Internal testing and developer use of the new options yielded significantly more positive feedback, reinforcing the decision.

Combat director Lee Jeonghyeon cited Game Days as showing some players struggled to complete a full playthrough at fixed difficulty, prompting the lower-difficulty option.

The stance shift signals a broader design philosophy balancing challenge with accessibility, with potential implications for Lies of P’s sequel.

The move came nearly two years after release to broaden accessibility after developers found many could not reach the halfway point in the game.

The introduction of easier modes helped address a rift among fans over whether soulslikes should offer adjustable difficulty.

Director Jiwon Choi framed the decision as aligning with feedback that the game should reach a wider audience.

To start, the team introduced a lower in-house difficulty so every developer could finish the game they built, guiding broader accessibility choices.

Lies of P, a highly regarded soulslike, added easier difficulty options after launch following internal tests and player feedback, with the Lies of P: Overture expansion formalizing the change.

This shift marks a notable change for a studio long associated with relentless challenge, driven by both internal experience and audience response.

The difficulty options were announced and released with Lies of P: Overture in June 2025, adding three easier modes—Butterfly’s Guidance, Awakened Puppet, and Legendary Stalker—while preserving the hardest mode for purists.

Internal Game Days revealed that even skilled developers found the game too hard, prompting a change in approach.