Montreal-based developer Paper Cult has confirmed that its medieval hack-and-slash co-op roguelike Tears of Metal will enter Early Access on July 22, 2026. The game launches on PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store. It will also be available on PC Game Pass, with an Xbox console release planned before the end of 2026.
The announcement puts a firm date on a project that has faced repeated schedule shifts. Paper Cult previously confirmed that the Early Access launch had been shifted to early 2026 after an earlier delay from 2025. Players who want one last look before launch should act quickly – the free Steam demo will be taken down ahead of the July 22 release date. According to the source article, the demo closes on July 6.
What Early Access includes
The Early Access version launches with three acts, each featuring distinct enemy types, elite encounters, and bosses, plus three playable heroes, village progression systems, companions, equipment, and various upgrade paths. Paper Cult has outlined the following launch content at a glance:
| Content type | EA launch |
|---|---|
| Acts | 3 |
| Playable Heroes | 3 |
| Environments | 45+ handcrafted |
| Artifacts | 100+ |
| Co-op | Yes (online) |
Combat centres on combining powers with more than 100 artifacts, letting players build new loadouts across each run. Outside of combat, players can expand their settlement to unlock new vendors, permanent upgrades, challenges, and rewards.
Roadmap and post-launch content
Paper Cult has been clear that July 22 is a starting point, not a finish line. The studio is “planning for Tears of Metal to be in Early Access for 4 to 12 months, depending on feedback from players.” Planned additions during Early Access include more playable heroes, a new Emblem Family, new companions, additional equipment and charms, more village content, and balance and performance improvements driven by community feedback. The studio has also noted that “the price of the game will increase after Early Access.”
The road to this date
Tears of Metal has built considerable anticipation since its debut. The game has garnered over 400,000 Steam wishlists since its reveal at Summer Game Fest in June 2024. An Xbox platform announcement came at the ID@Xbox Showcase, where Paper Cult confirmed the game was heading to Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass, the Microsoft Store, and Steam. Paper Cult, founded in 2014 in Montreal, previously released the critically acclaimed action game Bloodroots.
Setting and story
Set on a Scottish island under siege, players lead a battalion of Scottish soldiers across battlefields filled with enemy forces while investigating the Dragon Stone Meteor and the invasion that followed its arrival. Tears of Metal supports both solo play and co-op.
Pricing and availability
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Tears of Metal enters Early Access on July 22, 2026 – grab your key for [price] and lock in the launch price before Paper Cult raises it post-Early Access.
For deal hunters, the Steam note that the price will rise after Early Access makes a launch-day key a smarter buy than waiting for a sale that may still land above the current rate. With 400,000 wishlists and a Game Pass day-one inclusion pulling in a wide audience, Paper Cult is set up to gather exactly the feedback it needs to shape the full release.