V Rising News

Well, hello there, Vampires.

We’re well into the autumn months, but even as we approach the midway through November, we haven’t completely relinquished our grip on the season of screams! Yes, there’s one more order of business before we finally close out our Halloween celebrations, and that’s the announcement of the winners of the Slashers of Vardoran Art Competition!

For this competition, the challenge we gave to you, our community, was taking one of the V Blood bosses you have lovingly battled for so long and reimagining them with the theme of a horror slasher movie. Judging this contest, we took into account, first and foremost, adherence to the main theme! Whoever best evoked the mood and terror of this beloved genre that is so often enjoyed at the spookiest time of the year. After the theme, we considered overall artistic merit, skill, and creativity.

Speaking of judging.



[h2]Meet The Judges![/h2]


This year we have six total, three from the community and marketing team, and three from the art team. Introducing…

Johan Ilves - Marketing Director

Johan Wahlbäck - Art Director

Viktor Blomqvist - Senior Concept Artist

Johan Aronson - Senior Concept Artist

Ruth Dominguez - Marketing and Data Officer

Jeremy Fielding - Community Manager

To come to our conclusion, each judge gave their own Grand Winner, Runner-Ups, and an additional 7 Finalists. After collecting all of our opinions, we worked out the strongest picks we had in common. We then ultimately came to a consensus based on the criteria the artists were given, trying to stay as faithful to the rules of the contest as possible.



[h2]Special Mentions[/h2]


We’d like to get into some special mentions to celebrate some of the exceptional talent that, for one reason or another, weren’t included in the top ten finalists. Although some of these didn’t quite align with all contest criteria or submission guidelines, the quality and passion in each entry made them deserving of recognition. We encourage everyone to check out and support these talented artists!




Art by Tyishia Brown



Art by NV



Art by David



Art by Ternion



Art by Nawie



Art by Sanne Rosa



Art by Zachary Beaupre



[h2]And now… our contest winners![/h2]


As a reminder, here’s what our amazing roster of Finalists, Runner-Ups, and the Grand Winner will be taking home!





The Grand Winner will receive:

• V Rising Vinyl
  
• V Rising MERCH PACK
  
• V Rising Hoodie (of their choice)
  
• V Rising XL Mouse Pad
  
• V Rising Mug
  
• V Rising Key Chain
  
• V Rising Shirt (of their choice)
  
• V Rising CLAN PACK
  
• 4 Copies of V Rising for themselves and their closest clanmates.
  
• All current and future DLC to lord over them.
  

Two Runner-Up Finalists will receive:

• V Rising Mug
  
• V Rising Key Chain
  
• V Rising Shirt (of their choice)
  
• Castlevania DLC
  

Seven other Finalists will receive:

• Castlevania DLC
  
• Dracula’s Relics DLC
  
• Sinister Evolution Pack DLC
  

Now, to the part you’ve all been waiting for!



[h2]Finalists[/h2]


Our seven finalists are artworks that all stood out in adhering to the theme, having striking and unique artistic execution, and speaking to us individually. Some of these really brought the slasher attitude with extreme angles and intensity, some had creative designs and reimaginations of the V Bloods, and some were just a lot of fun. Each of these artworks is, in its own way, great and worthy of recognition. We hope that you enjoy them as much as we have!



Art by Bucur Andrei



Art by Sara Bardi



Art by Bryon R



Art by João Passos



Art by Basket of Potatoes



Art by Cassidy Sin



Art by Hukiora



[h2]Runners-Up[/h2]


These two pieces were in direct competition with our Grand Winner and have earned a special distinction that we just can’t help but write about! In addition, they’ll be able to conquer every fashionable occasion, bottle cap, or contain any sufficiently small and drinkable liquid!




Art by Dicky Wardhana


Is he a psychotic showman or something even more dark? Lord Styx the Nightmarshal, as a Clown or Jester-themed slasher, brings an eerie mystique that leaves you both captivated and thoroughly creeped out. The artist’s choice of a stylized painterly touch adds to the mystery, allowing raw brushstrokes to shine and giving the piece a rich, organic feel. It’s not overly detailed, but that restraint works wonders, enhancing the ominous presence of Lord Styx and hinting at the unknown madness lurking within him. A standout piece of evil artistry!




Art by Leg


The cold face of death promises your end, Vampire! This portrayal of Vincent the Frostbringer as an undead killer is a truly bone-chilling vision transporting us back to the vintage horror poster era of the 70s and early 80s. A playful combination of warm and cool colors creates a striking contrast, putting our slasher front and center as the subject of our doom reaching out to crush us, the helpless Vampire cowering in the foreground. The digital rendering is thorough and filled with rough, sharp details, and the style feels very intentional in the way it evokes old, nostalgic horror. Truly, you can feel the love put into this piece as much as you can feel the terror!



