The Lords of the Fallen studio CI Games will not integrate DEI elements in their games to maximize player enjoyment and commercial success after having observed the high commercial risk these elements can present.
During a recent investor chat, the studio was asked about their stance on DEI in gaming. Global Marketing Director Ryan Hill confirmed that the studio remains committed to producing player-first video games that prioritize excellent user experience with compelling themes and characters created specifically for “core and adjacent audiences”. While some recent video games have taken the opportunity to implement “social and political agendas” within their experiences, Hill continued, the lower than expected commercial performance of some of these games shows that many players do not appreciate these elements. As such, the studio will continue to develop experiences that maximize player enjoyment and commercial success.
In the same investor chat, Lords of the Fallen studio CI Games talked about what’s next for the game and the franchise as a whole, confirming the game released in 2023 will continue to receive updates up to version 2.0. Development of the sequel is also proceeding, and extensive play testing will be conducted in 2025.
Lords of the Fallen is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. You can learn more about the game, which has been improved quite a bit since its release, in my review.
Lords of the Fallen boasts impressive visuals and an interesting story for a soulslike, but unfortunately, that’s where the praise ends. Despite functional gameplay and a well-designed world, the experience is marred by frustrating combat mechanics, subpar enemy placement, and an overall lack of polish, making it one of the most frustrating soulslikes ever released.
