“Put plainly, Stunlock Studios is working on a new game set in the beautiful, strange, and gothic world of V Rising. This will be our most ambitious project yet in our 15-year history of making games, and we can’t wait to begin this journey with you. The hunt for blood is about to evolve.”

While talking about the foundation of V Rising and how it was built “brick by brick” upon “years of work and decisions,” it can “also be limiting.” “Decisions made to lay those bricks in a certain way often make sense at the time, but they aren’t always perfect for ideas that emerge later.”

This new project is a different story. “We’ve been experimenting in ways we haven’t been able to for a very long time, exploring fresh ideas unbound by our previous limitations. With the foundation of knowledge we built alongside you, we’re able to craft a bolder vision for the future of our Vampire world. Right now, we’re set about creating the architecture that can support our new and wild ambitions, and one we think will be able to support yours as well.”

The project is currently in “very early development”, but it promises a “world of greater depth, danger, and mystery than ever before.” “The odyssey of the Vampire continues in an experience that feels both familiar and strikingly new. We take on this challenge with great respect for what it demands as we set out to build something extraordinary, and when the time comes, your feedback, as always, will help guide us as we refine and improve.” That last part seems to suggest that it will enter early access, just like V Rising did.

While fans may have to wait for a while to hear anything new (and “changes along the way” are pretty much a given), Stunlock says it will “emerge from the shadows now and then to share how things are progressing.”

What does that mean for V Rising? Unfortunately, Invaders of Oakveil is the last major content update, as the studio believes that “the journey to Dracula is a complete one as it stands.” However, the studio isn’t dropping support out of nowhere as it will still deploy balance changes and bug fixes where required. It will also poll the community on the State of the Game, but the current focus is on patching any “major or particularly impactful issue” with some small fixes thrown in.

Unfortunately, official modding support and tools aren’t on the cards. “After digging into it, we came to the conclusion that the game simply isn’t structured in a way that would allow us to provide mod tools at the standard we’d want for the community. The time spent exploring it wasn’t wasted, however, and what we learned will prove valuable for our future schemes and our new focus.”

V Rising is currently available for PS5 and PC. It sold over five million units as of January 2025.

Alongside the new zone, boss fight, and enemies, Update 1.1 adds three weapons, seven spells and various new features. These include idle actions for units and dynamic clouds (which can affect boss fights depending on the time of day). Players can also fight each other in Contests by creating a Dueling Banner for 1v1 fights or creating an Arena for teams to duke it out.

The Castle also receives several new stations like Stables for feeding and housing horses. Then there’s the Blood Homogenizer for combining two blood types and gaining benefits and the Fusion Forge for fusing Reforged or Shattered Ancestral Weapons.

Check out some of the patch notes below and full details here. V Rising is available for PC and PS5 and has sold over five million units.

V Rising Update 1.1: Invaders of Oakveil

Patch Notes

World Updates

New Biome – Oakveil Woodlands

Paths to the northwest sink into the overgrowth, swallowed by the dangerous and untamed wilds of the Oakveil Woodlands. A land gone untouched for centuries, unbeknownst to the people of Vardoran, it has been harboring a dangerous secret. On its northernmost shores, an invading enemy has landed and begun preparations to serve a dark purpose. Under the commanding glare of their Serpent Queen, Megara, the Venom Blades perform secret rituals to corrupt the land and harvest precious Venom Sap from the corrupted nature.

They cannot be allowed to gather their full strength, lest they threaten to consume all of Vardoran, and you with it. Go forth, Vampire, and show them who Vardoran truly belongs to.

• New Location – Carvers Logging Outpost
• New Location – Venom Mixing Outpost
• New Location – Venom Blades Bastion
• New Location – Oakveil Shoreline

Venom Blades

New enemy faction ‘Venom Blades’ have been added to the game.

The Venom Blades come from parts unknown, obsessed with carrying out the will of their Serpent Queen Megara, to whom their loyalty is absolute. At her command, they carve dark ritual symbols in the trees, weeping the magically altered dark venom sap from the living bark and collecting it for their arcane purposes.

Farbane Woods

A cave exit has been added, allowing players to fast travel here from Oakveil Woodlands.

