Lords of the Fallen is HEXWORKS and CI Games' 2023 dark-fantasy action RPG built around two overlapping realms: the living world of Axiom and the land of the dead, Umbral. It launched on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S and has changed substantially through post-launch updates, especially its co-op systems.
For a 2026 player, the current game is more important than launch impressions. CI Games now supports seamless co-op, a Full Shared-Progression mode under defined conditions, a Friend's Pass, improved matchmaking, and expanded guest privileges.
Quick facts
- Developer: HEXWORKS / CI Games
- Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
- Genre: Dark-fantasy action RPG / Soulslike
- Core identity: Dual worlds, Umbral Lamp, challenging combat, builds, bosses
- Online: Co-op and PvP
- Current co-op: Seamless sessions, shared-progression option, Friend's Pass, current crossplay rules
The dual-world mechanic is the defining idea
Mournstead exists across Axiom and Umbral. The Umbral Lamp lets the player interact with the relationship between the two realms, revealing paths, changing exploration, and creating risks around death and recovery.
This gives the game an identity beyond being another medieval Soulslike. Exploration can require thinking about what exists in one realm but not the other, and death can alter which version of the world you occupy.
The dual-realm structure also supports environmental puzzles and shortcuts, making navigation part of the core challenge rather than a backdrop between bosses.
Combat and builds
Lords of the Fallen uses familiar Soulslike ideas—stamina, dodges, blocks, parries, weapon scaling, ranged tools, magic, status effects, and character stats—inside a faster modern presentation.
Players can build around melee weapons, ranged options, Radiant magic, Inferno magic, Umbral abilities, shields, dual wielding, and other combinations. The game therefore appeals to players who enjoy experimenting with equipment rather than mastering one fixed combat kit.
Co-op has evolved dramatically
The 2026 Co-op Update is essential context. CI Games says the game originally launched with seamless co-op, added Full Shared-Progression Co-op in April 2025, and introduced a Free Friend's Pass in Version 2.0.
Shared Progression now lets an eligible guest perform actions such as upgrading equipment, using vendors, resting and warping between Vestiges, planting Vestige seeds, beginning boss battles, and skipping cutscenes. The intent is to make two-player progression feel more unified.
That evolution makes old launch reviews incomplete when they describe the current co-op experience. See co-op Soulslike games for comparison with Elden Ring and other models.
How shared progression works
CI Games' FAQ explains that players need matching New Game levels and sufficiently similar boss progression to use shared progression together. Both players must select the same co-op mode and can use passwords for direct connections.
This is more structured than simply checking a multiplayer box. If two saves have diverged substantially, players may need non-shared progression instead. The current system gives more freedom but still protects world-state consistency.
Friend's Pass lowers the cost of co-op
The Friend's Pass lets an owner invite another player who does not own the full game for online play under the program's rules. That is unusual in the Soulslike category and makes Lords of the Fallen attractive to pairs who are unsure about buying two copies.
Because programs and platform rules can change, players should confirm the current official FAQ before making a purchase specifically for Friend's Pass access.
Shared progression versus traditional summons
Classic Souls multiplayer often treats a visitor as temporary support inside the host's world. Lords of the Fallen's shared-progression direction targets a different use case: two people who want the campaign itself to be a joint project.
Neither model is universally better. Temporary summons preserve a stronger sense of separate worlds, while shared progression reduces repetitive replay when two friends want to stay synchronized. The important point is to know which experience you are buying.
Is Lords of the Fallen open world?
It is not an Elden Ring-style enormous open world. Mournstead is better understood as a large interconnected world with branching routes and the additional complexity of Axiom and Umbral.
If broad geographic freedom is your main requirement, use open-world Soulslike games. If dense dark-fantasy exploration matters more, Lords of the Fallen can be a stronger fit.
Current platform considerations
The game is built for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S rather than older Xbox One or PS4 hardware. Steam currently marks the 2023 title as Steam Deck Verified, while Xbox exposes cross-platform multiplayer and co-op capabilities.
Those platform details matter because the game's strongest differentiator is online play. A pair of players should verify their exact platforms and current crossplay support before purchasing.
Who should play Lords of the Fallen?
Choose it if you want dark fantasy, extensive builds, a dual-world exploration mechanic, and one of the strongest current two-player progression systems in the genre. It is particularly compelling for players who bounced off the temporary nature of classic Souls summons.
For a wider shortlist, see best Soulslike games and multiplayer Soulslike games.
