Mortal Shell II

Mortal Shell II is scheduled to launch on August 20, 2026, with a demo available on Steam and pre-orders open, though the PS5 physical edition has been halted due to demand exceeding supply.

Synthesized from 3 Yomimono stories · updated Aug 18

Cold Symmetry and Playstack are preparing to release Mortal Shell II on August 20, 2026, following a successful open beta in June. The beta, which launched during Summer Game Fest 2026, let players experience the first three hours of the game and earned a "Very Positive" rating on Steam with 92% of roughly 4,600 user reviews positive and a peak of about 8,000 concurrent players. Some progress from the beta carries over to the full game, and playing the beta unlocks a prologue skip and a pioneer skin.

The sequel discards the original's stamina mechanic in favor of step dodges and perfect guards. It features a compact open world with over 60 dungeons, where players strengthen characters by donning the remains of fallen warriors to gain their abilities and stats. The game is coming to PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. A limited-time PC demo is available on Steam, covering the prologue and an early open-world area with about three hours of content.

Pre-orders are open for the standard edition and the Devout Edition, which includes 72-hour early access and eight shell skins. However, the PS5 physical edition's pre-orders were halted days after the release date announcement after demand outstripped forecasts. Playstack apologized and warned that restocking before the August 20 launch is unlikely. The shortage coincides with a broader debate about physical media, including a petition for continued physical game production that has surpassed 150,000 signatures and Sony's plan to end disc production for new PlayStation games after January 2028.

Key facts

Release date: August 20, 2026 ↗
Platforms: PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S ↗
Open beta Steam rating: 92% positive from approximately 4,600 user reviews, peak 8,000 concurrent players ↗
Combat changes: Removes stamina in favor of step dodges and perfect guards ↗
World design: Compact open world with over 60 dungeons ↗
Developer and publisher: Developed by Cold Symmetry, published by Playstack ↗
PS5 physical edition pre-orders: Halted due to demand exceeding forecasts; restocking before launch unlikely ↗
Original game sales: 500,000 copies worldwide ↗

Timeline

Jul 16, 2026 Mortal Shell II PS5 Physical Edition Pre-Orders Halted as Demand Outstrips Supply
Jul 8, 2026 Mortal Shell II Release Date Set for August 20
Jun 6, 2026 Mortal Shell II Open Beta Launches on Steam With First 3 Hours Playable

Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.

Facts

Release: game · 2026-08-20 · Japan and North America · 2026-08-17
Release: game · 2026-08-20 · 2026-08-15
Release: game · 2026-08-20 · PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X|S · 2026-08-18
Release: game · 2026-08-17 · Steam early access · 2026-08-18
Release: game · 2026-06-06 · open beta · 2026-08-18
Release: game · 2026-09-17 · Japan (PS5 physical) · 2026-08-18
Release: game · August 20 · 2026-07-16
Release: game · 2026-08-20 · worldwide · 2026-07-08
Release: game · 2026-06-06 · Steam · 2026-06-06
Release: game · later in 2026 · PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S · 2026-06-06
Noted: beta surpassed one million downloads · 2026-08-15
Noted: beta available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S · 2026-08-15
Noted: Devout Edition offers up to 72 hours of advance access · 2026-08-15
Noted: peak concurrent player count on Steam during early access is about 19,000 · 2026-08-18
Noted: Steam user reviews at 88% positive out of 920, earning a 'Very Positive' status · 2026-08-18
Noted: Metacritic score is 84 based on 37 reviews · 2026-08-18
Noted: standalone sequel to the 2020 Mortal Shell · 2026-08-18
Noted: combat system removes the stamina meter · 2026-08-18
Noted: dodging is a step dodge with little recovery · 2026-08-18
Noted: Players collect the remains of eight warriors, called Shells, to adopt their stats and abilities · 2026-08-18
Noted: customize builds with Tarstones · 2026-08-18
Noted: open beta peaked at about 8,000 concurrent players and held a 91% positive rating from about 5,600 reviews · 2026-08-18
Announced: PS5 physical edition pre-orders halted · 2026-07-16

Connections

Produces of: cold symmetry

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Claim activity

When a claim about Mortal Shell II was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.

Confirmed game 2026-06-06 open beta 3d ago · source

All coverage

Aug 18

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.

Aug 17

This Week's New Game Releases Include Mortal Shell II and STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT

This week's new game releases in Japan and North America are headlined by two major titles on August 20: the soulslike action RPG Mortal Shell II and the remake STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT. Mortal Shell II launches on Steam, PS Store, and Xbox Store for 6,480 yen, with Devout Edition early access starting August 17. It is set in a ruined world where the corpse of a fallen goddess became the foundation of faith; players become a Harbinger who dons the remains of warriors called Shells to inherit their abilities, combat styles, and memories. STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT is a complete remake of the 2009 Xbox 360 original, with characters, backgrounds, and event stills redrawn from line art and all in-game voices re-recorded. It is based on the STEINS;GATE ELITE scenario with adjusted pacing, and costs 6,380 yen on Steam, PS Store, and My Nintendo Store. Other notable releases this week include The Sinking City 2 and Starsand Island on August 18, plus Bubble Bobble Sugar Dungeon Boost and RyzaChat: AI Ryza on August 20.

Aug 15

Mortal Shell II Beta Passes One Million Downloads Ahead of August 20 Launch

Publisher Playstack and developer Cold Symmetry announced that the beta for Mortal Shell II has surpassed one million downloads. The beta is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The full game launches August 20, with a Devout Edition offering up to 72 hours of advance access.

Jul 16

Mortal Shell II PS5 Physical Edition Pre-Orders Halted as Demand Outstrips Supply

Playstack has apologized for the PS5 physical edition of Mortal Shell II being unavailable for pre-order due to demand exceeding forecasts. The company warned that restocking before the August 20 release is unlikely. The shortage comes amid ongoing debate about physical media, with a petition for continued physical game production surpassing 150,000 signatures and Sony planning to end disc production for new PlayStation games after January 2028.

Jul 8

Mortal Shell II Release Date Set for August 20

Publisher Playstack and developer Cold Symmetry have announced that Mortal Shell II, the sequel to the 2020 souls-like dark action RPG, will launch on August 20, 2026. The game is coming to PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Pre-orders are now open for the standard edition and the Devout Edition, which includes 72-hour early access and a set of eight shell skins. A limited-time PC demo is available on Steam, allowing players to carry over some progress to the full game. The demo covers the prologue and the early open-world area, offering about three hours of content. The game features a compact open world with over 60 dungeons, a combat system that removes stamina in favor of step dodges and perfect guards, and the ability to don the remains of fallen warriors to gain their abilities and stats. The open beta, which ran in June, earned a "Very Positive" rating on Steam, with 92% of approximately 4,600 user reviews positive and a peak of about 8,000 concurrent players. Mortal Shell II is the studio's first major sequel after the original game sold 500,000 copies worldwide.

Jun 6

Mortal Shell II Open Beta Launches on Steam With First 3 Hours Playable

Playstac launched an open beta for the dark action RPG 'Mortal Shell II' on Steam on June 6, 2026, during the Summer Game Fest 2026 digital event. The beta lets players experience the first three hours of the full game, and some progress carries over to the final release. Playing the beta also unlocks a skip of the prologue in the full version and grants a pioneer skin. The game is a sequel to the 2020 title 'Mortal Shell' and is described as an open-world single-player action RPG. It features a compact world with over 60 dungeons, where players strengthen characters through exploration and take on high-difficulty battles. The full version is scheduled for release later in 2026 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Japanese language support is already included in the beta.