. Sadly, there’s no release date as of now, and we might have a long wait ahead of us before this one is available to play.

15. Spark in the Dark

This dungeon crawler brings a lot of reasons to be curious about it. For starters, you have five hero classes, each bringing unique value propositions to its combat loop. You have a ton of enemies to try them out on, with an Abyss that’s seemingly endless and just waiting to be explored. What could go wrong?

Throw in procedurally generated gear and the fact that you’re going to have to take care of your equipment once you’re done with your fights, and you have the recipe for a game that could translate to many hours of intense entertainment. What’s more, it comes out this March, which means we don’t have to wait too long before we’re exploring the dark, endless dungeon alongside you.

“Our goal is to consistently introduce successful IP that fans will continue to support and look forward to over the long haul, even five or ten years down the line,” said Kim when asked about the studio’s plans to diversify its offerings. “Currently, we are internally developing more than five new PC and console titles, while also focusing on discovering global IP through collaborations with Western studios such as Zakazane and Wolfeye. We plan to continue investing in strong partners worldwide as we move forward.”

“Our lineup of third-party indie titles, many of them developed by talented local Korean teams, is also worth highlighting. In particular, Shape of Dreams and SANABI recently achieved both critical and commercial success.”

When the subject of the various unannounced projects in the works at NEOWIZ came up, Kim noted that this doesn’t mean that Lies of P will be left behind. Rather, he said that, alongside catering to its existing audience, the studio also wants to bring in more fans by diving into other genres.

“We don’t set out to pursue a wide range of genres as a matter of strategic direction; rather, we’re circumspect about what we currently have and opportunistic about what we could execute well,” he said. “Of course, the Lies of P franchise will need to be continued. That’s a given. But in general, our development cycle does not begin with a particular genre. Instead, it starts with the creative vision of our directors. We tend not to begin development by fixating on a play style or game concept first.”

NEOWIZ’s plans for more releases came to light in November 2025 thanks to the studio’s investor presentation. At the time, there were four titles listed as being under development. Two of these—a mobile game dubbed Cats & Soup: Magic Recipe and PC game Kill the Shadow—are set for release in the first half of the year. The other two—Goodbye Seoul: Itaewon and Kingdom 2—are planned for the second half of 2026, and will be coming to PC and mobile respectively.

The presentation also noted plans for phase 2, where it would expand on its IPs. Part of this includes a sequel to Lies of P, as well as a “survival action adventure” project, and a “life simulation” project. All of these phase 2 projects are developed in-house. The company also plans to collaborate with other developers from across the world to help discover new IP. For example, with the western studios Kim mentioned above—Zakazane and Wolfeye—it is working on projects that have been described as a “noir west CRPG” and a “retro sci-fi first-person RPG” respectively.

While NEOWIZ hasn’t revealed many details about Lies of P 2 yet, Kim has spoken about the fact that the development team at Round8 has been “excited about their work and fully focused on development.”

For more details about Lies of P, which is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, check out our review. Also check out our review of its expansion—Overture.

“At this point, there is nothing specific we can share in detail,” he told Game Informer. “I can tell you that the team at Round8 Studio is excited about their work and fully focused on development.

“With the Lies of P DLC receiving further recognition through its various award wins and director Choi Ji-Won expressing strong confidence in the studio’s next project, we hope fans will continue to look forward to what’s ahead as much as we are.”

After Ji-Won said last year that the sequel would deliver “the most fun that we can achieve within the game,” and that he “will not disappoint you at all,” it’s difficult not to get hyped. Thus far, all we really know is that it could run on Unreal Engine 5, according to a job listing from January 2024.

As for Overture, Kim said that he was “grateful” about the response from fans worldwide. “It was a watershed moment, adding clear insight into the importance and potential of NEOWIZ’s franchise-driven IP strategy, while also practising what it takes operationally to deliver solid results in the global market.

“For Round8 Studio, the success of Overture was especially validating, as it clearly demonstrated the competitiveness of the Lies of P IP on the worldwide stage, while recognizing the creativity, dedication, and ambition shown by the entire development team.”

Lies of P and Overture have collectively sold three million copies as of June 2025, but the Souls-like surpassed seven million players back in March 2024, owing to its availability on Game Pass since launch. You can check out our review of the expansion here. Hearing about the positive response to it from Kim is interesting, especially considering complaints about the difficulty when Overture first released.

Aside from Lies of P 2, NEOWIZ is also publishing the next games from Weird West developer Wolfeye Studios and Poland-based Zakazane Studio. The former is working on a retro sci-fi RPG in first-person, while the latter has a noir western mystery CRPG in the works.

