Mortal Shell - The Virtuous Cycle DLC lands on August 18 alongside a Steam release

Publisher Playstack and developer Cold Symmetry have announced that the recently-revealed Mortal Shell - The Virtuous Cycle DLC will launch on August 18 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC (Steam, Epic, GOG). This is an expansion with a new roguelike mode, with a new shell and weapon for a different style of gameplay, and it will be priced at $7.99 / €6.99 / £6.99.

Additionally, PlayStack has announced that the game will launch for Steam on the same date, following a year of timed exclusivity on the Epic Games Store.

A new trailer and content details can be found below. You can also check out our original review of the game on PlayStation 4.

The Virtuous Cycle reinvents your journey through Fallgrim and beyond as adversaries cycle and shuffle upon each death. Demanding and brutal as ever, now you can never be sure what lies ahead.

Scattered across the land are pillars that will bestow new talents for you to inherit. With more than 100 new abilities to discover and combine together - from exotic weapon enhancements to entirely new combat maneuvers - players are free to create and develop their very own combat style.

The Virtuous Cycle also grants players command over Hadern, once your elusive teacher, now yours to master as Mortal Shell’s fifth possessable Shell. Playable within both Mortal Shell’s main campaign and The Virtuous Cycle, Hadern’s unique skill tree unlocks a new domain of innate talents, from dagger mastery to an intimidating ability to absorb punishment.

Also unearthed in the expansion is the Axatana, Fallgrim’s most venerable weapon. In your hands the Axatana bends to your will, assembling itself into a supreme heavy axe when the moment calls, and detaching into lightning-fast dual katanas when you desire. Unique movesets for both stances are yours to unlock.

"Designing and developing The Virtuous Cycle DLC has been a blast,” said Francesco Zacchini, Technical Designer at developer Cold Symmetry. “We have crammed in over 100 new abilities alongside new lore, the transforming Axatana weapon, and Hadern as a playable shell. I can't wait to see all the ways players are going to break the roguelike mode that we created. I think they're going to have a lot of fun with that."

Here’s a rundown of The Virtuous Cycle’s new features:

• New Mode: Carve through an ever-changing world where no two playthroughs are the same. Craft your own combat style by combining more than 100 unique upgrades.
• New Shell: Possess a familiar and formidable foe, Hadern. Unearth his true potential and demand perfection from this once-elusive Shell.
• New Weapon: Fallgrim’s most venerable weapon has been cast. Transform your combat with the Axatana, a manipulable hilt of two blades.