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.