Ultrakill has launched Layer 8: Fraud with a new trailer highlighting fresh environments and enemies. It continues Act III as the second layer following Violence.
ULTRAKILL Debuts Layer 8: Fraud With a Flashy New Trailer
The Second Layer of Act III Arrives Two Years After Layer 7: Violence
ULTRAKILL has officially unveiled Layer 8: Fraud on February 25, 2026, with a new trailer showcasing a fresh set of levels and enemies for players to fight through. Fraud was initially delayed in January 2025 due to the layer’s complex environment, requiring the team to rewrite enemy code to properly support portal interactions throughout the levels.
Developed by Arsi "Hakita" Patala and published by New Blood Interactive, ULTRAKILL is a fast-paced, retro-inspired first-person shooter centered on high-mobility combat and style-based scoring. Players control the machine V1 as it descends through the layers of Hell, with each layer introducing distinct environments and combat scenarios. Layer 8 continues that progression 2 years after the release of Layer 7: Violence.
The trailer opens on a metropolitan-style map set at dawn, showing the player approaching a building before diving into a pool that acts as a portal. Upon entering, the environment inverts into a darker version of the space, lit primarily by lampposts.
Inside the central structure, the level unfolds into a series of hallways with shifting aesthetics. From sterile office corridors and verdant killzones set within stone ruins, into a vertical free-fall battle sequence with its own thematic elements.
The footage also highlights large organic areas that appear to be contained within the building itself. Flesh-like environments lined with bone platforms appear alongside giant eyes positioned at the end of hallways or in the middle of arenas, as well as a dim chamber featuring a suspended, beating heart surrounded by bone-like protrusions.
The ultraviolent trailer concludes with a rewind effect that pulls the viewer back through earlier moments, then has the player exit in reverse from a television screen in a dimly lit room. The television then cuts to static, ending the reveal that circles back to Layer 8's first trailer released in June of last year.
Fans Are Mostly Happy Over Fraud
With over a year of speculation surrounding Fraud’s release date and a last-minute delay that briefly sent fans searching for updates—only to learn it would be released just hours later—many expressed excitement once the trailer for the new layer dropped.
Many players highlighted the layer’s spectacular visual design and expanded level structure as standout elements, with several noting that the first two levels of the new layer were particularly engaging. While reception has been largely positive, some players have expressed mixed opinions regarding the later levels, pointing to awkward traversal or clarity issues. One user even commented, "think this is what it feels like to experience motion sickness."
With Fraud's debut, Act III continues to take shape, signaling steady progress toward ULTRAKILL’s eventual conclusion as players descend toward what is expected to be the final layer, Treachery.
Ultrakill is now available on Steam, with a free demo available on itch.io. For more information on the game, check out our article below!
Sources:
ULTRAKILL - Layer 8: FRAUD Launch Trailer
ULTRAKILL - Layer 8: FRAUD First Look
ULTRAKILL - Layer 8: FRAUD Release Announcement on Steam
ULTRAKILL Fraud Development Update on Steam
ULTRAKILL Fraud Delay Announcement on Reddit
