As games pile into September to avoid GTA 6, Ghostrunner studio’s promising Soulslike Valor Mortis is shifting its release to escape the rush

Valor Mortis, a first-person Soulslike action RPG from Ghostrunner developer One More Level, has been delayed from September 24 to October 13, 2026, becoming one of the first major releases to flee an increasingly crowded release calendar.

The delay stems from an unprecedented glut of September 2026 releases, as publishers scramble to position their games before Grand Theft Auto 6 launches in November. Valor Mortis’ original September 24 launch date now conflicts with multiple major titles including Control Resonant, Silent Hill: Townfall, Hot Wheels Infinite Rush, and Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition, with Onimusha: Way of the Sword arriving the following day.

One More Level acknowledged that the studio locked in the September date during the Xbox Games Showcase “weeks in advance,” before the month became oversaturated with releases. The developer emphasized that the delay is not due to quality concerns but rather to give both the game and players’ wallets “room to breathe” in a historically packed gaming month. The decision appears prescient—industry observers suggest Valor Mortis may be the first of many titles to abandon September’s crowded landscape, as publishers recognize the market saturation created by the coordinated effort to avoid GTA 6’s release window.

As games pile into September to avoid GTA 6, Ghostrunner studio’s promising Soulslike Valor Mortis is shifting its release to escape the rush

Sources