Mortal Shell II

Developer

Cold Symmetry^[1]

Publisher

Playstack^[1]

Engine

Unreal Engine 5^[1]

Platforms

PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S^[1]

Release date

20 August 2026^[1]

Genre

Third-person action role-playing game^[1]

Predecessor

Mortal Shell (2020)^[1][3]

Metacritic (Windows)

83/100 (generally favorable)^[1]

Metacritic (PlayStation 5)

84/100 (generally favorable)^[1]

Development and release

Cold Symmetry developed Mortal Shell II and Playstack published it.^[1] The studio announced the game at Summer Game Fest in June 2025.^[1] An expanded development team made the sequel, which was described as a larger-scale continuation of the original Mortal Shell.^[1]

Mortal Shell II was released worldwide for PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S on 20 August 2026.^[1] An open beta ran before release; in its trailer, Playstack said the beta let players play the game's first three hours and carry selected progress into the full release.^[4] The digital Devout Edition added Obsidian skins for the playable Shells and up to 72 hours of early access.^[1]

The game's Steam store listing spells the title Mortal Shell II,^[2] while Playstack's official launch trailer uses the spelling Mortal Shell 2.^[4]

Gameplay

Mortal Shell II is a soulslike: a difficult, combat-led, single-player action RPG in the style of the Souls series, played from a third-person view and built around action-oriented combat, and a finite game rather than a live service.^[1]

Unlike its predecessor, Mortal Shell II has no conventional stamina meter, so attacks and evasive moves are not limited by stamina.^[1] Combat includes close-range and projectile weapons, guard-breaking attacks, critical strikes and finishing moves, and weapons can be modified and upgraded to support different combat approaches.^[1]

The shells a player inhabits are the series' one distinctive idea, carried over from the 2020 original.^[1] The player character, the Harbinger, takes control of eight fallen warriors called Shells, each with its own abilities and fighting methods, which can be improved over the course of the game.^[1] The eight Shells are spread across the game world, and taking control of one reveals the memories and personal story of the warrior it once was.^[1] Exploration also turns up more Shells, weapons, upgrades and story material.^[1]

The game is set in an interconnected dark-fantasy world, built as a compact open area of forests, temples, citadels and other locations, with more than 60 dungeons.^[1] The Harbinger's task is to recover stolen eggs from the Undermether.^[1]

0:49 The launch trailer The publisher's own launch trailer, posted by Playstack in August 2026, ahead of release, from its first fight.

1:29 Eleven minutes of play IGN's official gameplay trailer, published in April 2026 (four months before the game shipped), from where the cinematic prologue gives way to play with the game's own interface on screen.

Content warnings

The Steam listing warns of violence, including blood-spattered sword fights, execution attacks and period firearms, and says the game may not be suitable for all ages or for viewing at work.^[2]

Reception

Metacritic lists a Metascore of 82 out of 100, meaning generally favorable, based on 52 critic reviews: 44 positive (85%), 8 mixed and none negative.^[6] Its Metacritic user score is 7.7, from 533 user ratings.^[6]

GameSpot wrote that the sequel kept familiar Souls-like mechanics while changing their usual structure.^[1] IGN found the move to a larger-scale action RPG largely successful and its new ideas effective.^[1]

1. 2020 The original Mortal Shell is released by Cold Symmetry.^[3]
2. 2025-06 Cold Symmetry announces Mortal Shell II during the Summer Game Fest.^[1]
3. 2026-04-01 IGN publishes an official gameplay trailer of nearly twelve minutes, combining cinematics with gameplay footage, four months before release.^[5]
4. 2026-08 An open beta runs before the game's release.^[1]
5. 2026-08-20 Mortal Shell II is released worldwide for PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S.^[1]