Last Updated on Sep 1, 2026 @ 18:40:06 PM.
After many years of waiting, fans of Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem are finally getting a sequel to the previous game with Wolcen 2 that brings with it numerous changes from the first game as well as new features that players will be really excited for.
During Gamescom I was granted the opportunity to try this game out early, where I was able to play a small segment of the game and experience the various skills, armour, enemies, and even a small taste of what the story is like after 10 years in game time passing by.
Throughout my time with the game, I was able to explore the first area that the game takes place in as I fought various monsters in order to fill a chalice with blood by defeating various tough enemies. This was quite a fun gameplay loop, as the player isn’t forced down a path by selecting a specific class upon launching the game but is instead able to alter their gameplay style as they progress through the game and acquire new weapons.
The simplest way to describe this is that while you play Wolcen 2 and acquire weapons within the game, these are what dictate how you play the game, so for me, while I played the game, I found myself using a sword in one hand and a gun in the other, which allowed me to use a few different abilities during my hands-on experience.
The first ability was a spinning attack with the sword, the second was raining bullets down from the sky with my gun, and the third was a leaping attack where I slammed down on my enemies. There was more to find, but sadly I didn’t get that far, but each of these abilities could easily be swapped and changed if I moved to different weapons, as I tried using two guns or two swords, which altered how the abilities worked in a few different ways.
These are only some of the few combinations that will be available within the game, as there are more weapons that can be acquired and more skills that you can pick and choose from, while also being able to specifically upgrade these skills with skill points and choosing specific upgrades that will boost these skills in terms of damage, effects, length, and so much more.
Another feature I was able to play with was the shadow form within Wolcen 2, which allows the player to charge up a transformation where we turn into a large shadow creature that still uses the same weapons and abilities but with increased damage, increased duration, and more, allowing players to jump clear out dozens of enemies with ease, but this ability did have a drawback during my hands-on, as it summoned a constant onslaught of shadow enemies, making it so that you do indeed get a burst of intense power, but you shouldn’t stay in it forever, as the enemies will never stop.
Although weapons are what you will hit enemies with and are quite important, they aren’t the only key feature that you will need to keep an eye on within Wolcen 2, as it was clear to me during my hands-on that your armour also plays a massive role in combat, not just to defend you from the attacks that will be dished out to you, but also to aid you and your weapons through the bonuses these armour sets provide.
All of these features combine into what makes your character what you want it to be, as it allowed me complete freedom on what my character was and how it will behave within the game, and this to me was a fun addition to the game, as I could alter this whenever I wanted and could improve upon my build and alter my build and just see what I could do with the game at any point, and it was clear this was the idea the devs were pushing for, and it works out well, as every time someone will play Wolcen 2, there will always be a different playstyle, and you can always change what you want to do and never be stuck as one thing.
At the time of writing, Wolcen 2 doesn’t have a release date but is scheduled to enter early access in early 2027, but it does have a playtest players can sign up to.
For your next read, why not check out our article that talks about our experience with Guns and Dragons during Gamescom, or check out our article that talks about Dreadline Express and its unique deckbuilding horror story?
Liam is a Senior Editor, Writer, and Critic for Thumb Wars and has been working with the team since day one. Liam is a big fan of all things gaming, as you will catch him playing all of the new releases from every genre you can imagine. Whether you find Liam gaming just for fun or spending his free time streaming, you will always find a smile on his face when it comes to all things gaming.
