Lords of the Fallen 2 publisher CI Games fends off accusations that they plagiarized a character design from Fire Ring Nightreign after sharing an image from the upcoming soul-like online action RPG. Although there are some obvious similarities between the two characters Lords of the Fallen 2 team members have receipts to prove they didn't steal the artwork.
The 2023 release of Lords of the Fallenwhich served as the sequel to a 2014 game of the same name, received mixed to average reviews on the PlayStation 5, but was still impressive enough to turn many heads in CI Games' direction. In August 2025, Lords of the Fallen 2 was revealed during the Gamescom Opening Night Live presentation, and it was given a 2026 release window, showing that fans of the reboot have a lot to look forward to in the near future.
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Lords of the Fallen 2 proves that its artwork was not plagiarized
However, allegations of plagiarism have recently come against CI Games, after Lords of the Fallen the series' official Twitter account shared an image on January 7 featuring an unnamed character model for the upcoming game. Clad entirely in silver armor with blue cloth accents and resting a long, serrated blade over their shoulder, the character's description states that they are devoted to the moon goddess Menasilde and that after “1000 years under the shadow of death” they have given up their path to peace in favor of the sword. While that sounds like a pretty unique description, the character's design was quickly compared to Fire Ring Nightreign's Wylder class, who similarly wear a full suit of silver armor with blue cloth accents and wield a serrated blade.
Many initial comparisons from the public varied in intensity, with some simply noting the similarities between the two characters and others sounding the alarm against plagiarism, with at least one person claiming that “blatant theft” had occurred. But a day after the series' official social media page first posted the image of the unnamed character, CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski has addressed the issue with evidence that the design was not lifted for Fire Ring Nightreign. Tyminski publicly shared a private internal Slack message dated July 17, 2024, which shows a finished rendering of “HallowedBro” and includes a request for potential notes. Pointing it out Fire Ring Nightreign first announced in December 2024, nearly six months after the Slack message was dated, Tyminski said it would have been impossible for CI Games' artist to have stolen the design from that game.
While not much information has been shared about the unnamed character, the archetype for their design is relatively common, as it is not unusual for a heavily armored knight to wear a blue tabard or other pieces of cloth adornment. What really makes the character stand out are the details of that armor, including its multi-segmented stools and breastplates, along with its wicked full-body helmet, which features five sharp fins. There are some similarities to Wylder in these design choices, although the latter wears simpler, lighter epaulets and a one-piece breast plate, and his helmet is adorned with a pair of silver wings. Also, while their blades bear an uncanny resemblance to each other, there are a variety of different swords within Lords of the Fallenmany of which have menacing leaves with jagged edges.
Although the first game faced some challenges, the sequel seems to be gaining some traction in the soul-like community. A gameplay trailer for Lords of the Fallen 2 shown at The Game Awards 2025 drew positive reactions from the audience and gaming fans from around the world. The sequel will feature a similar two-world format that was considered by many to be one of the best parts of the first game, and its dismemberment system promises to increase the visual display of brutality.
- Released
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2026
- Franchise
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Lords of the Fallen
