Tears of Metal Launch Day Checklist

Launch Week — July 22, 2026

Tears of Metal enters PC Early Access on Tuesday, July 22, 2026 — tomorrow for most regions reading this wiki on launch eve. Paper Cult confirmed simultaneous availability on Steam, the Microsoft Store, and PC Game Pass through the Microsoft Store build. Over four hundred thousand Steam wishlists and overwhelmingly positive demo feedback set high expectations for launch night co-op queues and day-one balance patches.

Use this checklist whether you are a solo roguelike veteran or assembling a four-player squad for opening night. The demo was removed on July 6, 2026 and saves do not transfer — everyone starts fresh on the paid Early Access client. Pair this page with the Release guide, Platforms comparison, and System Requirements before unlock time in your region.

Pre-Download and Account Checklist

Pre-load or wishlist-install Tears of Metal before July 22 so launch-hour bandwidth does not delay your first campaign. Steam players should verify disk space (ten gigabytes minimum), update GPU drivers, and disable overlay conflicts if battalion bumpers double-trigger capture software. Microsoft Store and Game Pass players install through the Xbox app on PC — confirm your subscription is active and the EA listing shows July 22 unlock rather than an outdated demo stub.

Squads should agree on one storefront for week one unless Paper Cult confirms cross-store parties in launch patch notes. Steam friend lists and Xbox social layers do not interoperate by default. Game Pass is the lowest-cost entry for groups testing co-op, but hosts need stable upload bandwidth for four-player musou sessions.

• Confirm PC specs — GTX 1070 minimum, RTX 20 recommended for co-op
• Pick Steam or Microsoft Store as a squad — verify cross-play in day-one patch notes
• Rebind controls in Settings before leaving the tutorial — see Controls hub
• Join Paper Cult Discord or Steam discussions for crash workarounds during launch week

First Hour Priorities

Run the tutorial even if you played the retired demo — battalion commands, Emblem draft pacing, and Threat mechanics changed for Early Access. Pick Wallace for your first full campaign if you want forgiving blocks and readable combos; choose Ruadh Stonecrusher if you are anchoring co-op healing. The third launch hero suits players who already cleared Act 1 once — see the Heroes hub before locking a specialist kit on night one.

Do not chase perfect Emblem synergies in your first run. Spread one offensive family and one sustain option, keep battalion recall on an easy key, and aim to reach Gilles the Hog with at least one rest node planned. Healing is scarce by design — read Survival Without Healing before Act 2 pressure spikes.

After Your First Wipe — Village Investments

Most players wipe before finishing Act 1 on launch night — that is normal roguelike pacing, not failure. 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 tool over rerolling the same Act 1 route blindly.

Launch week patches may adjust Emblem values and co-op scaling daily. Check the Updates roadmap after each Steam news post before committing to a prestige Charm purchase. Report reproducible bugs — co-op desync, tooltip errors, controller glyphs — through official channels; Paper Cult collects opt-in anonymous gameplay telemetry to balance Emblems during Early Access.

Co-op Launch Night 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 in Settings → About, and agree on ping conventions before elite gauntlets. Mix Emblem families across the party instead of four identical burst stacks that collapse on boss shield phases.

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 launch experience for July 22.