What it is
The Relic: First Guardian is a dark-fantasy action RPG from South Korean studio Project Cloud Games, set in the ruined land of Arsilthus. It is not a future 30 September release: the PC and PS5 versions launched on UK storefronts on 30 July 2026, Xbox Series X|S followed on 25 September, and the Switch 2 version is due on 9 October. The publisher’s wider launch announcement used 31 July for PC and PS5, which accounts for the one-day difference between listings.
- UK release
- PC and PS5: 30 July 2026 on UK storefronts; Xbox Series X|S: 25 September 2026; Switch 2: 9 October 2026
- Platforms
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2
- Developer
- Project Cloud Games
- Publisher
- Perp Games
- UK price
- £29.99 digital on Xbox and PS5 at time of writing; £44.99 physical PS5 at GAME, £49.99 RRP; Switch 2 price unconfirmed
- PEGI
- PEGI 16 — strong violence and strong language
- Genre
- Dark-fantasy action RPG, adventure
- Online mode
- No — single-player only
- Perspective
- Third person
- Game Pass/PS Plus
- No inclusion announced
Story and setting
Arsilthus was once a prosperous realm, but the destruction of the Great Relic turned it into an apocalyptic wasteland and opened a spreading Void. You play the First Guardian, the last hope of the land, tasked with recovering relic fragments and restoring what was lost.
The story is built around memories rather than conventional heroic legend. Relics are fragments containing the emotions and final wishes of people who lived in Arsilthus, while environmental traces and forgotten voices reveal the lives behind the ruined world. The setting draws heavily on Korean folklore and ancient mythology, with a semi-open world of interconnected regions, ruins, hidden dungeons and lost stories. Its bosses, known as Brutals, are presented as tragic folktales rather than anonymous monsters.
How it plays
This is a third-person, single-player action RPG focused on close-quarters combat and exploration. Its defining rule is that attacking does not consume stamina. Stamina is reserved for defensive actions such as dodging, blocking and other survival moves, while skills work on cooldowns rather than a conventional resource cost. The result is a system designed to let you attack aggressively but demand careful timing when defending.
There are five weapon styles: Sword and Shield, Battle Staff, Daggers, Two-Handed Weapons and the Longsword. Each has its own skill trees, with 12 exclusive trees in total, allowing abilities to be mixed into customised builds. The game has no traditional character levels or experience-point grind. Progression instead comes through equipment, crafting and Relics, with more than 70 reported passive effects that can change skill behaviour, combat tempo and weapon specialisation. Every weapon and armour piece is intended to be a unique artefact with its own history rather than one of many near-identical drops. Up to 80 Brutal boss encounters are advertised.
Trailers and showcases
The Future Games Show trailer on 8 June 2024 introduced gameplay built around combat, varied environments and large enemies. Project Cloud Games’ own gameplay trailer, published on 15 August 2024, stressed that the footage was work in progress. The PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct trailer on 28 September 2025 showed more of the combat and world, while the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted trailer on 4 December 2025 shifted attention towards Arsilthus’s tragedies, including a fallen soldier, war-damaged villages and one of the game’s sorrowful bosses.
A PlayStation Blog deep dive published on 18 December 2025 explained the unusual stamina system, five weapon types, Relic-based progression and the game’s memory-focused storytelling. The 12-minute gameplay trailer released on 26 June 2026 concentrated on environmental storytelling, dark-fantasy locations, enemies and previously unseen content. The combat trailer on 23 July demonstrated aggressive attacks, dodges, parries, weapon mastery and boss encounters, while the Xbox launch trailer on 25 September highlighted the console version’s visual and performance improvements, Xbox Play Anywhere and Quick Resume support.
Platforms, editions and UK price
The Relic: First Guardian is available on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with Nintendo Switch 2 due on 9 October 2026. The Xbox version costs £29.99 digitally in the UK and supports Xbox Play Anywhere, cloud saves, achievements and Quick Resume. The PS5 digital listing is currently £29.99, while GAME lists the standard physical PS5 edition at £44.99 against a £49.99 RRP; the retailer page was showing the item as out of stock when checked.
The Night of the Unextinguished Flame is separate DLC, listed at £8.79 on the UK Xbox store and £8.99 on the UK PlayStation Store. It adds the Sanctuary of the Forgotten Light dungeon, a Brutal, a Relic and an exclusive weapon and armour set. A PS5 physical release is confirmed, but the Switch 2 UK price, physical availability and edition structure have not been published. No Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass or PlayStation Plus inclusion has been announced.
What we still do not know
The exact UK launch time for Switch 2 has not been announced, so there is no confirmed BST or GMT release hour. Perp Games has also not set out whether the Switch 2 edition will launch with every patch and post-launch adjustment already applied to the PC, PS5 and Xbox versions.
The game has received repeated technical, balance and quality-of-life updates since launch, and the developer has discussed further events and boss-related content, but there is no complete dated roadmap. Unreal Engine 5 is widely reported by third-party databases and technical listings, yet Project Cloud Games and Perp Games have not clearly confirmed the engine in their official game materials. Online multiplayer, co-op, PvP and local multiplayer are not supported; the store listings describe the game as single-player only.
Not yet confirmed
- The Switch 2 UK price, physical availability and edition structure have not been confirmed.
- The exact UK launch time for Switch 2 has not been published, so BST or GMT availability is unknown.
- It is not confirmed whether the Switch 2 version will include every post-launch patch and content update at launch.
- No complete dated roadmap has been announced for future events, boss encounters or other additional content.
- Unreal Engine 5 is widely reported by third-party databases, but has not been clearly confirmed by Project Cloud Games or Perp Games.
The Relic: First Guardian: your questions
When does The Relic: First Guardian release in the UK?
The PC and PS5 versions launched on 30 July 2026 on UK storefronts, with the publisher also referring to 31 July. Xbox Series X|S launched on 25 September, and the Switch 2 version is due on 9 October 2026.
Is The Relic: First Guardian coming to Nintendo Switch 2?
Yes. The Switch 2 version is scheduled for 9 October 2026. Its UK price, physical availability and exact launch time have not yet been confirmed.
Does The Relic: First Guardian have online multiplayer or co-op?
No. It is a single-player action RPG, with no confirmed online multiplayer, co-op, PvP or local multiplayer mode.
How much does The Relic: First Guardian cost in the UK?
The Xbox digital version is £29.99, and the PS5 digital listing is currently £29.99. GAME lists the physical PS5 edition at £44.99 against a £49.99 RRP; the Switch 2 price remains unconfirmed.
Is The Relic: First Guardian on Game Pass or PlayStation Plus?
No inclusion has been announced for Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass or PlayStation Plus. The game is currently sold as a separate purchase.
