Wednesday, 9 September 2026
Anime, manga, and games, with a take · A Yukimedia publication
← all stories gamesrelease 4 sources · Aug 18 · · Updated

Mortal Shell II Launches to Strong Steam Numbers and Critical Praise

The strong early access numbers and high review scores suggest Mortal Shell II has overcome the mixed reception of its predecessor, positioning it as a notable success for the soulslike genre in 2026.

Key Facts

  • Mortal Shell II launched on August 20, 2026, for PC (Steam), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
  • The game peaked at about 20,000 concurrent players on Steam during early access.
  • Steam user reviews are 'Very Positive' with 88% positive from about 920 reviews.
  • Metacritic scores are 84 for PC (42 reviews) and 85 for PS5 (13 reviews).
  • The open beta surpassed 1 million downloads as of August 13, 2026.

Reporting from 4 sources: 4Gamer.net, Denfaminicogamer, Automaton, Game Spark.

Mortal Shell II Launches to Strong Steam Numbers and Critical Praise

Cold Symmetry and publisher Playstack released Mortal Shell II on August 20, 2026, for PC (Steam), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The sequel to the 2020 Souls-like Mortal Shell removes the stamina system, allowing for aggressive, fast-paced combat. Players control a Harbinger tasked with recovering stolen eggs from the Undermether, using the remains of fallen warriors called Shells to gain abilities. The game features a compact open world with over 60 dungeons, eight Shells with distinct combat styles, and both melee and ranged weapons. Early access for Devout Edition buyers began August 17 or 18, and the game peaked at around 20,000 concurrent players on Steam during that period. Steam user reviews are 'Very Positive' with 88% positive from about 920 reviews, and the Metacritic score is 84 for PC and 85 for PS5. The open beta surpassed 1 million downloads. Reviews praise the combat, exploration, and evolution from the previous game, while noting some graphical issues and a complex enhancement system.

  • Devout Edition early access: The Devout Edition grants 72 hours of early play, which began August 17 per one source and August 18 per another. The standard edition is priced at 6,480 yen on PC and Xbox, and 6,490 yen on PS5, including tax.
  • Japanese physical release: A PS5 physical edition for Japan launches September 17 via U&I Entertainment Japan. A separate report notes the PS5 deluxe physical edition was hard to reserve due to high demand and may not be restocked before release.
  • Open beta performance: The beta, live since June 6, peaked at about 8,000 concurrent players on Steam and drew over 5,000 reviews with roughly 90% positive. It surpassed 1 million downloads as of August 13.
  • Review highlights: Shacknews (90/100) calls it "one of the best sequels in recent years," while DualShockers (85/100) says it "accurately understands why this genre is so loved." Saudi Gamer (80/100) flags "one of the most annoying fast travel systems in the genre."
  • Combat details: Parry timing is strict but rewarding, with "extraordinary" satisfaction on success. New mid-to-long-range weapons include crossbows and a minigun. Perfect Guard and Harden (Shell ability) support a defensive counter style.
  • Enhancement systems: Leveling requires Yin, dropped by enemies and lost on death, but players cannot allocate points to individual stats. Tearstones socket into weapons to add damage, attributes like Blood Curse, and perks. Unlocking Shell skill nodes revives the warrior's memories through audio and text.
  • Known issues: Some users report blurry rendering, chromatic aberration, and bugs. The Game*Spark review notes the abstract terminology and non-intuitive growth system may divide players, and that item descriptions remain under-explained.

Synthesized by Yomimono from the 4 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.

Mortal Shell II Cold Symmetry

More on this

Sources