CI Games Details Combat Upgrades Including Seamless Weapon Switching, New Counters, Quick Cast Mechanics, and Expanded Magic System
Independent game developer CI Games recently released the latest episode of its developer series "Lifting the Veil" for the upcoming Souls-like action RPG Lords of the Fallen II, detailing significant upgrades to the game's combat system.
These combat system improvements draw heavily on player feedback from Lords of the Fallen (2023) and reflect the studio's community-oriented development philosophy. Led by Chief Creative Officer Ryan Hill, the development team detailed numerous upgrades and new abilities, including nearly 30 completely different weapon action sets (up from 15 in the previous title). Each weapon type features unique attack animations, including area attacks, breakaway attacks, and infinite combos, offering players richer tactical options.
In the upcoming sequel, CI Games has significantly expanded the depth and diversity of melee, magic, and ranged combat systems, further enhancing support for varied builds. The aim is to encourage players to constantly try different combat styles and enjoy the fun of exploring and combining various combat methods.
CI Games Chief Creative Officer Ryan Hill stated:
"We want players to adapt to the situation, choosing the right weapons and abilities from a rich arsenal at any time. Whether through quick-casting projectiles or switching weapons mid-combo, players will have ample choices to tear enemies apart in various ways. And we still have more to reveal..."
Joining Ryan Hill in this episode were Lead Combat Designer Mike Vermeulen, along with two members of the Launch Creative team: prominent Souls-like and RPG content creators Travis “Pastorgainz” Hughlett and Chandler Huddleston.
Launch Creative Team members are recruited directly from the Souls-like player community, with one of the selection criteria being at least 1,000 hours of experience in Souls-like games. These members have fully integrated into the game development process, working closely with the development team every day to evaluate and optimize content across combat, exploration, narrative, and character progression.
Episode 11 of "Lifting the Veil," themed "Steel & Sorcery," showcases multiple game improvements made possible by additional development time. Currently, Lords of the Fallen 2 is progressing steadily toward its global release target in Q1 2027.
This episode features the most comprehensive showcase of new gameplay to date, presenting a wider variety of weapons, more expressive and aggressive combat styles, and comprehensive upgrades to magic and ranged combat systems through extensive first-ever revealed footage. CI Games also released a separate new combat gameplay highlight reel on its official Bilibili account.
Key highlights from the latest episode of "Lifting the Veil" include:
1. Seamless Weapon Switching During Combos
Players can start an attack with dual daggers and finish with a scythe. In addition to instant switching between one-handed and two-handed stances, players can now seamlessly switch between two different melee weapon loadouts during combos without interrupting the flow of battle.
2. New Combat Abilities
Melee players will have more tactical options than ever before, including a significantly increased number of distinct weapon categories, more differentiated one-handed and two-handed attack moves, new counter-attack moves, and numerous boss weapons with unique signature attacks.
3. New Quick Cast Mechanic
Players can now configure two quick-cast abilities for each melee weapon loadout, allowing characters to instantly use spells, ranged projectiles, or buffs during intense combat without switching stances.
For example, players can throw a javelin during a combo or instantly reapply buffs to their weapon.
4. Exclusive Stances for Magic and Ranged Combat
Magic and ranged combat now have their own exclusive stances, offering mobility capabilities on par with the default melee stance.
5. Instant Casting
In ranged combat stance, players can use intuitive button remapping to equip up to four spells on a single catalyst; additionally, players can equip a second catalyst to seamlessly switch between another set of four spells. All spells can be cast instantly, with some supporting charged releases.
Additionally, players can now restore mana using Blood Crosses, eliminating the need to rely on consumables. The game will also feature seven schools of magic, further expanding the diversity of the magic system.
6. Enhanced Ranged Build
Ranged weapons now have unlimited basic ammunition, while more powerful special ammo can be replenished at specific locations throughout the game world. This change makes ranged builds more viable than ever, allowing players to complete the entire game focusing on ranged combat.
7. Gameplay Experience Optimizations
In addition to major upgrades to the core combat system, the game includes numerous detail optimizations to further improve the combat experience.
This includes allowing players to pay a small fee to recover resources previously invested in weapon upgrades, encouraging players to continue experimenting with different weapons in the late game.
Lords of the Fallen 2 Scheduled for Q1 2027 Release, Wishlists Now Open
Lords of the Fallen 2 is scheduled for global release in Q1 2027. Players can now add the game to their wishlists on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, as well as on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Meanwhile, Lords of the Fallen has officially launched Chinese community accounts on Bilibili, Heybox, and Douyin to strengthen engagement with Chinese players. In a recent greeting video for Chinese players, CI Games Chief Creative Officer Ryan Hill expressed thanks and greetings to the Chinese community, confirming that Lords of the Fallen 2 will not only offer Simplified Chinese localization but also include Chinese voice acting.
Players can follow the latest development progress and official announcements for the game via the official Lords of the Fallen accounts on Bilibili, Heybox, and Douyin. More game information is also available on the official Lords of the Fallen website.
About CI Games
Founded in 2002, CI Games is an independent global game developer and publisher. Over the past 25 years, the company has created several internationally recognized and acclaimed titles, including the Lords of the Fallen and Sniper Ghost Warrior series.
The 2023 release of Lords of the Fallen has been experienced by over 8 million players worldwide. Currently, CI Games is developing the next major installment in the series, Lords of the Fallen 2, expected to launch in 2027.