The first big showing at the start of presentations like Summer Game Fest is always a treat, and this year's opener certainly didn't disappoint. Leading the trailers and announcements during the 2025 showcase was Mortal Shell 2 — a follow-up to the original 2020 title.
Like the first Mortal Shell, its sequel looks to be a Soulslike action RPG with the original's body possession mechanic that lets the player change forms and take advantage of each one's unique capabilities. It's got a 2026 release window, and was announced with a bombastic heavy metal-filled trailer you can watch here or below.
The trailer shows the heavy and committal Soulslike melee action you'd expect to see from a new Mortal Shell game, along with some wild ranged weapons like machine gun crossbows and shotgun-style firearms. It also gave us a look at the game's freaky and monstrous enemies and boss designs, as well as its grim dark fantasy world.
Mortal Shell 2 is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC via Steam, and PS5. Notably, developer Cold Symmetry plans to hold beta testing for the Soulslike on Steam, with sign-ups soon to be available on the Mortal Shell website.
I reviewed the original Mortal Shell a few months after its release in 2021, finding it to be a solid Soulslike held back by underwhelming level design (one area in particular was awful), a lack of weapon variety, and forgettable music. If this trailer for Mortal Shell 2 tells me anything, though, it's that the latter two problems seem to have been solved.
The jury's still out on improved level designs since the game isn't in our hands yet, of course, but I'm hopeful that the sequel will nail those, too. And above all else, I'm always happy to see new Soulslikes on the way, so I'm absolutely looking forward to Mortal Shell 2.
