In a panicked scramble to avoid being crushed under the weight of Grand Theft Auto 6, publishers have created a bottleneck with over a dozen games all competing for the spotlight. It became a recurring joke throughout Summer Game Fest at each showcase as announcement after announcement was pinpricked by a September date, piling onto what has fast become the busiest month of the year.

It's understandable that publishers would want to avoid being lost in the GTA 6 hype, but the September noise poses the exact same risk, and studios are now eyeing the exit. One such developer, One More Level, is currently weighing up the possibility of delaying its first-person soulslike Valor Mortis after realizing just how packed the pre-GTA 6 rush is shaping up to be.

"I wouldn't say [the release date is] locked," game director Radosław Ratusznik said to PCGamesN. "A lot happened last week, right? We are a part of it, of course. We will be thinking about it during the next few days and I think we will find the right spot for [Valor Mortis]."

Silent Hill: Townfall, Control Resonant, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War 4, Marvel's Wolverine: The Competition In September Is Steep

To put into perspective how competitive September is, here are all the games confirmed to be launching that month:

  • The Blood of Dawnwalker
  • Orbitals
  • Halloween
  • Screenbound
  • Marvel's Wolverine
  • Trine 6
  • Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War 4
  • Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter
  • Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave
  • Valor Mortis
  • Hot Wheels Infinite Rush
  • Silent Hill: Townfall
  • Control Resonant
  • Onimusha: Way of the Sword
  • Minecraft Dungeons 2

Valor Mortis might have a unique hook — a more intimate soulslike that frames the action from a first-person perspective. But against first-party PlayStation blockbusters like Marvel's Wolverine, highly-anticipated RPGs like The Blood of Dawnwalker, and heavy-hitting IPs like Silent Hill: Townfall and Minecraft Dungeons 2, a perspective shift might not be enough to keep it from getting buried.

Right now, in the post-showcase hubbub, it's highly likely that other developers are having the exact same behind-the-scenes conversations as One More Level, debating whether to delay out of a rammed month and stomach the cost, or stick with September in the hopes of coming out on top before GTA 6 swallows the gaming landscape whole.

Remedy CEO Jean-Charles Gaudechon, however, takes a slightly different view. He recently argued that GTA 6 will actually put a spotlight on the wider industry and "raise the tide for all the players out there," making it unlikely that Control Resonant will budge. But with so many devs running scared from GTA 6 already, it's hard to imagine them being any more optimistic about their chances of standing out in a month as claustrophobic as September.

Valor Mortis Like Follow Followed Soulslike RPG First-Person Systems Released September 24, 2026 Developer(s) One More Level Publisher(s) One More Level, Lyrical Games PC Release Date September 24, 2026 Xbox Series X|S Release Date September 24, 2026 6 Images Close
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