Accusations that new Lords of the Fallen 2 enemy design copies Elden Ring Nightreign are "100% false," says CEO

Lords of the Fallen is one of the most Souls-like soulslikes to come from outside of FromSoftware. There are some great innovations that still make it stand out - its dual-reality Umbral lamp mechanic lets you seamlessly view a dark realm layered beneath the actual overworld, for example. But its medieval gothic fantasy vibes and challenging combat will make any FromSoft enjoyer feel right at home. However, following the recent reveal of a new enemy type for upcoming sequel Lords of the Fallen 2, developer CI Games has been forced to defend itself from plagiarism allegations, with the company's CEO now posting proof that it didn't rip the design from Elden Ring Nightreign.

In a post on Lords of the Fallen's social channels yesterday, January 7, a new character model was unveiled. Clad in silver armor adorned with blue cloth, wearing a full-face helmet, and resting a massive, serrated sword on their shoulder, this currently unnamed enemy type or NPC looks suitably gnarly for Lords of the Fallen 2. A member of the Crescent Moon, an order "devoted to Menasilde, moon goddess of tides and passage," they are a fearsome-looking opponent. However, in the post's comments, you'll notice plenty of folks pointing out similarities between its design and that of Wylder, one of the class characters from Elden Ring Nightreign.

On comparing the two, I certainly wouldn't go as far to say that CI Games has ripped off Wylder's appearance here, but there are some similarities. Both characters share blue and silver color palettes and both have full face helmets, although the actual designs of the armor are pretty different in my opinion. The stance in which this Crescent Moon enemy holds their sword on their shoulder is reminiscent of how Wylder is often presented in Nightreign. The character's sword also has some similarities to the one wielded by Wylder - namely, its length and the three-pronged pommel at the tail end of the weapon.

While there are similarities in their designs, I'd say it's overcritical to call this plagiarism. Nevertheless, CI Games has now defended itself.

In a post by the studio's founder and CEO Marek Tyminski, he shares a screenshot of an internal Slack message that shows an employee posting the same render of the character (referred to in this message as 'HallowedBro') used in the social image CI shared yesterday.

"I'm pleased to prove that yesterday's accusations of plagiarism are 100% false," Tyminski says. "A newly revealed standard enemy was claimed to copy Wylder from Nightreign. This armour was finalised 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 armour 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."

There are some obvious similarities, but as Tyminski says, the dark fantasy genre is full of them. I've seen characters that have the same color palettes and spiky, Witch King-esque designs in everything from Diablo to Dragon Age: there are some things that are just staples. Either way, Lords of the Fallen 2 is set to drop later this year, and considering CI Games has called it a "declaration of war," it's pretty clear that it doesn't plan on pulling its punches.