Lords of the Fallen II locks in Gamescom 2025 reveal and 2026 launch — here’s what actually matters

Why this reveal actually matters

Lords of the Fallen II is set to be unveiled at Gamescom 2025’s Opening Night Live on August 19 (20:00 CEST / 2pm ET / 11am PT), aiming for a 2026 release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC with a timed Epic Games Store exclusive. That’s the headline. The real story is whether Hexworks can take the promising foundation of the 2023 reboot-gorgeous UE5 art, ruthless combat, that clever dual-realm fantasy-and fix the stuff that held it back at launch: performance, co-op friction, and encounter design that too often felt like mob gauntlets instead of fair tests.

• UE5 again powers the sequel, which usually means stunning art-and potential performance headaches if not handled with care.
• Shared co-op progression is the biggest design swing; if it works, it could redefine how soulslikes do co-op.
• PC lands as an Epic timed exclusive, a move that historically fragments communities and stirs pushback.
• 2026 window gives Hexworks time to optimize, but expectations will be high after the 2023 game hit 5.5M players post-patches.

Breaking down the announcement

CI Games confirms Hexworks is back on development duty with Unreal Engine 5, a current-gen-only target, and a setting more than a millennium after the first game’s events. That last bit is smart: it lets them keep the lore vibes without being shackled to specific beats, exactly what you want after a reboot. The headline feature is “shared co-op progression,” which, if they truly mean both players keep story and boss credit, addresses one of the genre’s most annoying quirks—helping a friend only to replay everything again on your own file. Make it seamless drop-in/drop-out, let both players bank rewards, and suddenly LOTF II becomes a co-op staple, not just a summons-afterthought.

The context Hexworks can’t ignore

The 2023 reboot was ambitious: dual realms you could pierce through, striking gothic art, and some nasty boss designs that looked the part. It also launched with inconsistent performance (especially on PC), co-op instability, and fights that leaned on swarmy ganks over clean, readable duels. The later 2.0 update improved a lot—frame pacing on PS5, stability, and balance—but first impressions matter in this space. In 2026, performance will be table stakes. That means 60fps modes with stable frame times on consoles, shader precompilation on PC, and smart use of DLSS/FSR/XeSS. If LOTF II repeats the “beautiful but stuttery” UE5 launch pattern we’ve seen elsewhere, it’ll get roasted.

There’s also the identity question. The genre’s in a fascinating spot: Elden Ring’s DLC pushed expectations through the roof; Lies of P proved precision-first combat can thrive; and AA studios keep grabbing attention with focused, stylish spins. Hexworks carved out a niche with realm-shifting exploration—if they evolve that idea instead of discarding it, we could get a sequel that feels distinct, not just “another soulslike with a different filter.”

Epic exclusivity: the awkward elephant

On PC, Lords of the Fallen II will hit the Epic Games Store first, with no day-one Steam. This will split the community—again. The practical issues aren’t just storefront loyalty; it’s social friction. Steam’s ecosystem (friends lists, forums, guides, Workshop) makes discovery, troubleshooting, and modding easy. EGS has improved, but it’s still not the same. If crossplay and cross-invite work flawlessly between PC and consoles, that softens the blow. If they don’t, expect louder grumbling and slower word of mouth.

What gamers should watch for at ONL

• Combat readability over spectacle: fewer “dogpile” encounters, cleaner boss telegraphs, tighter hitboxes.
• Co-op specifics: true shared story/boss credit, drop-in/drop-out, scaling, and whether invasions return or the focus is PvE.
• Technical receipts: performance targets, 60fps modes, ray tracing optional not mandatory, PC settings depth (motion blur, chromatic aberration, FSR/DLSS toggles).
• Accessibility: control remapping, colorblind filters, subtitle options, and visual clarity toggles. “More accessible visuals” needs to be more than marketing fluff.
• Post-launch plan: the 2023 game improved massively through updates—set expectations now for balance passes and endgame support.

Design bets that could pay off

The timeline jump (over 1,000 years) is a chance to refresh the best ideas. Evolve the dual-realm mechanic into more than just a key for secret doors—imagine combat stances that phase you into a realm for different parry windows or status effects, or puzzles that require real-time realm shifting under pressure. If shared co-op progression is real, build encounters with co-op in mind: complementary roles, aggro tools, and boss moves that split and rejoin partners. Soulslikes rarely embrace real co-op design; LOTF II could.

The gamer’s perspective: cautious optimism

This caught my attention because Hexworks showed flashes of brilliance last time, then stuck with the game long enough to fix a lot of it. That matters. But the bar in 2026 is unforgiving. If you’re coming back, you want three promises kept: better performance, fairer encounter design, and co-op that respects your time. Deliver those and the Epic exclusive grumbling turns into, “Fine, I’ll buy where it’s playable.” Miss them and the sequel becomes a footnote in an overcrowded genre.

TL;DR

Lords of the Fallen II hits Gamescom 2025 ONL with a 2026 launch window, UE5 visuals, and a bold shared co-op progression pitch. If Hexworks nails performance and embraces co-op-first design while avoiding swarmy encounters, this could be the soulslike that finally treats co-op as a feature, not a concession. If not, expect déjà vu.