If you've been dealing with FOMO because you couldn't play the Mortal Shell 2 open beta, Cold Symmetry has a surprise for you! As of July 31st, the open beta for Mortal Shell 2 is officially playable on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, so you can finally experience the game's revamped combat for yourself.
The console beta comes just weeks before the game's August 20th release, so there's still plenty of time to test it out and catch up with Steam players. The open beta allows you to experience the opening portion of the game, experiment with the updated combat, and earn an exclusive cosmetic reward that you can show off in the full release.
Mortal Shell 2 Open Beta Available Now
Cold Symmetry and Playstack originally launched their open beta on Steam in June, but console players were not part of the club. The developers have now brought the beta to both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles, fulfilling the biggest request of their community.
The Mortal Shell 2 open beta is completely free and does not require a pre-order of the full game.
PlayStation players can find this open beta on the PlayStation Store, while Xbox players can find it on their respective console store, as well. Once downloaded, all players can experience the first 3 hours of the game. This is, of course, depending on your playstyle and how much of the world you want to explore.
Does Mortal Shell 2 Open Beta Progress Carry Over?
The progress you make in Mortal Shell 2's open beta partially carries over. Players who progress beyond the Marrow Keep area will have the option of skipping the Prologue once the game fully releases, but all of your weapons, currency, shells, collectibles, and other items will reset.
You don't actually collect any key weapons, shells, or collectibles in the Prologue area, so you won't be punished for skipping the first section of the game.
There is one thing you can bring with you from the open beta into the full game, though. That's the Flayed Harbinger cosmetic skin that you earn for playing the open beta for 30 minutes or more. So there is a benefit to the open beta beyond just testing out Mortal Shell 2 and its new combat style.
Mortal Shell 2's combat style has created some ripples throughout the Soulslike community because there is no stamina bar. Stamina bars have long been an iconic feature of Soulslike games. They introduce another layer of complexity to the combat and force players to be more calculated with their movements, reducing the viability of button-mashing your way to success.
Mortal Shell 2 is certainly not the only Soulslike to ditch the stamina bar, but for diehard fans of the genre, it could be a dealbreaker. If stamina bars are a make or break for you, this free open beta will give you a chance to see whether you still want to dive into Mortal Shell 2 or not.
Mortal Shell 2 will be tricky. Let our full Mortal Shell 2 wiki help guide the way!
Mortal Shell II
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 85/100 Critics Rec: 90%
- Released
- August 20, 2026
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Cold Symmetry
- Publisher(s)
- Playstack
- Genre(s)
- Soulslike, Action RPG, Fantasy
