Their Flesh Is Your Weapon

MORTAL SHELL II GUIDE & WIKI

Everything you need to survive the interconnected world of Cold Symmetry's soulslike sequel — shells, weapons, bosses, builds and a launch-day FAQ.

Beginner Guide Full Walkthrough The Shells
DeveloperCold Symmetry
PublisherPlaystack
ReleaseAugust 20, 2026
PlatformsPC · PS5 · Xbox Series X|S
Price$49.99 · $59.99 Devout
GenreAction RPG · Soulslike
01

What Is Mortal Shell II?

Mortal Shell II is a standalone sequel to the 2020 action RPG Mortal Shell, developed by Cold Symmetry and published by Playstack. It launches worldwide on August 20, 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S at $49.99, and it is already playable now via Devout Edition Advanced Access. The Steam page describes it as an "adrenaline-charged, high-stakes" action RPG: you play as the Harbinger, a newly-hatched being sent to recover lost Ova and restore a fallen mother figure called the Mether.

Unlike the first game's compact, branching areas, Mortal Shell II is built around an interconnected open world — "expansive yet deliberately compact," in the official wording — that unfolds twisted landscapes, ruined structures and fog-gated dungeons without wasting the player's time. The sequel expands the shell possession hook of the original into a full roster: eight playable warrior Shells, each with their own innate abilities and personal story, scattered across the world for you to find and bind.

The headline combat change is the removal of the stamina bar. Attacks, dodges and abilities flow freely, and the real resource game is about shattering enemy posture to land critical strikes. Around that core, Cold Symmetry has layered ranged sidearms, equippable Seals, and deep weapon upgrades via Tarstones, so no two playthroughs need to fight the same way.

This wiki-style guide is updated for launch: it covers the full Shell roster, the weapon database, boss strategies, builds, the walkthrough chapter hub, collectible locations and a release FAQ — all cross-checked against the official Mortal Shell site, the Steam store page and early verified player reports.

02

Core Systems

What makes Mortal Shell II different from other soulslikes — and from its predecessor.

Mortal Shell II combat against a knight enemyCOMBAT

Stamina-Free Combat

No stamina bar. Chain attacks, dodges and abilities freely, then break enemy posture to land critical strikes.

A possessed Shell warrior in Mortal Shell IISHELLS

Eight Possessable Shells

Find and bind eight lost warriors, each with unique abilities, stats and a personal story. See the full roster →

Sidearm ranged weapon gameplay in Mortal Shell IIARSENAL

Sidearms & Seals

Powerful ranged sidearms back up melee combat, while Seals grant special abilities — some even let you tweak the difficulty.

Open world landscape of Mortal Shell IIWORLD

Interconnected Open World

One seamless, deliberately compact open world with fog-gated dungeons, beacons, and secrets that respect your time.

Tarstone upgrade menu in Mortal Shell IIPROGRESSION

Tarstones & Forging

Upgrade weapons with Tarstones at forges, infuse them with properties, and respec when your build evolves.

A boss encounter in Mortal Shell IIBOSSES

Ritual Bosses

From the Gloombound Ritualist to the Tar Golem, each boss demands a different posture-breaking strategy. Boss guides →

03

Watch The Official Trailer

Playstack reveals the release date, pricing and Devout Edition of Mortal Shell II in this official trailer. Source: Playstack (YouTube).

04

Guide Library

Every Mortal Shell II guide on this site, organized by what you need.

Mortal Shell II beginner areaGUIDES

Beginner Guide

Your first hours: how defensive play, beacons and Glimpses work, and where not to waste upgrade currency.

Read Beginner Guide →
Mortal Shell II walkthrough areaGUIDES

Walkthrough Hub

Chapter-by-chapter navigation of the prologue, Marrowkeep and the open world, with progress checkpoints.

Open Walkthrough →
Mortal Shell II shell rosterROSTER

All Shells

The complete roster of eight playable warriors — locations, abilities and story, including a dedicated Proxima build page.

