Ultrakill’s long-delayed layer ‘Fraud’ finally lands next week — but the exact date is still a tease

Why Fraud arriving next week actually matters for Ultrakill players

New Blood Interactive has confirmed that Ultrakill’s long-delayed eighth layer of Hell – Fraud – will drop next week, edging the hyper-violent retro FPS one step closer to a full 1.0. That might sound like a typical patch note, but Fraud isn’t just another set of rooms: it’s a stylistic pivot into non-Euclidean, funhouse-level design built around illusion, and the studio had to rewrite core AI and systems to make it work. For players, that means a fresh playground of weird geometry and physics-defying trickery to shred through – and one final layer, Treachery, left before the game exits early access.

• New Blood confirmed the next-week launch on Feb 21 via Twitter; the update will coincide with its Feb 23-Mar 2 anniversary sale, but the exact hour remains unannounced.
• Fraud debuted at the PC Gaming Show in June 2025 and was pushed from an initial 2025 target after a last-minute delay tied to enemy AI recoding and complex level tech.
• Expect illusion-focused levels (Hurtbreak Wonderland, enterable TVs, distorted city cylinders), teased new enemies, and mechanics built on the ULTRA_REVAMP codebase overhaul.

Breaking down what Fraud brings — and why New Blood had to pause

Fraud was first shown publicly during the PC Gaming Show on June 8, 2025, where New Blood leaned hard into non-Euclidean design: rooms that stretch, cylinder-shaped distorted cityscapes, giant manor areas with TVs you can walk into, and an opening level titled 8-1: Hurtbreak Wonderland. Those visuals are cool, but they’re also technically demanding for a fast-paced shooter that prizes world-collapsing movement and responsive enemy behaviors.

According to developer updates, the team undertook a major ULTRA_REVAMP in February 2025 to rework graphics, enemy behavior, and the underlying codebase specifically so Fraud’s physics-defying illusions would feel good in combat. The delay New Blood called a “minor last-minute delay” came down to recoding enemy AI and refining the non-linear level geometry so fights don’t break when rooms stretch or teleport players into weird spaces.

What this means for gameplay — excitement plus cautious optimism

On paper, Fraud sounds like Ultrakill at its best: creative level gimmicks layered onto an engine built for speed and brutality. Expect new enemies (teased but not fully detailed), weapon attachments and power-ups in the layer’s distinct art style, and tricks such as expanding rooms and endless hallways that can change combat flow mid-encounter. If it lands, Fraud will break the monotony of repeating architecture and keep speedrunners, modders, and level-hungry players invested.

That said, there’s a practical question: can non-Euclidean spaces coexist with Ultrakill’s breakneck movement and hit-detection without creating frustration? The ULTRA_REVAMP was explicitly to prevent those breakages, but previous delays and the complexity of Fraud’s designs mean we should be ready for a few rough edges on day one — and quick hotfixes after launch.

Why now — and why timing matters

New Blood’s decision to tie Fraud’s release window to its Feb 23-Mar 2 anniversary sale is smart marketing and practical: an influx of discount shoppers plus existing players checking patch notes guarantees coverage and stress-tests. It’s also the studio signaling that the end of early access is now a visible, near-term project: once Fraud lands, only Treachery (Layer 9) remains before a 1.0 milestone.

What to watch next

• Watch New Blood’s Twitter and the Ultrakill Steam page for the exact Fraud drop time and full patch notes during the Feb 23-Mar 2 sale window.
• Scan Steam forums and r/Ultrakill immediately post-launch for reports on frame-rate, hit-registration, and how illusion rooms affect speedrunning routes.
• Look for developer hints about Treachery after Fraud’s launch — that will be the real 1.0 countdown clock.

PC Gamer’s recent coverage and New Blood’s public posts line up: the delay was technical, the spectacle was real, and the launch is imminent. For fans this is a legitimate reason to check back in; for newcomers, the anniversary sale makes this a good opportunity to buy in and see whether Ultrakill’s last creative leaps hold up.

TL;DR

Ultrakill’s eighth layer, Fraud, is scheduled for release next week and will drop during New Blood’s Feb 23–Mar 2 anniversary sale. It promises surreal, non-Euclidean levels and new enemies after a last-minute delay caused by AI and level-design rewrites. If New Blood nailed the ULTRA_REVAMP changes, Fraud could be the creative jolt Ultrakill needs — but expect patches and speedrun shakeups in the days after launch.