Tears of Metal Controls

How Controls Work in Tears of Metal

Tears of Metal blends fast musou-style hero combat with real-time battalion management, and your control scheme needs to handle both at once. Whether you are clearing a wave of invaders with Wallace's broadsword or ordering your Scottish troops to hold a choke point, every input should feel immediate. Paper Cult designed the game for keyboard and mouse on PC first, with full controller support and verified Steam Deck play through Early Access on Steam, the Microsoft Store, and PC Game Pass starting July 22, 2026.

This controls hub is your starting point. It explains how movement, attacks, dodges, and special abilities map across devices, then points you to detailed pages for keyboard-only players and gamepad users. Battalion commands—recall, advance, focus fire, and formation shifts—are shared between input methods, but the buttons and keys differ. Rebinding is supported on PC, and most players settle on a layout within their first few campaigns once they understand how often they switch between hero actions and troop orders.

Early Access builds may adjust default bindings as Paper Cult balances co-op readability and accessibility feedback. If a patch changes keybinds, this wiki updates the reference tables on the child pages. Always check the in-game Settings menu after major updates, because local rebinds can conflict with new defaults when the developer adds features like ping markers or expanded emote wheels.

Hero Combat vs Battalion Orders

Your hero controls cover third-person movement, light and heavy attack chains, dodge or roll, block or parry depending on the character, ultimate abilities tied to Emblem synergies, and interaction prompts for shrines, vendors, and campaign map nodes. These inputs mirror action roguelikes and musou games: you want muscle memory on dodge timing because healing is scarce and elite enemies punish greedy combos.

Battalion commands sit on a separate layer. You can direct your Scottish forces to follow aggressively, hold position, retreat to your hero, or focus a marked target. In co-op, each player commands their own battalion, which is why clear callouts and consistent bindings matter when four heroes clash on the same screen. Mis-issuing a recall during a boss phase can wipe an entire run, so practice toggling between hero mode and command mode until it becomes reflexive.

The campaign map uses yet another minimal set of inputs: confirm node selection, inspect rewards, spend resources at the village hub, and navigate Act routes. Map controls are intentionally simple so planning between missions stays quick. Detailed key lists and gamepad face-button layouts live on the dedicated pages linked below.

• Hero layer: movement, attacks, dodge, block, skills, interact
• Battalion layer: follow, hold, recall, focus target, formation hints
• Meta layer: campaign map, village upgrades, Emblem and Charm menus
• Co-op layer: ping, ready-up, and lobby-specific shortcuts

PC Platforms and Rebinding

Tears of Metal launches into Early Access on July 22, 2026 for Steam and the Microsoft Store, including PC Game Pass through the Microsoft Store listing. All PC versions share the same control options: keyboard and mouse, Xbox-layout controllers, and generic DirectInput pads where supported. Steam Input profiles on Steam Deck and handheld PCs typically map battalion commands to rear paddles or bumpers so you never release the movement stick during hectic fights.

Rebinding opens from Settings → Controls. You can remap hero actions, battalion orders, UI navigation, and camera controls independently. Paper Cult recommends keeping dodge and battalion recall on easily reachable buttons because those two inputs save runs more than any other. If you import configs from the demo period, note that the public demo was removed on July 6, 2026 and save data does not transfer to Early Access—rebinds included—so rebuild your layout once on the full EA client.

For step-by-step default bindings, visit Keyboard Controls for WASD layouts and mouse camera options, or Controller Support for gamepad diagrams, Steam Deck notes, and co-op-friendly layouts.

Accessibility and Co-op Readability

Paper Cult has iterated on control accessibility through open playtests leading into Early Access. Toggle options typically include aim assist strength for controller users, camera shake reduction, hold-to-toggle for sprint or block where applicable, and color-blind friendly ping markers for online co-op. Exact toggles can expand during the planned four-to-twelve-month Early Access window based on community feedback.

In four-player online co-op, screen clarity beats complex bindings. Many groups assign one player to call battalion targets while others focus on elite priority, but everyone still needs instant recall and dodge access. If you play with mixed input—keyboard players alongside controllers—agree on ping conventions early so you are not shouting different button names during Gilles the Hog or Mother Stone finale fights.

When in doubt, spend ten minutes in the Training Grounds village upgrade area testing bindings before pushing into Act 2 elites. Control comfort directly affects Emblem synergy execution, because many powerful builds require animation canceling or precise dodge windows. Treat controls as part of your build planning, not an afterthought.