The Relic: First Guardian Wiki
The Relic: First Guardian is a dark fantasy soulslike action RPG developed by Project Cloud Games -- a small, passionate South Korean team of about a dozen people -- and published by UK-based Perp Games. It launched July 31, 2026 on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam for $49.99, with Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 versions confirmed for later in Summer 2026 (no specific date announced yet). A PS5 physical release follows September 4, 2026.
A World Inspired by Asian Folklore
You play the last guardian of Arsilthus, a once-prosperous realm swallowed by a void after the destruction of a great relic. Your mission: recover the shattered pieces of that relic and seal the void before it consumes everything. Gaming Bible summed it up as "The Witcher Meets Dark Souls in Gorgeous 2026 Action-RPG," and PC Gamer called it one of the most exciting upcoming action RPGs after seeing it, praising its stylish combat and tragic bosses.
The Brutals: Genuinely Tragic Bosses
Confirmed 70-80 boss encounters, officially called "Brutals," carry real thematic weight -- not all of them are monsters by birth. Many are people who starved or were cursed into something else entirely, and one official trailer is literally titled "Meet the Brutals," underscoring how central these tragic, story-driven fights are meant to be to the whole experience.
A Genuinely Distinctive Combat System
The Relic: First Guardian makes a deliberate departure from typical soulslike stamina systems: stamina is reserved exclusively for defense and dodging, while attacks carry no stamina cost at all. Skills instead operate purely on cooldowns, with no resource consumption to manage. Five weapon types feed into 12 exclusive skill trees, letting you build a genuinely personal combat style that no fixed class list could fully capture.
Every Piece of Gear Is Truly Unique
Every weapon and armor piece in the game exists only once in the entire world -- there's no duplicate loot. Layered on top is a relic-based progression system that forgoes traditional XP allocation entirely: over 70 unique passive relic effects can be freely swapped and recombined at will, letting you manipulate attack tempo and tailor your build on the fly rather than committing to a fixed skill tree investment.
An Honest Note on Post-Launch Struggles
Since launch, Project Cloud Games has been direct about facing real technical and performance issues, releasing six patches so far with more explicitly promised. The developers' own words: "You have our time, dedication, determination, and word that we will continue to do everything in our power to be worthy of your support" -- a genuine, ongoing effort worth knowing about if you're considering picking the game up close to launch.