Tears of Metal Release & Early Access

Launch Week — July 19–22, 2026

Early Access unlocks in three days on July 22, 2026. Paper Cult's June 22 release date teaser confirmed the final PC date after the demo sunset on July 6. Pre-load through Steam or the Microsoft Store now, confirm your squad's storefront choice, and read the Launch Day Checklist for first-run priorities, Village investments after your first wipe, and co-op launch night etiquette.

Launch week typically brings day-one balance hotfixes, co-op stability patches, and Game Pass player spikes. Compare your client version with squadmates before inviting friends, and watch Steam news for cross-store party support updates.

Early Access Launch — July 22, 2026

Paper Cult launches Tears of Metal into Early Access on Tuesday, July 22, 2026 for PC. The game releases simultaneously on Steam and the Microsoft Store, and subscribers can access it through PC Game Pass via the Microsoft Store listing on day one. This is the first public paid version after extensive closed and open playtests that followed the game's Summer Game Fest 2024 reveal, which helped push Steam wishlists past four hundred thousand ahead of launch.

Early Access is not a finished 1.0 product. Paper Cult describes a polished core loop—musou combat, roguelike Emblem synergies, battalion tactics, and village meta progression—but plans to expand content, balance online co-op, and respond to player feedback over a projected four-to-twelve-month Early Access period. Price increases are planned when the game leaves Early Access, so launch-week buyers lock in the lower EA price if they are comfortable playing a live-in-development roguelike.

An Xbox Series X|S version is targeted before the end of 2026, but console players should treat PC Early Access as the first playable full campaign experience. Console launch timing depends on certification and parity work separate from the July 22 PC date announced in press materials and on the Steam store page.

Platforms and Storefronts

Steam remains the primary PC storefront with Steam Deck compatibility goals, workshop-adjacent community features through Steam discussions, and standard Steam Cloud saves where enabled. The Microsoft Store version serves PC Game Pass subscribers and standalone Microsoft purchases with Xbox ecosystem integration. Cross-play details between Steam and Microsoft Store should be verified on launch day patch notes; Paper Cult has prioritized stable four-player online co-op but storefront-specific account layers sometimes delay cross-store parties at EA start.

Game Pass inclusion on day one lowers the barrier for squads who want to try co-op without individual purchases—a significant factor for a game selling four-player online rebellion fantasy. Achievements, cloud saves, and overlay behavior differ per platform even when gameplay builds align, so friend groups should pick one storefront for the season if party friction appears in week-one patches.

• Steam — July 22, 2026 Early Access (PC)
• Microsoft Store — July 22, 2026 Early Access (PC)
• Xbox Game Pass for PC — available at EA launch via Microsoft Store
• Xbox Series X|S — planned 2026, date TBA after PC EA

Demo Ended — Saves Do Not Transfer

The public Steam demo for Tears of Metal was removed on July 6, 2026 ahead of Early Access to avoid conflicting installs and outdated balance files. If you logged dozens of demo hours, those saves do not transfer to Early Access. Progress, Emblem unlock experiments, village upgrade trials, and control settings reset on the paid client. Paper Cult communicated this clearly so players would not expect continuity from preview builds tuned for festival deadlines rather than long-term progression.

Demo feedback still shaped the launch build—elite tuning, tutorial pacing, and co-op stability—but your personal demo profile is gone. Treat Early Access as a fresh campaign, re-run the tutorial even if it feels familiar, and rebuild muscle memory on battalion commands that may have changed since your last demo session. Review scores from demo players overwhelmingly praised the combat feel and Dynasty Warriors-adjacent spectacle, which is why wishlist momentum stayed high after the demo sunset.

What Early Access Includes at Launch

Launch Early Access ships three Acts with distinct elites, hazards, and bosses—including Act 1's Gilles the Hog and escalating threats toward the Mother Dragon Stone finale region. Three playable heroes are available at EA start: Wallace as the balanced commander, Ruadh Stonecrusher as a hammer tank with ally healing angles, and the third roster hero highlighted on the wiki heroes hub. Emblem families, Charms, equipment, companions, village settlement upgrades, daily challenges, and online co-op for up to four players are in the launch feature set, with more heroes, Acts, and systems listed on the Early Access roadmap.

Paper Cult's February 2026 Ruadh reveal trailer also teased hero customization options beyond launch skins. Expect occasional placeholder text, rare crashes, and balance hotfixes—Paper Cult's Steam Early Access FAQ acknowledges these honestly. The full campaign spans more than forty-five handcrafted battlefield environments with branching map nodes. Online multiplayer is fully supported at launch but will receive stability and scaling patches as concurrent player counts spike on Game Pass. Single-player remains viable for every Act, but the game shines in cooperative battalion coordination.