[h2]Grand Winner[/h2]


This has certainly been true every year up until now, but this year our Grand Winner really is special. A dark horse candidate with a unique take on the theme that we weren’t sure of at first, but really grew on us the more we considered it.






[h3]And our grand winner is…[/h3]









Art by Wilma Westroth


Maja the Dark Savant cast as the victim in a slasher movie? Brilliant. This artwork pays a powerful tribute to slasher classics like Scream, masterfully blending suspense with empowerment. The intense expression of the character on the phone, paired with the lurking vampire in the background, effortlessly captures classic slasher horror tension. The comic-inspired style, combined with cinematic lighting and subtle distortion, creates an eerie, dreamlike quality that pulls viewers into its suspenseful atmosphere. Thoughtful details, from the tattoos and black sclera to the carefully chosen color palette, showcase both technical skill and creativity. This piece is a fresh, modern take on the iconic imagery of the horror genre.

Choosing a winner from so many outstanding entries was no easy task, but this artwork, with its creativity and mastery, captured the hearts of the entire judging committee. We were captivated not only by its beauty but by how perfectly it embodied the theme, and we’re thrilled to award it the title of

Grand Winner in this year’s art competition!



[h2]Thank You, Vampires![/h2]


This has been yet another amazing competition and every year, you surprise us with your creativity and passion. It was a pleasure to receive your submissions and go through each one, every year, we make an effort to respond to as many submissions as possible and very often have truly lovely, heart-warming interactions with each of you.
Despite being a community built on the fiendish and evil machinations of undead masterminds, V Rising has brought us endless kindness from unexpected places, even during the darkest and most terrifying time of the year. Thank you for sharing your nightmares with us once again, and thank you for being so terribly wonderful.

And to our contest winners, expect an email from us shortly!


To keep up with community events, V Rising news, and more, visit our socials below! We’d love to hear more from you!

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Lots of love and a pint of blood,



/The Marketing Team

Greetings, creatures of the night!

We hope you’re enjoying the fall season. After all, it has everything a Vampire could ask for. The spirits are active, the dead are rising, and with the coming cold and darkening skies, it is becoming more and more tempting to take a seat in your most extravagant armchair by the fireplace flame with a nice glass of blood-red wine. Allow us to give you one more reason to settle in with a little something to read while you get comfortable.

Today, we bring you a dev update. It’s been some time since the full release of V Rising, followed shortly by its launch on the PlayStation 5 just a month later. During this time, we've reviewed the outcomes of 1.0, addressed bugs, and are now well underway in preparing for our next major update.

That’s right, the dark summoning of patch 1.1 has begun! We’re sure you have questions, of course. What does an update look like after 1.0? What are we building for the future of V Rising, and why? Well, we aren’t going to be giving away all of our secrets, but you’ve been patient and have certainly earned a good glimpse of what is to come. Keep in mind that everything you read here is subject to change.

Let’s get into it!



[h2]The Painting Is Never Complete[/h2]


There’s this saying among artists that the painting will never be complete. You can always keep adding brush strokes, adjusting it, and polishing your artwork in pursuit of perfection. You decide when it is finished when you stop painting. In the same sense, we're not ready to put down the brush just yet. There’s still more we want to create and share with you, whether you’re a longtime supporter from Early Access or a newly awakened Vampire joining the adventure.



You’re fangtastic.


V Rising has been a true labor of love for us, allowing us to indulge all our dark desires and craft a Vampire journey that fully embraces the power fantasy of seizing control of your wicked destiny. With careful thought and your invaluable feedback, we believe we've found the path to enhance the experience without losing sight of what makes V Rising unique. Version 1.1 will focus more on expanding rather than altering the core experience, giving you more of what you already enjoy, along with a few exciting surprises.



[h2]Taking Control[/h2]


Overall, we've received plenty of positive feedback on the progression from start to finish. While there are always minor issues we could spend endless hours refining, we'd rather focus on the results of something we first experimented with in the Secrets of Gloomrot patch and expanded upon in the 1.0 update. That is to say, random drops.

When we initially introduced random drops, the idea was to add an extra layer of excitement to the loot you’d earn from slaying mobs. Mixing up what you could get from enemies and chests was meant to inject more variety into each playthrough, creating unique moments from player to player and save to save. This is something that players were asking for after having a little taste with book formulas and the unique scythe recipe that Kriig (a.k.a. The Undead General, who wasn’t a V Blood at the time) had a chance of dropping.



