Vincent Cassel Cast as Napoleon in 'Valor Mortis'

Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Vincent Cassel is set to voice and portray Napoleon Bonaparte in 'Valor Mortis,' a first-person Soulslike game set in a supernatural reimagining of 19th-century Europe, where players control William, a resurrected soldier of the Grande Armée.
- 'Valor Mortis' launches Sept. 24 for PS5, Xbox Series S and X — day one on Xbox Game Pass — and PC via Steam, with a trailer debuting during the Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday.
- One More Level, the Kraków-based developer, is partnering with publisher Lyrical Games, a subsidiary of Lyrical Media, which only launched its game division in 2025, making this one of its first major releases.
- Cassel is simultaneously set to star in the fourth season of HBO's 'The White Lotus,' marking a high-profile English-language TV return alongside the gaming role.
- Lyrical Media's broader slate includes Michael Sarnoski's 'The Death of Robin Hood' with Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer, Osgood Perkins' 'The Young People,' and Adam Wingard's A24 action-thriller 'Onslaught,' signaling cross-media ambitions for the company.
- Cassel's film résumé spans 'La Haine,' 'Irréversible,' 'Mesrine,' 'Black Swan,' 'Eastern Promises,' the 'Ocean's' franchise, and HBO's 'Westworld,' giving the game a recognizable international star as its marquee voice.
Why it matters: Cassel's casting gives Lyrical Media — a film-first company that only spun up its gaming arm in 2025 — a globally recognizable French star to anchor its debut major release, and day-one Xbox Game Pass inclusion means the game launches directly to millions of subscribers rather than relying on traditional marketing reach.