See All Shells →
Mortal Shell II weapon showcaseDATABASE

Weapon Database

All melee weapons from the Iconoclast to the Clockwork Scythe, plus sidearms and where to find them.

Browse Weapons →
Mortal Shell II boss arenaCOMBAT

Boss Guides

Every boss and mini-boss strategy: attacks to punish, posture windows, and the rewards each one drops.

View Boss Guides →
Mortal Shell II build and equipmentBUILDS

Builds

Shell + weapon + Tarstone + Seal combinations, from the entry-level stamina-free brawler to late-game damage setups.

Explore Builds →
Mortal Shell II map and beaconsWORLD

Map & Collectibles

Beacons, fog-gated dungeons, map fragments and missable loot — tracked area by area.

Open The Map →
Mortal Shell II PC settingsPC HELP

System Requirements

Minimum specs, SSD requirements and what to check before launch day.

Check Requirements →
05

Mortal Shell II FAQ

Answers to the questions players ask most, updated for the August 20 launch.

When does Mortal Shell II release?

Mortal Shell II launches worldwide on August 20, 2026 for PC (Steam), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Devout Edition pre-orders already have Advanced Access, up to 72 hours ahead of the general release.

How much does Mortal Shell II cost?

The Standard edition is $49.99 / €49.99 / £39.99. The Devout Edition is $59.99 / €59.99 / £47.99 and includes eight Obsidian Shell skins plus early access. A PS5 collector's Revered Edition with artbook, steelcase and fine art prints was announced and is sold out in most territories.

How many Shells are there in Mortal Shell II?

The official site confirms eight playable Shells. Player reports name them as Proxima the Broodseeker, Tiel the Acolyte, Eredrim the Venerable, Gragu, Smert, Genessa, Lazlo and Sariel; the prologue hands you Harros the Vassal before the world opens up. See the full Shell roster.

Does Mortal Shell II have difficulty modes?

There are no traditional difficulty settings. Instead, special items let you reshape the challenge — one makes executions refill your health, another removes daylight entirely for a much harder run. The Slayer Seal is the best-known "easier run" option.

Is Mortal Shell II a direct sequel to Mortal Shell?

It is a standalone sequel. New protagonist (the Harbinger), new interconnected open world, and a new roster of eight Shells. You do not need to have played the 2020 original, though returning players will recognize the shell-binding core and some familiar names.

Is Mortal Shell II multiplayer or co-op?

No — Mortal Shell II is strictly single-player. The Steam store page lists Single-player as its only gameplay category.

Does Mortal Shell II support Chinese?

Yes. Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese subtitles are both supported, along with English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Korean and Ukrainian. English is the only language with full audio.

How long is Mortal Shell II?

No official playtime has been published. Early full-game playthrough videos run roughly 13–15 hours for the main story; completionist runs collecting all shells, weapons and sidearms have been reported well over 30 hours.

What are the PC system requirements for Mortal Shell II?

Minimum: Windows 10/11, Intel Core i7-10700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB or AMD Radeon RX 6600 8 GB, DirectX 12, and 70 GB of SSD storage. Full breakdown on the system requirements page.

What is the Devout Edition?

The digital deluxe version at $59.99. It bundles eight Obsidian Shell skins (one per playable Shell) and grants Advanced Access, letting you play up to 72 hours before August 20.

What are Tarstones?

Tarstones are weapon upgrade items. You level them up and infuse them into a weapon at a forge, which changes damage scaling and adds properties. Guides consistently rate Tarstone upgrades as one of the best early investments because the benefits compound.

How does combat differ from the first game?

The stamina bar is gone. You attack, dodge and use abilities freely, and fights revolve around shattering enemy posture for critical strikes. Sidearms, Seals and weapon infusions add build variety on top.

Get The Game

Mortal Shell II is available on Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The Devout Edition is playable right now via Advanced Access.

Steam Store Page See Update Log

Game data sourced from the official Mortal Shell site and the Steam store page. Shell roster and playtime figures are based on verified player reports at launch and may change as more information is confirmed.