Silverlight Hills

Two connecting pathways have been built to bridge the northern parts of Silverlight Hills with Oakveil Woodlands.

Dunley Farmlands

New Location – List Field

In the northwestern parts of the biome, a new road has been established, connecting Dunley to Gloomrot North.

Gloomrot

Two connecting roads have been built to bridge Gloomrot North with Oakveil Woodlands.

Idle interactions

Units now perform additional types of actions while idle. These actions include units leaning against walls, working in the fields, sitting by campfires, and more.

Dynamic Clouds

• Clouds have been slightly reworked to allow for different kinds of density in different areas.
• Some boss arenas now have denser dynamic clouds, making it easier to fight these enemies during daytime. This includes the following V Bloods:
• Grayson the Armourer
• Finn the Fisherman
• Quincey the Bandit King
• Sir Erwin the Gallant Cavalier (New)
• Terah the Geomancer
• Gaius the Cursed Champion (New)
• Octavian the Militia Captain
• Angram the Purifier
• Mairwyn the Elementalist
• Stavros the Carver (New)
• Talzur the Winged Horror
• Megara the Serpent Queen (New)

Contests

• This update brings a new way to play PvP called ‘Contests’.
• There are two ways to play contests: either you craft and place a Dueling Banner for one vs one combat, or you can build an Arena in your castle using the new Arena feature for team combat.
• Contests are available in both PvP and PvE.

Dueling Banner

A new item that, when placed, allows other players to accept a duel with the owner of the banner. Both duelists will be restored to their initial health when the duel is over.

Arena Station

Allows for a more advanced PvP setup, including teams, combat area setup, adjustments to sudden death settings, and more.

Castle Updates

New Stations

Stables

A place where your horses can feel truly at home in your castle. Not only do they feel at home, but you can feed your horses to allow them to reach peak performance. You can also unlock new Perks for your most special four-legged friends.

Horses and Mounts

With the introduction of the Stable, players can now park their horses to automatically feed them with plant fibers at no cost. Adding flowers to the mix allows horses to permanently increase their stats. Once a horse is converted into a Vampire Horse, the Stable can also be used to unlock perks, enhancing its overall utility.

Improved the mechanics for mounting, dismounting, and recalling your horse

• Horses may now be randomized with Max speed between 7.5-9.5 (increased from 7.0-9.0).
• Horses may now be randomized with acceleration speed between 3.5-6 (increased from 3.0-5.0).
• Vampire horse health has been reduced by 50% (from 400 to 200).
• Non-vampire horses can now be revived by players when downed.

Redistribution Engine

Doctor Henry Blackbrew’s second finest creation! This complicated piece of machinery is used to transfer items from one station directly to another.

Blood Homogenizer

This wondrous machine allows you to blend two blood types, gaining bonuses from both. Ever wanted to combine the speed of rogue blood and the prowess of warrior blood? Now you can.

Fusion Forge

• The Fusion Forge is a new station in your castle, unlocked by defeating Dantos the Forgebringer. It allows you to fuse Reforged or Shattered Ancestral Weapons, allowing you to extract the best attributes of both weapons into a single one.
• The same process can be done with Jewels, fusing two jewels of the same type into one, allowing you to extract and combine the effects you want.

Treasury

With the Treasury flooring, you can now build your own Treasury. Any container placed within the Treasury becomes part of the territory inventory. This allows crafting stations, castle building, and player inventory crafting to automatically pull materials from the territory inventory without the need to manually retrieve resources from containers.

The indie studio recently announced over 5 million units sold worldwide, up from 4 million units sold as of last April, so clearly, it has maintained steady momentum. Doubtless, the game’s extensive post-launch support will also have contributed to its enduring success. And according to Stunlock Studios CEO Rickard Frisegård, there’s more still on the horizon.

“Hitting 5 million sales isn’t just a number, it’s a testament to the passion and dedication of our team and our incredible community,” Frisegård said in a press release. “Our player’s enthusiasm drives us to push boundaries and deliver even more unforgettable experiences. We’re excited to build on this success and deliver thrilling new experiences and content in 2025.”