+6 spell power, my beloved.


We first introduced this mechanic with legendary weapons and spell jewels, then expanded on it with the unique artifact weapons available in Mortium. While this added exciting new layers to gameplay, it also led to some frustration among more experienced Vampires who know exactly what they're after. Instead of feeling excited when receiving a weapon or spell jewel, there's some disappointment when it’s not what they need. We totally understand, and it makes sense to feel that way!

This brings us back to something we touched on earlier in the blog: how do you improve V Rising for everyone? Some players have suggested removing the randomness entirely, but while that would simplify things, the randomness also brings benefits. It creates new possibilities that push you to play adaptively and strategize your next move. The solution might lie in adding a new feature we're tentatively calling the “Fusion Forge”.

The idea for the Fusion Forge is to give you a crafting station later on in your playthrough that allows you to combine different items together and take the best parts of each of them. For us, this is the best of both worlds between getting to pick what you want and still having to get the ability or stat in the first place. You won’t have to land the weapon with all the exact perfect stats or get the jewel with exactly the spell modifications you need. All you need is a few jewels with the mods you're after, allowing you to fuse them into the ultimate jewel of your dreams.



Very rough placeholder UI! Building our perfect axes.


But that’s not all we’re considering based on your feedback! We’re also looking to give these endgame weapons more unique appearances, giving those weapons a more specific artifact feel. Following are a few examples of potential concepts for the new looks of weapons.






Some concepts for potential new looks!



[h2]Risk-Free Murder![/h2]


One thing many players have been asking for is a consequence-free method of engaging in Player vs. Player combat. V Rising gives you countless spell loadouts and weapon combos, each with unique abilities, but testing these endless combinations has always been tricky without a controlled environment. If you wanted to test out a build, you would have to go out in the world and try it out in the field, where you might not get to try it in the conditions you’re looking for. There’s also the manner of weapon and gear durability. Dying repeatedly in PvP can end up getting very costly very quickly, which is a big risk to take if you’re not looking to grind to pay for your experimentation.

We’re currently looking at adding two potential ways to engage in consequence-free PvP! One major benefit is that it will let you play around and experiment more without risking your gear, only your pride.

The first method is a free-form method: Dueling.

With Dueling, you can initiate a fight with another Vampire by challenging them anywhere in the world (with the potential exception of POIs to discourage players from dueling on top of enemy bosses where things could get a little silly). The two Vampires battle one another, and at the end of the conflict, when one player’s health drops to 0, the Duel is over. Both players' health reset to where they were before the match began, undoing all the damage that resulted from the conflict. The Duel system even recognizes damage you took from outside participants and lets it stick, so sorry in advance to those of you who were already planning to use Duel Flags to achieve immortality.



Will you?


How do you avoid people interfering? Uh, duel somewhere safe!

Speaking of safe duels, let’s talk about our second concept…



[h2]Arenas[/h2]


“Arenas” offers a more robust and controlled PvP experience. The concept is to designate a specific area within your castle in which organized bouts can take place. This would involve an Arena Station, a new type of structure you can build in your castle to define the boundaries of your arena. You'd also have flags to let Vampires assign themselves to different teams, creating a structured and competitive environment for epic duels and team fights.



The current effects, assets, and UI are placeholders. Define your arena.


You can then set up the parameters of the contest on the Arena Board then begin the contest. Dropping to 0 HP temporarily puts you in a downed state, which you can step out of by removing yourself from the contest. Once all combatants but one team are downed or removed from the contest, the winner is declared, and everyone is reset back to the HP they were at when the battle began.



The current effects, assets, and UI are placeholders. Team overview at the Arena Station.


The current effects, assets, and UI are placeholders. 2v2v2v2 in an arena playtest!


The current effects, assets, and UI are placeholders. Vampires preparing for the match to begin.


The current effects, assets, and UI are placeholders. Edvard won’t let me back in from the death circle.


Overall, Arenas allows much more casual, structured PvP, even in PvE realms. Many players have told us they’d love to engage in friendly bouts with their clanmates just to test things out, and we believe this system will not only make that possible but also make PvP more accessible to everyone. Our data shows that less than 1 in 5 players have ever died in PvP, meaning a huge portion of the community has yet to experience the thrill of it! Some players have said they’d jump in if it were less risky, so this could be the perfect way for more of you to get hooked on PvP. May the Vampire gods protect your Vampire souls once that happens!

Our goal in V Rising is often to put the tools in your hands to make your own fun, and we think this helps serve that purpose!

