CI Games, known for developing the Sniper and Ghost Warrior series, as well as for publishing many other games, tasked us to work alongside Hexworks on one of our biggest projects to date – Lords of the Fallen (2023).

The successor to 2014’s game by the same name, Lords of the Fallen (2023), is an action role-playing game heavily inspired by the Soulslike genre. The fast-paced combat mechanics are framed against a haunting, dark world that compels exploration through intricate levels and stands out with a strong identity of its own that strays from its role models.  

We were tasked to co-develop the Umbral system, implement Easy Anti Cheat, DLC detection, complete porting tasks for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, as well as create and develop the 3D Photo Mode.

It was our first time working on a project of this size. With hundreds of developers at the helm, communication, and deadlines posed a major challenge.

On top of that, crossplay integration posed various problems with Easy Anti Cheat integration as well as DLC detection. Lastly, another big challenge came from the limiting factors of the Redpoint EOS plugin.

When it came to communication and speed, we simply had to really buckle down and rethink how we prioritize tasks. Luckily, it took only a short while for us to adapt to the fast-paced work of other developer teams.

Before we knew it, we had a great schedule for both downloading and preparing the massive amounts of data for work, as well as communicating about deliverables and their timelines.

When it came to the 3D Photo Mode, we knew we wanted to create a system that doesn’t take the player out of the flow of battle. For this, we used a system that loads up a “stage” of the exact moment in time, to which you can return at every time. That way, the player can set up the perfect angle, lighting, and frame once they’re ready, rather than interrupting game flow.

As Unreal Engine 5.1.1. Doesn’t have the functionality to check for DLC, we had to create new functions that communicated with SDK platforms, of which there were 4 (Steam, Epic Games, PlayStation, and Xbox.) Since each one works differently, we used certain interfaces to streamline the process, easily check for DLC in the code, and effortlessly purchase and activate new ones.

Initial Easy Anti-Cheat implementation was easy enough – if it detects modified files – online features will be disabled. However, this feature posed issues for crossplay functionality. We had to use the Redpoint Plugin and generate public and private keys, which required additional modification to the plugin to iron out logic errors and other bugs.

On top of that, we worked on many bugfixes, the artbook viewer, additional DLC goodies, the Revenge mechanic, and certification fixes (TRC’s, XR’s).

The team couldn’t be prouder of our addition to Lords of the Fallen. It was a massive challenge that pushed our abilities and skillsets further along, opening doors to more exciting projects.

Now you can explore the epic, dark fantasy world, fight epic bosses, and overthrow a resurrected demon god on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.