While expressing excitement about the DLC having won the award, Ji-won noted that the studio is making sure that it is trying to maximise the amount of fun players can experience in the sequel. He also went on to note that he has no plans to disappoint the Lies of P fan base at large.

“You can expect the most fun that we can achieve within the game,” he said before going on to tell fans that they should “please stay tuned for it; we are working really hard, and I will not disappoint you at all.”

NEOWIZ had confirmed that it has been working on a sequel to Lies of P quite some time ago – back in November 2023 – with Ji-won also having announced the DLC that would eventually be released as Overture. Since then, however, the studio hasn’t revealed any more details about the highly-anticipated sequel.

Most recently, an investor presentation by NEOWIZ indicated that the company had quite a few projects in the works, both as a developer and as a publisher. One of the slides in the presentation confirmed that it will be releasing four titles throughout FY 2026, with Cats & Soup: Magic Recipe (mobile) and Kill the Shadow (PC) set for the first half of the year, and Goodbye Seoul: Itaewon (PC) and Kingdom 2 (mobile) set for the second half.

While these titles will mark phase 1 of the company’s plans of focusing on live service releases across mobile and PC, the company also has phase 2 plans already set in place that revolve around “expansion of global IPs”. While no release windows for games part of phase 2 have been confirmed so far, NEOWIZ did reveal that it is also working on a game described as a “survival action adventure” project, as well as another game described as a “life simulation” project.

These two projects, along with two others headed up by Seungho Jin and Kay Lee, are being developed in-house and are targetting PC and consoles as their platforms of choice. The company is also working on publishing a “retro sci-fi first-person RPG” being developed by Wolfeye Studios, as well as a “noir west CRPG” developed by Zakazane Studio.

Back in November 2024, NEOWIZ had also confirmed that it was working on a science fiction survival horror game being made with Unreal Engine 5. The title is likely the “survival action adventure” project listed in the investor presentation.

In the meantime, Lies of P and its Overture DLC are available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. For more details, check out our reviews of the base game as well as the DLC.

Elden Ring: Nightreign

“New” might sound like a misnomer for Nightreign, a spin-off of FromSoftware’s massive open-world action RPG into a co-op experience. Nevertheless, it’s something truly unprecedented from the studio – one or three players survive through multiple days, nights and bosses (including some from Dark Souls) to take on the Night Lord. Select a class, scope out areas with valuable loot, face the night, and try to survive. It’s out later this year for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and PC, and we’re intrigued to see how it fares.

Director Jiwon Choi didn’t provide an ETA for the same, but he did share some new artwork in a recent Director’s Letter, showcasing the protagonist and a lighthouse off in the distance. There’s also a new track, “Lisrim,” an emotional piece with a violin and accordion as the centerpieces. Both media are likely from the upcoming DLC, though Choi didn’t confirm as such.

He did say that the team is aiming “to do better than what we did well and improve in areas we have room to grow” with the DLC and sequel. After musing how time seems to fly when working on an anticipated game, Choi said, “We will get back to work for now. When we return, we hope to turn your anticipation into delight.”

Lies of P is available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC. Check out our review here. You can also look at the first two pieces of artwork for the DLC, which may involve the Titanic.

As per a job listing published on Neowiz’ official website (via @IdleSloth84_ on Twitter), Lies of P 2 (or whatever it ends up being called), will be developed on Unreal Engine 5. The listing, which is for a development planner on the sequel, claims the game will “provide top-notch graphics, in-depth level design, and an intense action experience.”

The original Lies of P was built on Unreal Engine 4, and was quite an impressive looking game, so the developer’s decision to jump to the next iteration of the engine for the sequel’s production might not necessarily be a surprising one.

The sequel is, of course, likely quite a ways off yet, but with Neowiz also working on DLC for the first game, fans have plenty to look forward to nonetheless.

Lies of P is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Read our review of the game through here.

“Our highest priority is developing the DLC and working on our sequel,” Choi said. “The dev team is putting in significant effort, brainstorming, and exploring different aspects of the projects.”

Though there had been prior indications of DLC being in development, there had been no previous word of Neowiz also planning a sequel for Lies of P, so to see those plans now being confirmed in such casual fashion is a surprise (but definitely a pleasant one), especially since the first game itself launched just a few weeks ago.

Then again, looking at the success Lies of P has enjoyed already, it makes sense that Neowiz is looking to continue working on the IP. Not only has the Soulslike action RPG received plenty of acclaim from critics and players alike, it has also been a commercial hit, having sold over 1 million units in September, in spite of also being available on Game Pass.

In our review of Lies of P, we awarded it a score of 9/10, saying, “Lies of P is a fantastic addition to the Soulslike genre, with its own clever ideas about how weapons and special abilities work, and its wonderful setting.” Read the full review through here.

Lies of P is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.