1348 Ex Voto’s Physical PS5 Release Announced — Here’s What Actually Matters

Why This Announcement Actually Caught My Eye

On paper, “publisher announces physical edition coming in 2026” isn’t headline material. But 1348 Ex Voto earned a double take because it’s marrying something we don’t see enough of: a grounded, plague-era journey through medieval Italy with combat explicitly inspired by Historical European Martial Arts. That combo screams “focused vision” rather than “another open-world potluck.” Add in Dear Villagers (the label behind ScourgeBringer, Edge of Eternity, and The Forgotten City) handling the digital side, and there’s reason to pay attention.

Key Takeaways

• Meridiem is publishing a physical PS5 edition in 2026; platforms beyond that haven’t been confirmed here.
• Combat is built around HEMA, suggesting readable, technique-focused duels over button-mashy crowd control.
• The setting-1348 Italy during the Black Death-leans toward tense, intimate storytelling rather than power fantasy.
• “Each level” wording points to a curated, level-based structure instead of another bloated map.

Breaking Down the Announcement

Here’s the pitch: you play Aeta, a young knight errant on a brutal quest to rescue her close friend Bianca after bandits raid her village on the eve of a convent departure. All that’s left is an ex voto-those small religious offerings that carry big promises—and a vow to bring Bianca back. The journey winds from the southern Apennines to the Tuscan countryside while the Pestilence turns every roadside encounter into a coin flip between danger and despair. Bandits, mercenaries, religious fanatics—classic 14th-century chaos.

Sedleo, a new Italy-based studio staffed by around 15 industry veterans, is building it; Dear Villagers is handling digital publishing; Meridiem is producing the physical edition on PS5 and will reveal the box treatment later. The fact that the announcement is specifically about a physical release tells you the team is planning ahead for preservation-minded players and collectors. In 2026, that matters.

The Real Story: HEMA-Inspired Duels in a Cinematic Adventure

“Combat inspired by Historical European Martial Arts” isn’t just flavor text. When games actually follow through—think the measured reads of Hellish Quart or the intent behind Kingdom Come’s clash of timing and distance—you get fights that feel tense and personal. You don’t win because your DPS number is bigger; you win because you managed your guard, cut angles, and capitalized on a mistake. Ex Voto says it’s using motion-captured actors trained in HEMA, which is promising if the animations prioritize clarity over flourish.

The catch: HEMA-forward design shines in duels, but it can buckle under crowd scenarios if the systems aren’t built to handle multiple attackers without devolving into animation prisons. That’s the line Ex Voto will need to walk. If the campaign is structured around one-on-one (or one-on-two) encounters with smart AI, parry windows you can actually read, and a stamina or initiative economy, this could sing. If it leans into cinematic combat without the mechanical backbone, it risks the “looks cool, plays muddy” trap we’ve all been burned by.

Level-Based Pilgrimage, Not Another Endless Map

The press language says “each level allows players to discover believable medieval settings.” That’s a tell. We’re likely not getting a sprawling Ubisoft map; we’re getting crafted chapters that move Aeta from place to place—villages in quarantine, roadside shrines, plague pits, hilltop monasteries. That’s more A Plague Tale than Assassin’s Creed, and honestly, with a 15-person team, it’s the right call. A tight, authored structure could let the story breathe while keeping the combat encounters intentional instead of filler.

Also, Italy in 1348 isn’t a backdrop we see often in third-person action adventures. We get Renaissance swagger via Assassin’s Creed II, sure, but the immediate Black Death years were rawer—political fracturing, mass flight from the countryside, and a church struggling to provide answers. If Sedleo uses that tension to put pressure on Aeta’s choices, there’s room for a mature, character-led arc rather than just another “save the world” sprint.

Why a Physical Edition Matters in 2026

Meridiem specializing in physical runs isn’t just nostalgia. We’ve watched games get patched into shape and then delisted, leaving players scrambling. A disc-based PS5 edition gives collectors and preservationists a baseline to hold onto. I’m curious whether Meridiem will go beyond a standard case—map inserts, developer commentary, or historical notes about HEMA and 14th-century Italy would fit the vibe perfectly—but that’s me spitballing. For now, the takeaway is simple: this story-first action game is getting a guaranteed physical slot on PlayStation.

What I’m Watching For Next

• Mechanical clarity: Are parries, binds, and counters legible in motion, or lost in cinematic camera cuts?
• Encounter design: Is the combat tuned for duels, and how does it scale to groups without becoming stun-lock city?
• Pacing: Do the level-based chapters keep the stakes rising without padding, especially across a full-length campaign?
• Platform scope: Physical PS5 is confirmed; will digital versions hit other platforms, and will performance targets be consistent?
• Tone: “Mature narrative” can mean a lot. Are we talking grounded human drama (A Plague Tale) or grimdark just for edge?

TL;DR

1348 Ex Voto is aiming for thoughtful, HEMA-driven duels and a plague-era rescue story across a curated, level-based trek through medieval Italy. Meridiem will ship a physical PS5 edition in 2026. If Sedleo nails readable combat and purposeful pacing, this could be the grounded action-adventure niche we don’t get often enough.