V Rising gets the crossover every self-respecting vampire wants: Castlevania's Simon Belmont is coming to try and kill you

The vamp-em-up V Rising remains in early access, even though it's already pretty good, and is scheduled for its full release later in the year. Before that, though, developer Stunlock Studios has announced the crossover any pasty-faced garlic hater wants to see: Legacy of Castlevania arrives May 8, and per the teaser will let players battle Simon Belmont.

To briefly set the scene, V Rising is a game where you not only play as a vampire, but build a magnificent gothic castle in which to lounge around drinking goblets of blood. Just the kind of thing the Belmonts don't get on with, and when Simon turns up (complete with his imaginatively named weapon, Vampire Killer), «no night stalker will be safe from his righteous crusade through Vardoran.»

Naturally as this is V Rising and not Castlevania, on this occasion the vampires will be able to win. Defeat Belmont and you'll unlock a new weapon for the game which is, of course, Castlevania's iconic whip, complete with a bunch of new moves and combat abilities for your character. 

Legacy of Castlevania is split between a free and a paid offering. All players get the chance to go up against Belmont and gain the whip, alongside which is a premium pack of cosmetic DLC. And here's where things start cooking with the pack focused on applying the Castlevania aesthetic to your castle, among other things: it contains decor, character customization options inspired by Castlevania characters, and a new skeletal mount. As if that wasn't enough you can set Castlevania music playing in your castle, with two classic themes reimagined by V Rising composer Aleksandria Migova.

«We're all big fans of Castlevania, so being able to actually create original Castlevania content in our game is a dream come true,» says Stunlock CEO Rickard Frisegård. «I want to express a heartfelt thank you to our friends at Konami for the chance to bring Castlevania to the V Rising universe. This has been an opportunity for us to channel our love and effort for