Mortal Shell II Advanced Access Is Live Right Now, Three Days Before Thursday's Full Launch

If you pre-ordered the Devout Edition of Mortal Shell II, stop reading and go play. Advanced access went live today, August 17, which means Cold Symmetry's soulslike sequel is in players' hands a full three days before the worldwide launch on Thursday, August 20. The rest of us get in at the same time on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam, with the Standard Edition priced at a reasonable 49.99 dollars.

The Devout Edition runs 59.99 dollars and bundles eight exclusive Obsidian Shell skins alongside those 72 hours of early access. Whichever version you pick, pre-ordering adds a set of bonus Harbinger skins, and Playstack has confirmed the cosmetics are the only exclusives, so nobody is locked out of actual content. Collectors on PS5 also have a physical Revered Edition to hunt down, complete with an artbook and steelbook.

Video: Playstack on YouTube

A sequel arriving with real momentum

The original Mortal Shell was the little soulslike that could back in 2020, a scrappy fifteen person production that punched far above its weight. The sequel is a much bigger swing. You play as the Harbinger, possessing fallen warrior Shells, each with their own combat identity, while working to dethrone false gods across a ravaged open world. That open structure is the headline change from the first game's tight interconnected zones, and it is the thing we are most curious to see hold up over a full campaign.

The early signs are genuinely encouraging. The open beta, which covered the prologue and an early section of the open world, passed 600,000 downloads and currently sits at a 93 percent positive rating on Steam. Cold Symmetry says the beta racked up more than 6 million views across YouTube, Twitch and short form video, and the studio has confirmed that select beta progress carries forward into the full release, so those hours were not wasted.

A very crowded week for dark games

Mortal Shell II is not the only moody release this week. The Sinking City 2 launches tomorrow with its own premium early access already running, and Nioh 3's Hell Rising expansion arrives Wednesday, one day before Mortal Shell II's full launch. Fans of grim, punishing action games are eating extremely well, which also means Cold Symmetry is fighting for attention in the most crowded soulslike week of the year.

Our take: the pieces are in place. A 49.99 dollar price in a year of 70 dollar defaults, a beta that players actually liked, cosmetic only pre-order bonuses and partial progress carryover all read like a studio confident in its game rather than one squeezing its audience. The open world pivot is the real test, and by Thursday we will know if the ambition paid off.