Tears of Metal First Week Checklist

Early Access Is Live — July 31, 2026

Tears of Metal entered PC Early Access on July 22, 2026 and is available now on Steam, the Microsoft Store, and Xbox Game Pass for PC. By late July, Steam sits Very Positive with 900+ reviews (~87% positive) and peak concurrent players around 6,149 on July 25 — launch week exceeded Paper Cult's wishlist expectations. Current live build is hotfix 0.10.57598, preceded by 0.9.57408 (save recovery, Castle Records, Harold/Banshee fixes) and launch-week 0.8.57278 (Statue healing, Ruadh Banshee unlock, Crossplay disable on default branch).

Use this first-week checklist whether you started on launch night or are joining the surge now. The demo was removed on July 6, 2026 and saves do not transfer — everyone on the paid client starts fresh. Pair this page with the Release guide, Unlock All Heroes, and Castle Records once you understand the core loop.

Patch History — 0.8 Through 0.10

Launch-week patch 0.8.57278 moved Ruadh Stonecrusher unlock to the Banshee, replacing the older Gilles the Hog plus Settlement Outpost level 2 gate. Read Beat the Banshee for boss patterns before chasing hammer co-op sustain. Brienne Ironleg unlocks through a dedicated character quest — 0.8 fixed closed gates that soft-locked that path; see the Brienne guide for kit and emblem notes.

Patch 0.9.57408 added save recovery for corrupted meta saves, improved Castle Records tracking, and fixed Harold invincibility plus Iseult the Banshee movement bugs. Hotfix 0.10.57598 corrected Castle Records Charm display, commander Level 6/MAX persistence, and army dismiss behavior. Crossplay between Steam and Microsoft Store builds remains temporarily disabled on the default branch — use the Crossplay Guide beta branch if parties need cross-store play.

• Update to 0.10.57598 (or match squadmates) before co-op elite gauntlets
• Defeat the Banshee for Ruadh — see Beat the Banshee guide
• Complete Brienne's character quest when the node appears
• Use Castle Records to track unlocks; save recovery protects meta progress
• Use crossplay beta branch if Steam ↔ Game Pass parties fail on default

First Campaign Priorities

Pick Wallace for your first full campaign if you want forgiving blocks and readable combos. After Act 1 fundamentals, defeat the Banshee to unlock Ruadh for co-op healing anchors, or pursue Brienne's quest when it surfaces for a fast melee brawler alternative. Vanguard Tracker remains the Act II Environment 12 rescue unlock — save that specialist until emblem spreads handle elite shields.

Do not chase perfect emblem synergies in run one. Focus one or two clans by mid-Act 1, block more than you dodge, and read Survival Without Healing before Act 2 pressure spikes. Advanced Tips covers combo pacing, Act 2 light-spam patterns, and economy choices between Act 1 chests and merchants.

After Your First Wipe — Village Investments

Most players wipe before finishing Act 1 in launch week — that is normal roguelike pacing. Return to the Village hub and spend meta currency on Training Grounds or Scout Tent tiers before buying cosmetic Charms. Permanent soldier deaths hurt most when recruitment upgrades are still locked — prioritize Village Upgrades and the Village Priority Checklist over rerolling the same Act 1 route blindly.

Hotfix patches may adjust Emblem values and co-op scaling weekly. Check the Updates roadmap after each Steam news post before committing to prestige Charm purchases. Report reproducible bugs through official channels; Paper Cult collects opt-in anonymous gameplay telemetry to balance Emblems during Early Access.

Co-op First Week Tips

Four-player online co-op is fully supported at EA launch with no local split-screen. Host on wired Ethernet when possible, confirm all squad members run matching build versions, and mix emblem families across the party. Assign Ruadh to anchor center, Wallace or Brienne to officer pressure, and Vanguard Tracker to flank once unlocked.

Full co-op etiquette and role suggestions live on the Co-op overview and Co-op Multiplayer guide. Xbox Series X|S and console co-op arrive later in 2026 — PC Early Access is the definitive experience for launch month.