Cold Symmetry has thrown open the doors to Mortal Shell II, and the brutal dark-fantasy sequel is already making waves. Revealed during Summer Game Fest 2026 by publisher Playstack, the open beta went live worldwide on Steam and pulled in roughly 250,000 downloads over its first weekend - an emphatic show of force for an independent studio that built its name on the 2020 surprise soulslike hit.
The beta is no slim vertical slice. It hands players the opening three hours of the full game, spanning the Prologue through the first fully explorable region. It is the first proper public hands-on with the sequel, and it lands ahead of Mortal Shell II launching on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox later in 2026.
Three hours in the Harbinger's shoes
In the beta you begin the Harbinger's journey: claim your first Shells, seek out your disciples, and recover the lost Ova while picking apart the world's interlocking dungeons. The standout new wrinkle is the expanded roster of Shells - the possessed bodies you inhabit and swap between mid-fight. The full game promises eight playable Shells, and the beta lets you track down Tiel the Acolyte, one of the eight, tucked away in an optional corner of the map.
Cold Symmetry has clearly embraced discovery this time. Players can cleanse beacons, dive into optional dungeons and hunt down hidden mini-bosses before squaring up against the beta's gatekeeper, Magdalena, the Lady of the Woods. It is a structure that nods to the original's tight, secret-laden design while widening the spaces between battles.
Rewards that carry into the full game
There is a tangible incentive to push deep. Anyone who fights past Marrow Keep in the beta will unlock the ability to skip the Prologue when the full game launches - a small but welcome concession for returning players. Simply spending 30 minutes in the beta, meanwhile, earns the Flayed Harbinger cosmetic, claimable in the full release.
The download weighs in at a hefty 55GB, reflecting a clear visual leap over the 2020 original. Early impressions from the beta's quarter-million players have zeroed in on the things that made Mortal Shell click the first time: the Harden mechanic, the weighty parries, and the eerie, oppressive atmosphere - now stretched across a more ambitious world.
Mortal Shell II has no firm release date beyond a 2026 window, but this open beta is a confident statement of intent. If the opening three hours are any indication, Cold Symmetry's follow-up is shaping into a meatier, more exploratory take on the formula that earned the studio its cult following. The beta is free to download on Steam now.
