The Relic: First Guardian Launches July 31 — Relic Weapon System and Colossal Boss Preview#
Release News#
The Relic: First Guardian is confirmed to launch worldwide on July 31, 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam), with the standard edition priced at $49.99.
It’s a post-apocalyptic fantasy soulslike action RPG developed by Project Cloud Games and published by Perp Games. The story is set in a wasteland world after the collapse of civilization, where relics of a bygone age lie scattered through the ruins — the energy inside them is both the hope of survival and the root of war. You play a Relic Guardian, uncovering the historical truth of a lost civilization through exploration, combat, and choices.
The two biggest selling points of this launch are the relic-driven weapon build system and the epic, towering boss fights. Everything below is compiled from officially released material to give players a picture of the core gameplay.
Game Overview#
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | The Relic: First Guardian |
| Developer | Project Cloud Games |
| Publisher | Perp Games |
| Genre | Post-apocalyptic fantasy action RPG |
| Core mechanics | Soulslike combat + relic collection and enhancement |
| Platforms | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam) |
| Release date | July 31, 2026 |
| Standard edition price | $49.99 |
| Languages | Simplified Chinese, English, Korean, Japanese, and more |
Core Gameplay#
Combat is built on the classic soulslike framework: rolls, blocks, stamina management, and parry timing form the base rhythm. What sets it apart is that relic skills can be woven into combat combos, opening up far more build space for different playstyles.
The game offers multiple difficulty modes. Newcomers can start on a lower difficulty, get familiar with the relic and elemental systems first, then work up to the proper soulslike experience. Difficulty can be changed at any point during the run without restarting the game, which lowers the barrier to entry.
The Relic Weapon System#
The core innovation here is the relic weapon system. Twelve relic weapon types are confirmed so far, each with its own skill tree and evolution path. You can equip two relics and swap between them mid-fight, creating unique combat combinations.
| Weapon Type | Role | Traits |
|---|---|---|
| Greatsword | Frontline pressure | High damage, wide sweeping arcs; slow attack speed but extremely strong posture damage |
| Twin Blades | Fast skirmishing | Fastest attack speed and high combo count, ideal for stacking elemental ailments |
| Spear | Defensive counterpunching | Mid-range thrusts with excellent control; can attack from behind a raised guard |
| Warhammer | Armor-breaking damage | Extreme posture damage, bonus damage against armored enemies |
| Bow | Ranged kiting | Ranged physical damage with weak-point aiming; limited ammo |
| Staff | Mage burst | Elemental spell damage with multiple elements to switch between; high burst |
| Gauntlets | High risk, high reward | Close-quarters brawling at extreme speed, with a special combo system |
| Greataxe | Charged guard-break | Sits between greatsword and warhammer; charged attacks break guards |
| Scythe | Lifesteal sustain | Mid-range arcing slashes that restore a small amount of health on hit |
| Twin Pistols | Nimble gunslinger | Fast ranged fire, can shoot while dodging, ammo auto-replenishes |
| Shield | Ironclad defense | Pure defensive weapon that blocks most attacks, with counter attacks |
| Longstaff | Stance switching | A balanced weapon with both offense and defense, plus a special stance system |
Each relic weapon has an independent skill tree containing roughly 15–20 skill nodes. Experience earned in combat unlocks new skills, and under specific conditions you trigger “relic evolution” — the weapon’s appearance changes and it gains brand-new active skills and passive bonuses.
Colossal Boss Fights#
Colossal bosses are the centerpiece of the game’s marketing. You’ll need to use terrain, elemental counters, and part-breaking mechanics to survive against opponents many times your size.
Here is the publicly revealed boss preview information, for players’ reference:
| Boss | Zone | Weakness | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Void Lord: The Firstborn | Prologue | Light | Tutorial boss |
| Bone Colossus | Plains of Remains | Lightning, head | Destructible parts: both legs |
| Eye of the Abyss | Abyssal Rift | Dark, core | Adds-summoning phase |
| Frost Giant King | Permafrost Peak | Fire, ankles | Falling ice can be used against it |
| Infernal Lord | Molten Depths | Ice, back core | Lava covers the arena |
| Storm Dragon King | Thunder Dome | Earth, wings | Flight phase |
| Old God Guardian | Forgotten Temple | No fixed weakness | Strong foe before the final battle |
| Void Lord: Finale | Void Core | None (resists all) | Final boss |
System Requirements#
| Spec | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 11 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel i5-8400 | Intel i7-10700 |
| Memory | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB | NVIDIA RTX 3060 |
| Storage | 80 GB SSD | 80 GB NVMe SSD |
| DirectX | Version 12 | Version 12 |
The recommended spec is anchored to the RTX 3060; ray tracing and high settings will demand stronger hardware. The Steam store page is already live — wishlist the game now to receive a notification the moment it launches.
What This Means for Players#
For players who love soulslike combat and build depth, The Relic: First Guardian layers relic weapons and elemental counters on top of the classic framework to inject new variables. Since the game supports switching difficulty at any time, new players don’t need to worry about bouncing off immediately — learn elemental reactions and relic pairings on a lower difficulty first, then step up gradually.
The Relic: First Guardian launched on July 31, 2026 (PS5 / PC; Xbox Series X|S on September 25, Switch 2 on October 9), and we’ve built a full walkthrough hub covering beginner basics, weapon and relic pairings, boss strategies, story, and hidden content:
- Beginner’s guide — character creation, basic combat, opening advice
- Controls — known control schemes and key bindings
- Skill system — skill nodes and talents explained
- Weapons — every weapon type with stat comparisons
- Relics — passive relics, active relics, and elemental combinations
- Boss guides — every boss’s attack patterns, weaknesses, and loadout advice
- Builds — build ideas for each playstyle
- Story and lore — worldbuilding, character backgrounds, and story analysis
- Items — weapons, armor, consumables, and upgrade materials
- Achievements — unlock conditions for every achievement
- Full walkthrough — main story progression
- FAQ — answers to common questions about the game
To dig further into the game’s systems and setting, start by browsing the hub overview page and plan out your class and relic build direction.