A four-player co-op roguelike game is called Metal tears has started on Steam and is already earning rave reviews from fans of the genre. Metal tears attracted a lot of attention before its release, with many calling it “the shot”. Dynasty Warriors,” a nickname that has followed it to its early access launch on Steam.
Metal tears is developed by indie studio Paper Cult, best known for its 2021 beat 'em up, Blood roots. That game also received very positive reviews on Steam and was well received by critics. However, Metal tears looks set to be the studio's biggest release to date, having broken several of the team's records during its early access phase.
Check out Tears of Metal on Steam
- Release date: 22 July 2026
- Developer: Paper cult
- Genre: Co-op, Medieval, Roguelike, Hack and Slash
- Price: $24.99 (10% off until August 5th)
- Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S
Each playthrough in Metal tears means going into enemy-infested, occupied regions with an army of Scottish soldiers to liberate them. It is an action roguelike where the goal is to strengthen the protagonist and his allies while fighting against the invaders. The battle has drawn comparisons with Dynasty Warriors franchise and is brutal, recreating massive medieval battles.
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Tears of Metal game features
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Co-op and single player modes
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Action roguelike gameplay loop
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Tons of unlockable weapons, skills and buffs
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Customizable characters
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Build-crafting and permanent upgrades
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The ability to command troops
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Fast-paced combat with various melee combinations
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Handcrafted battle arenas and maps
While the hack-and-slash combat mechanics are somewhat limited, Metal tears provides variety through its construction system. During each playthrough, players can choose from various spell-like upgrades that modify their core moves, including Strike, Heavy, Parry, Block, and Dash. Combining these power-ups creates distinct fighting styles that help keep the gameplay loop fresh.
Some playable characters in Metal tears are not available in the early access build and will be added in future updates.
Developer Paper Cult's indie roguelike peaked at 4,500 concurrent players on Steam shortly after launch. It has also received rave reviews from players, with 87% of its user reviews are currently marked as positive. Players seem to appreciate the game's high replay value and chaotic melee. One fan wrote: “For its size, this game is very rich in content. Lots of things to unlock and do and keep you busy.”
Metal tears is still in early access, so fans should expect to encounter minor bugs or errors. The game was also added to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC as a day-one title for July, which is likely to help boost player numbers in the coming days. The good news is that Metal tears comes with support for crossplay. So players who get it through the Game Pass subscription should be able to play with Steam users. The feature will likely be extended to the Xbox Series X/S when the game launches on consoles later this year.
- Released
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2026
- Developer
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Paper cult
- Publisher
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Paper cult
- Multiplayer
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Online Co-Op
- Number of players
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1-4 players
