A major 2.0 update is now live for Blades of Fire, bringing New Game Plus, a new Titanium Difficulty setting and more enhancements to MercurySteam’s action adventure. This update is also arriving alongside the game’s launch onto Steam, having been tied on PC to Epic since release last year.
Blades of Fire launched in May 2025, MercurySteam branching back out after working with Nintendo on Metroid Dread by creating an action adventure with a lashing of the Soulslike ethos. Another distinctive element was the weapon forging mechanic, tasking you with a forging puzzle segment to hammer ingots into the right shape.
In our Blades of Fire review, Aran (who shares a name with the game’s protagonist) said, “Blades of Fire is a very good game, blending tough action RPG combat with a fun and unique weapon forging. The story is a little by the numbers and exploration does have a lot of back and forth, but the different regions and enemies look great and the narrative is elevated by Aran and Adso’s relationship.”
In general, reception was a little mixed and the game didn’t meet sales expectations for publisher Digital Bros. PC being locked to Epic won’t have helped that, but after a year of timed exclusivity the game can now launch on Steam, and reach its broader audience.
However, all players across PS5, Xbox Series X|S and both PC storefronts will have access to the version 2.0 update, which offers:
- New Game Plus: Relive Aran’s adventure anew while maintaining most progression and stats. As an added challenge, enemies scale to the player’s health. Thanks to 27 New Game Plus exclusive forge statues that unlock new weapon parts, Aran will be more than ready for a fight.
- New Challenge Level: Titanium Difficulty: A brutal challenge recommended for only the most experienced fighter, players will battle their way through enemies with enhanced health, armour, and a 20% damage increase, and Bosses rebalanced with stricter timing-based mechanics.
- Anvil Trials: Travel to the arena and re-challenge bosses defeated in the main story in time-limited combat to earn rewards that will help you along the way. But be wary – bosses are ready for you and bring on new mechanics to up the challenge.
- Arcana: Collect medals during the Anvil Trails and exchange them with Aran’s scholarly companion Adso, who will then grant ancient spells that grant passive buffs to your weapons.
- Transmutation: This new system allows players to convert materials directly at the forge. Convert materials into any other desired – as long as it has been discovered by Aran.
- …and More: Capture the epic scenery and key moments with the newly added Photo Mode, unlock new Achievements, fully remap your mouse and keyboard control bindings, and even better – you can now pet the Ox! Additionally, improvements such as expanded death and mutilation variations, improved animation transition, and Nvidia DLSS4 implementation will provide a richer experience, and full Steam Deck support allows players to take their battles along with them on the go.
Source: press release