Why Can’t I Equip My New Armor in Lords of the Fallen?

Lords of the Fallen is a visually stunning and brutally challenging action RPG that blends soulslike mechanics with dark fantasy aesthetics. As players battle grotesque enemies and navigate dual worlds, they naturally seek out stronger gear to survive — including new sets of armor.

But what happens when you acquire a shiny new chestplate or helmet and you can’t equip it?

This is a common frustration among players, especially those new to the genre or returning to the Lords of the Fallen series after a long break. Fortunately, the issue isn’t usually a bug — it’s tied to the game’s mechanics and player stats.

1. Understanding the Equipment System

Unlike traditional RPGs where you can equip anything you find regardless of your build, Lords of the Fallen follows a more stat-dependent, weight-sensitive system. This adds realism and encourages strategic planning, but it also introduces some barriers to using certain gear early on.

There are four major armor slots:

• Helmet
• Chest Armor
• Gauntlets
• Leggings

Each piece comes with a weight value, as well as certain defensive properties (physical, elemental, and magical resistance). Before equipping, the game checks to ensure your current loadout doesn’t exceed your character’s capacity.

2. Equipment Load and Encumbrance

One of the most likely reasons you can’t equip a new armor piece is due to equipment load limits. Your total equip load determines how heavy your gear can be before it starts to impact your mobility — or prevent you from equipping it altogether.

Equip Load = Total weight of all equipped armor + weaponsCapacity is based on your Endurance stat

There are four typical tiers of encumbrance:

If you attempt to equip an armor piece that puts your total above 100% of your allowed equip load, the game will prevent you from equipping it.

Solution:Increase your Endurance stat to boost max equip load, or remove some gear (like a heavy weapon or shield) to make room.

3. Class and Stat Limitations

While armor doesn’t have rigid class restrictions like some traditional MMORPGs, your starting class may influence the kind of gear you’re able to effectively use early on.

For example:

• A Udirangr Warwolf may start with higher endurance, enabling heavier armor sooner.
• A Pyric Cultist or Orian Preacher may focus on magic, limiting strength/endurance growth.

Even if you can technically equip the armor, doing so may hinder your performance (due to slower dodges or lack of synergy with your build).

4. You’re Trying to Equip from the Inventory, Not the Gear Menu

It might sound obvious, but Lords of the Fallen doesn’t allow you to equip armor directly from your inventory list.

To equip armor correctly:

• Open the Character Menu (typically with Options/Menu button)
• Navigate to Equipment
• Choose the appropriate armor slot
• Scroll through your owned gear and select the desired piece

Trying to equip armor by clicking it from the inventory list (where items are just listed in bulk) won’t work and can cause confusion.

5. Item Condition or Cursed Gear

While rare, some gear in Lords of the Fallen may be:

• Damaged or cursed
• Bound to specific progression triggers
• Locked until you meet certain criteria

Some armor sets are tied to quest completions, faction allegiance, or even New Game+ content. Others might be labeled as “unusable” or “sealed” if you’ve looted them early through exploits or unintended methods.

If the armor has a red X or warning icon next to it in the menu, hovering over it should reveal the issue.

6. You Picked Up a Duplicate or Lore-Only Item

Certain armor sets exist purely for cosmetic or lore purposes and aren’t meant to be equipped. In rare cases, players report receiving what appears to be usable armor from a chest or defeated NPC, only to find they cannot equip it.

Clues you’re dealing with a non-equippable version:

• It doesn’t appear in the Equipment selection menu
• It’s listed in the Key Items or Lore tab
• The item description mentions story relevance, not stats

These are sometimes unique armor sets meant to represent a past character or serve narrative flavor, and won’t function like normal gear.

7. Bug or Glitch (Last Resort)

Although relatively rare, bugs in Lords of the Fallen — especially after patches — can cause:

• Gear to not appear in the equipment menu
• Stats to desync, falsely showing you can’t equip something
• UI glitches where clicking does nothing

Steps to try:

• Reload your last checkpoint
• Quit to main menu and reload the save
• Restart the game entirely

If the issue persists, check community forums or the game’s patch notes for bug reports related to gear equipping.

8. Tips to Avoid Future Equipment Issues

Final Thoughts: Strategy Over Style

In Lords of the Fallen, gear is not just cosmetic — it directly affects your survival. If you find yourself unable to equip new armor, it’s usually a signal to reevaluate your build, redistribute your stats, or lighten your overall load.

This system rewards planning, experimentation, and patience — all key traits in a game designed to challenge both your reflexes and your resource management. So before tossing that heavy armor aside, consider what you can change elsewhere in your loadout to make room.

Mastering equipment mechanics isn’t just about power — it’s about balance. And in Lords of the Fallen, balance is often the difference between glory and a slow, punishing death.