As per Stunlock, V Rising’s next major update will add a new biome, new faction, revamped progression, additional PvP options, customizable castle arenas, and more.

V Rising is currently available only on PC and PS5.

V Rising had a five-year development cycle, entering early access in 2022. With the launch of Version 1.0, the title received a new end-game zone in the Ruins of Mortium, fresh discoveries and bosses, and three new difficulty options. The title will also go on sale from September 12th to 24th, with cosmetic DLCs discounted by 20 percent, for those sticking around after the free weekend ends.

As of April 2024, V Rising has sold four million copies and launched for PS5 on June 11th. Regarding the future, the developer teased some announcements for this Fall. It hasn’t outlined the future post-Version 1.0’s launch, though there have been several hotfixes to fix lingering bugs and other issues. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

Earlier this year, developer Stunlock Games announced that V Rising would be launching for PS5 sometime this year, and the developer has now revealed a specific date for the port. The survival action RPG will launch for Sony’s console on June 11, under a month from now. Stunlock Games has also confirmed that those who pre-order the game will be able to access it five days ahead of time.

Additionally, the recently released and acclaimed Castlevania crossover DLC, Legacy of Castlevania, is also available for pre-order on PS5. Check out the trailer below for a glimpse of the port in action.

As part of the 1.0 release, players can tackle new bosses, participate in new dynamic events (like cargo travellers carrying loot), discover new things in the Farbane Woods and enter a new end-game zone, the Ruins of Mortium, where you gain new materials and unlock even greater power. Players will encounter the Legion of Noctum and even take on Dracula himself.

Of course, for those jumping in for the first time, there are three difficulties to choose from – Relaxed, Standard and Brutal. V Rising has sold four million copies as of April and is also coming to PS5 later this year. Stay tuned for a console release date in the coming months.

Set in a medieval fantasy-style world, V Rising places you in the role of a vampire who must survive in a world with humans. The sun also poses a threat, so between navigating environments in the shadows and waiting till nightfall, you build a castle to serve as a base. It’s not long before you’re sniffed out and must take down various hunters and other supernatural threats.

The 1.0 release of V Rising will sport several new features, including cargo travellers, world improvements, difficulty options, a new end-game zone in the Ruins of Mortium, and a confrontation with Dracula. It’s also hosting a collaboration with Castlevania, which adds Simon Belmont as a boss fight. In the meantime, stay tuned for details on the PS5 version and its release date.

Some new gameplay is available, showcasing the various enemies and bosses players will face. Though it doesn’t explain the unique parts of Mortium, the official website describes the area as rife with dynamic conflict events. By defeating the Noctum and clearing Rifts, players can “exclusive” resources, perhaps to craft new, more powerful weapons and armor.

V Rising launches on May 8th for PC and is coming later this year to PS5. Other features in the launch update include new points of interest in Farbane Woods, traveling humans with precious cargo, three difficulty options, improved magic, new weapons and armor, and much more.

The new gameplay trailer for V Rising – Legacy of Castlevania shows off some of the new building options players will have available for their castles. Visually, the castle’s theme seems to be based on classic Metroidvania Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The trailer also features an orchestral rendition of the iconic Vampire Killer theme from the original Castlevania.

In terms of gameplay content, the trailer showcases a fight between the player’s vampire and Castlevania protagonist Simon Belmont, who can make use of all of the special abilities he gets throughout early the Castlevania games.

V Rising – Legacy of Castlevania was announced back in March, and is slated for release on May 8, which happens to coincide with the date of V Rising leaving Early Access.

Originally released in early access back in 2022, V Rising puts players in the shoes of vampires that aim to reclaim a kingdom that has since been lost to them. Along the way, players will have to build their very own castles, and take on increasingly challenging enemies to get better equipment and the potential for more powerful abilities.

The studio had announced V Rising‘s exit from early access back in March, alongside a collaboration with Konami to bring Castlevania-themed content to the game. The collaboration, dubbed Legacy of Castlevania, will be released on the same day as the game’s exit from early access on May 8, and will see players take on Simon Belmont in a boss fight.

The studio has also revealed earlier this week that, from today onwards, the game will be getting a price hike, rising from its original price tag of $19.99, to now costing $34.99.