Introduction
If you have ever wanted to mash up the chaotic, army-clearing battles of Dynasty Warriors with the punishing progression loop of a co-op roguelike, Tears of Metal might be exactly what you are looking for. Developed and published by Paper Cult, this medieval hack-and-slash drops you onto the front lines to reclaim your island alongside a formidable Scottish battalion. Following successful playtests and high anticipation generating over 400,000 wishlists the game is launching into Early Access on PC and Xbox Game Pass on July 22, 2026.

Game Overview
- Developer: Paper Cult
- Publisher: Paper Cult
- Genre: Action, Indie, Hack-and-Slash, Co-op Roguelike
- Platform: PC (Steam), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming
- Release Date: July 22, 2026 (Early Access)
Gameplay
At its core, Tears of Metal is a fast-paced medieval action roguelike. You are tasked with carving through vast battlefields filled with hordes of enemies, playing either completely solo or teaming up with friends in 4-player online co-op. As you push deeper into the trenches to uncover the mystery behind the dark Dragon Meteor, you will unlock unique combinations of mighty powers, artifacts, and weapon synergies on every run.
However, you are not fighting alone. You are directly backed by your own Scottish troops. Between runs, the gameplay loop shifts to a strategic layer where you expand your settlement, recruit new soldiers, and grant your battalion permanent upgrades. They fight alongside you dynamically, becoming an essential tactical asset as you progress through increasingly difficult enemy waves.
Features
- “Dynasty Warriors” Meets Roguelike: Carve through massive, screen-filling waves of enemies across over 45 handcrafted environments.
- Deep Build Synergy: Combine over a hundred artifacts and mighty Emblem synergies to create distinctive, devastating builds on every attempt.
- Army Management: Recruit and upgrade your own soldiers. They gain permanent skills between campaigns, leveling up to match the rising threat.
- Settlement Expansion: Grow your village between runs to unlock new shops, buy permanent character upgrades, and access difficult challenges for better rewards.
- Solo or 4-Player Co-op: Reclaim your island by yourself or invite up to three friends to share the glory online.
Game Analysis
Paper Cult has taken a highly community-driven approach to Tears of Metal, scheduling an Early Access period of 4 to 12 months to gather active feedback on new heroes, emblems, and difficulty balance. The launch build features a complete progression loop from beginning to end across three distinct Acts, complete with unique Elites and Bosses. The blend of massive crowd-combat and base-building mechanics offers a genuinely fresh take on the standard action-roguelike formula, moving beyond simple solo dungeon crawling to make you feel like a frontline commander.

Pros
- Huge scale battles that successfully capture that highly satisfying “one-versus-one-thousand” power fantasy.
- Meaningful meta-progression through settlement building and permanent army upgrades ensures no run feels wasted.
- Excellent drop-in 4-player online co-op integration.
Cons
- Launching in Early Access means some late-game content, balancing, and polish (like complete voice acting) are still works in progress.
- The sheer volume of enemies and allied troops can lead to visual clutter on the battlefield during the most chaotic moments.
System Requirements
Minimum
- OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
- Processor: Dual Core 2.4GHz
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 or equivalent
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 10 GB available space
Recommended
- OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
- Processor: Quad Core 3.0GHz
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX Series 20 or equivalent
- DirectX: Version 11
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 10 GB available space
Similar Games
- Dynasty Warriors
- Hades
- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
- Chivalry 2
- Curse of the Dead Gods

How to Download this Game
Downloading your game is quick and easy. Please follow these instructions:
- Click the Download button to get the ZIP file.
- If the ZIP file starts downloading normally, wait for the download to finish.
- If you receive any error (such as a temporary download error, network issue, or file unavailable message), don’t worry. Wait a few minutes and try downloading the file again.
- The ZIP file should become available after a short time.
- Once the download is complete, extract the ZIP file using WinRAR, 7-Zip, or the built-in Windows extractor.
- Open the extracted folder and follow the included instructions to install and play the game.
Note: Temporary download errors may occur due to server traffic or network issues. Simply wait a few minutes and try again if you encounter any problem.
FAQs
Q1: Is Tears of Metal a single-player game?
A: You can play the entire campaign completely solo, but the game is built with full support for up to 4-player online co-op.
Q2: Is this coming to Xbox Game Pass?
A: Yes! It is launching into Early Access via Xbox Game Pass for PC on July 22, 2026, with a full console version slated to follow.
Q3: What do you do between battles?
A: Between your combat runs, you return to a hub settlement where you can expand your village, recruit new companions, and permanently upgrade your Scottish troops.
Q4: How long will it be in Early Access?
A: Developer Paper Cult currently expects the Early Access period to last between 4 to 12 months, depending heavily on community feedback and iteration.
Q5: Does my army actually help in combat?
A: Absolutely. You fight directly alongside your battalion on the front lines, and their permanent skill upgrades make them essential to surviving the overwhelming later waves.
Should You Play It?
If you enjoy the adrenaline rush of carving through massive hordes of enemies but crave the deep replayability and build diversity of a roguelike, Tears of Metal is highly recommended. The added layer of managing a Scottish battalion and expanding a persistent settlement gives the game a strategic depth rarely seen in standard hack-and-slash brawlers. However, if you prefer tight, methodical 1v1 duels like those in Dark Souls, the chaotic, screen-filling battles here might not align with your preferred pacing.
Conclusion
Tears of Metal is marching onto the scene with a highly ambitious blend of genres, easily earning its moniker as a “Scottish Dynasty Warriors” roguelike. By allowing players to slaughter hundreds of enemies while continuously upgrading their own persistent army, Paper Cult has created an incredibly addictive, momentum-heavy gameplay loop. Launching into Early Access on July 22, 2026, this is one chaotic medieval battlefield you will definitely want to charge into.
