Mortal Shell 2 has released its free beta for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, letting players experience the new Soulslike title ahead of its full release on August 20. Anticipation for Mortal Shell 2 is high among fans, with the RPG promising plenty of gory and action-packed gameplay.
Initially announced during Summer Game Fest 2025, Mortal Shell 2 is an upcoming third-person Soulslike with unique mechanics that builds on the world of its predecessor from 2020. However, the game is not a direct follow-up to the original Mortal Shell, and developer Cold Symmetry describes it as a standalone sequel instead. In Mortal Shell 2, fans play as the Harbinger, able to possess the Shells of past strong warriors. Though the RPG's release is still a few weeks away, fans can now try out its contents through its new console open beta.
Mortal Shell 2 Beta Available Now on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S
Mortal Shell 2 shared a new trailer confirming the launch of its free open beta for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles. The playtest period lets players progress through the first three hours of the Soulslike. This includes the game's prologue and an early portion of Mortal Shell 2's open world. Additionally, progress from the prologue will carry over to the full game and can be skipped at launch. Mortal Shell 2 previously released the beta on Steam in June, so now the free demo is available on all platforms.
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As a reward for playing the open beta for at least 30 minutes, Mortal Shell 2 fans can earn the Flayed Harbinger, an exclusive cosmetic that unlocks once the full game drops. The new trailer also shows off some of Mortal Shell 2's bloody melee combat with different weapons like swords and pickaxes. At one point in the video, the playable Harbinger can be seen using a musical instrument to blow up enemies. It will be interesting to see how console players enjoy Mortal Shell 2's demo, considering that the Steam open beta was quite popular with over 600,000 downloads.
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The free beta is a great opportunity for both veteran and new Soulslike fans to see if Mortal Shell 2 is to their taste. For players who enjoy trying the open beta enough to buy the full game, there will be some unique rewards depending on the edition purchased. The regular pre-order includes the base game along with two skins for the Harbinger. Meanwhile, the Devout Edition adds an Obsidian skin pack for all Shells and 72 hours of advanced access up to three days before Mortal Shell 2's August 20 launch.
Many Soulslike fans are already looking forward to the full release of Mortal Shell 2. Earlier in July, publisher Playstack revealed that Mortal Shell 2's PS5 exclusive physical edition had sold out, even after Sony had announced its decision to go digital-only in 2028. The first Mortal Shell sold over a million copies worldwide. Whether its independent sequel can achieve the same success remains to be seen.
Mortal Shell II
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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
