Having launched in October 2023, Lords of the Fallen quickly made a name for itself as a reasonably solid Soulslike that could’ve used a bit more time in the oven. Thankfully, developer Hexworks took the time to deliver improvements, with update 1.5 adding the Master of Fate modifier system.
As Lords of the Fallen prided itself on attempting to innovate the Soulslike niche with features such as its twin-world rendering, it should come as no surprise that its Master of Fate modifiers were the most exciting item on the post-launch content docket. Specifically, Master of Fate allows players to essentially redefine the rules of the experience through custom modifiers that include randomized item and enemy spawns, a full-fledged Ironman mode with perma-death, and loads more. The release of the Master of Fate with update 1.5 signals the end of Lords of the Fallen‘s post-launch content roadmap, implying that Hexworks may be moving on to other projects.
Lords of the Fallen: Update 1.5 introduces the Master of Fate modifiers
As described in Hexworks’ latest Lords of the Fallen video overview, the Master of Fate is an all-encompassing gameplay modifier system the sort of which we don’t usually get in Soulslikes. Unless we discount community mods, that is. Master of Fate doesn’t kick into action until after you’ve already completed the game’s main story at least once, mind.
Here’s the full list of Lords of the Fallen Master of Fate modifiers:
- Randomizers, which massively increase the game’s unpredictability via enemy and item placement (and more)
- Pre-upgraded loot, which maxes out any item you pick up and use
- Ironman mode (perma-death mode resetting your world progress, but not your character progression)
- Withered Healing options, which allow you to heal only if you’re dealing damage for a set amount of time
- Vestige Decay options, which reduce the number of Vestiges you’ll encounter during your playthrough
- Enemy count options, massively increasing the number of enemies that spawn in
The Master of Fate doesn’t appear to be excessively punishing as a system. Players are free to mix and match modifiers together however they see fit, and the game world can be reset back to neutral if the going gets particularly tough.
Since it first came out, Lords of the Fallen has received over two dozen content updates including new armor sets, questlines, spells, equipment storage, events, and more. This has resulted in a substantially better playing experience in most ways that matter, and with continued bug-fixing and performance improvements, Lords of the Fallen is now a much better game than it was on day one. For those who might’ve bounced off the experience early on, Update 1.5 may signal the time to come back and wrap things up at last.
