Tears of Metal, the Scottish-flavored hack-and-slash roguelike from developer and publisher Paper Cult, is about to open its doors in Early Access. It’s a solo-or-four-player co-op game where you lead a battalion to reclaim your island from invaders digging into the Mother Stone.
Quick answer: Tears of Metal unlocks worldwide on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at 3PM UTC (8AM PT / 11AM ET). It launches in Early Access on PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store.
Release time: Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at 3:00 PM UTC
Tears of Metal release time by time zone
The launch is a single global unlock, so everyone gets access at the same moment. The Steam store listing pins the release to 15:00:00 UTC on July 22. Here’s how that lands across major regions.
| Time zone | Release time (July 22) |
|---|---|
| Pacific (PT) | 8:00 AM |
| Central (CT) | 10:00 AM |
| Eastern (ET) | 11:00 AM |
| UTC | 3:00 PM |
| British Summer Time (BST) | 4:00 PM |
| Central European (CET) | 5:00 PM |
Note: With the game this close to launch and the date already locked on the store page, a delay is unlikely.
Where to buy and platforms
Tears of Metal arrives on PC only for its Early Access launch, running on Windows 10 and up. Two storefronts carry it, and you can wishlist ahead of time to get notified when it goes live.
- Steam (Windows)
- Microsoft Store / Xbox on PC, including Xbox Cloud
The game is not launching on PlayStation consoles, and it is not part of Xbox Game Pass or PS Plus. The pre-launch demo was retired on July 6 because it no longer matched the current build, and save files from it do not transfer to the full version.
What’s included at Early Access launch
Paper Cult describes the Early Access build as the complete core experience, playable from start to finish. You get the full progression loop plus the following content on day one.
- Three Acts, each with unique enemies, Elites, and Bosses
- Three playable Heroes
- Village upgrades, Emblems, Equipment, and Companions
- Over 100 artifacts for building distinct playstyles
- Solo play or co-op for up to four players
Soldiers keep permanent skills between campaigns, so recruiting and upgrading your battalion carries forward. Expanding your settlement between runs unlocks new shops, permanent upgrades, and harder challenges tied to bigger rewards. There are more than 45 handcrafted environments to fight through.
Planned Early Access updates
The Early Access period is meant to expand the game using player feedback. Paper Cult has outlined the additions it intends to roll out over time.
- New playable Heroes
- A new Emblem Family
- New Equipment and Charms
- New Companions and additional Village content
- Balance updates, performance optimizations, and quality-of-life features
System requirements
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 (64-bit) | Windows 10 (64-bit) |
| Processor | Dual Core 2.4GHz | Quad Core 3GHz |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | GeForce GTX 1070 or equivalent | GeForce RTX 20 Series |
| DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
| Storage | 10 GB available | 10 GB available |
Online co-op needs a broadband connection. Once the clock hits 3PM UTC on July 22, the store pages flip from wishlist to a purchase button, which is the clearest sign the launch has gone through. If you already own it, the title moves out of its pre-release state and becomes installable in your library.
