Lords of the Fallen 2 Director Addresses Elden Ring Comparisons: “Visual Similarities Are Common in Medieval Fantasy”

With *Lords of the Fallen 2* gearing up to be one of the standout Soulslike action RPGs of 2026, developer CI Games has been consistently sharing marketing art that highlights the game’s enemies, dubbed the “hordes of the fallen.” However, their latest reveal stirred up some debate, as many fans pointed out striking resemblances to iconic armored characters from the *FromSoftware* universe. CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski has stepped in to clarify that these similarities are purely coincidental.

The newly unveiled soldier, seemingly a devotee of the deep lore moon goddess Menasilde, is decked out in a blue cloak with tasset-like cloth accents and wields a sawed greatsword. It’s hard not to notice the echoes of Artorias, the blue-accented knight from the *Dark Souls 1* DLC, and even more so of Wylder, a character from *Elden Ring: Nightreign* who bears a striking resemblance. Interestingly, Wylder also features an Artorias skin.

Tyminski asserts that such overlaps are not uncommon, emphasizing that the design for *Lords of the Fallen 2* was finalized in 2024, well before the announcement of *Elden Ring: Nightreign*, which has drawn the most comparisons on social media.

“Pleased to prove that yesterday’s accusations of plagiarism are 100% false,” Tyminski stated, sharing a screenshot of an internal Slack conversation from July 2024. In this exchange, a CI Games artist presented “the render for the HallowedBro,” which eventually became the Menasilde soldier revealed recently.

“A newly revealed standard enemy was claimed to copy Wylder from Nightreign,” Tyminski explained. “This armor was finalized on July 17, 2024 – over five months before Nightreign was announced – and the completed model was already in-engine by October 23, 2024. The timeline is clear.”

“Visual overlap can occur in medieval fantasy design. We respect *FromSoftware*, but we do not copy other studios. The armor designs in *Lords of the Fallen* were widely praised, and we’re confident *Lords 2* will be no different. We stand fully behind our artists, their originality, and the integrity of their work.”

Recently, Tyminski also made headlines for discussing the inclusion of attractive female characters in *Lords of the Fallen 2*. While character design is important, it’s crucial that the gameplay elements—like co-op mechanics, skill balancing, input responsiveness, and enemy placement—receive the attention and refinement they deserve.

In a related note, the head of *Lords of the Fallen 2* mentioned that exclusivity on the Epic Games Store isn’t a concern, as “the majority of PC players who want a specific game will buy it” regardless.