Valor Mortis Breaks Even Within a Week of Launch
The studio behind Valor Mortis says the game has broken even within seven days of its launch. One More Level made the announcement on social media, and it means the game has now earned back what it cost to make.
Valor Mortis is a first-person Soulslike, a demanding action game style known for tough combat and unforgiving deaths. It is set in a Napoleonic-themed world, according to OpenCritic news. The game is available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Game Pass, the Xbox subscription service that lets players download games for a monthly fee.
Breaking even is a useful milestone, but it is not the end of the money story. Sales from here on should count as profit, Eurogamer reports, for both One More Level and the game's publisher, Lyrical Games. OpenCritic news noted that One More Level would not see the money straight away. Push Square described the game as officially profitable for the studio.
The release came with a few changes. The game's launch date moved from its original 24 September date. It is priced at £40 and $40, and the developer pointed to a crowded fall release season and high demand for players' time and money. The autumn lineup also sits around the November release of GTA 6, one of the most anticipated games of the year.
The studio's path to this point was not smooth. A GamesIndustry.biz feature by Lewis Packwood, published on 9 September 2026, reported that One More Level kept working after losing its funding. In an interview with the same outlet, the studio's Ratusznik said One More Level had considered self-publishing the game after a publishing deal with Private Division fell through. Lyrical Games is now the publisher.
Players who want more are also asking what comes next. When asked about DLC, meaning paid add-on content, and future patches, One More Level replied "Working on it!" The studio has not given dates for either.
The studio is best known for the Ghostrunner series. Its move into a new franchise, and the speed of its return to profit, will be watched by other small developers.