Speaking of fun, there’s even more to look forward to!



[h2]A New Land Awaits![/h2]


If you thought the map of Vardoran was complete, you’re sorely mistaken! We’re going to be filling out the land with another region to explore with its own faction and theme to immerse yourself and get lost in. We want to give you somewhere new with space to build your castle and indulge in a unique style.

The theme of this mysterious zone? We’re going to hold onto that juicy little tidbit for now. Feel free to speculate.



What new land beckons just north of Silverlight?


This new biome will introduce an invading faction of enemies! Just like in the last two major updates, there will be a fresh breed of foe unique to any other that’s come before them, with different methods of combat and lore. The time will come to rise against this new threat, and you will be able to claim their dark secrets for yourself!



Concept art for a potential new faction unit.


Expect a deadly new gauntlet of V Bloods, each guarding ancient technologies and techniques, some so powerful, we can’t reveal them just yet. Face off against a fearsome Shardbearer, a foe truly worthy of the title. If you can endure the ultimate battle, you’ll claim a new devastating shard and unlock a legendary item recipe, securing your place as the undisputed Vampire Lord of Vardoran.



[h2]And that won’t be all![/h2]


It’s too early to share everything we’re working on, but rest assured that we’ll have even more to share as we continue development. As always, we’re incredibly grateful for your patience and unwavering support as we work to bring you exciting new content. For a bunch of blood-sucking predators, you are, as ever, some of the most kind and wonderful people.



Peace out for now!


Speaking of which, last call to our amazing artists! Don’t forget to enter the Slashers of Vardoran Art Competition before submissions close tonight! Get them in before 11:59PM GMT! We want to see you unleash your creativity, as every year is an absolute treat during a season rife with tricks!






The Haunted Nights Castle Pack is also available on Steam and the PlayStation 5 until November 16th! Grab them while you can!






To keep in contact and remain ever watchful, follow us on our socials below! While you’re at it, if you have any pressing questions about V Rising, its future, or its development, drop by an “Ask Me Anything” interview with our Community Manager, Jeremy! You can find it on the Exputer Forums starting November 11th at 14.00 CEST!


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Lots of love and a pint of blood,



/The Marketing Team

Today, on October 21st, 2024, the Legacy of Castlevania Premium pack will receive a FREE update that coincides with Steam’s upcoming Castlevania Fair! In collaboration with Konami Digital Entertainment (KONAMI), V Rising will celebrate all things Castlevania by expanding on our Legacy of Castlevania Premium Pack with some stylish additions.


[h2]Perfect Your Palace: New Castle Decor[/h2]

With this new wall paneling, beautiful gold and blue doors, and…for the first time ever, a new fence option for the discerning Vampire, you’re free to express your elegant and refined taste.


Luxury Stone Wall Panels


Gold-Lined Stained Glass Windows and Door


Brand New Metal Fencing


Four Perfect New Paintings



[h2]Dressed To Kill: Two Legendary New Cosmetic Outfits[/h2]

Don two impeccable new outfits in the style of iconic Castlevania characters!



In the style of Shanoa, the powerful warrior from Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. A blue and black gothic dress with dark flowing fabrics, dark metallic accents, and mysterious markings.

Included:

• Shanoa’s Gown
  
• Shanoa’s Leggings
  

Battle against the tide of Sorrow in the simple perfection of Soma Cruz’s timeless style! Wearing the coat, high-neck black shirt and silver chain, sleek blue slacks, and high boots of the protagonist of Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow.

Included:

• Soma Cruz’s Coat
  
• Soma Cruz’s Boots
  
• Soma Cruz’s Leggings
  

[h2]Complete Your Castlevania Look[/h2]

If you already own the Legacy of Castlevania Premium Pack, you'll get access to all the exciting new content when it's added on October 21st! If you don’t own V Rising or the DLC yet, there’s even more reason to act: it's part of a new exclusive Castlevania GAME BUNDLE, offering 10% off the entire bundle! Get the exciting Castlevania Dominus Collection together with V Rising, and Legacy of Castlevania DLC in one ultimate package.





[h2]The Shadows Of Autumn[/h2]

With the dark months upon us, there’s plenty to get excited for around V Rising!

Check out our HALLOWEEN ART COMPETITION for an opportunity to get your hands on the limited edition V Rising Vinyl and other wicked merch perfect for the spine-tingling time of the year!

More information on our next steps for V Rising is looming just around the corner as well! To make sure you’re the first to hear the news, check out our socials linked below.


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V Rising Instagram!



Eternally Yours,


/Stunlock Studios