I am playing solo
Prioritize self-recovery, crowd control, and a soldier formation that survives while you reposition.
Tears of Metal Game Home
Current buildEarly Access · July 22, 2026
Tears of Metal Guide
Choose the hero by the battlefield job the run is missing, use item tags to reinforce that job, keep soldiers assigned to a visible lane, and test the result in a short run before spending settlement resources around an Early Access build.
Quick actions
Open the player job in front of you
Each route leads to a current table, a repeatable first-session step, or a recovery flow.
Current blockers
A build is the job the hero and battalion can repeat
Start from the problem you can name, then take the smallest safe next action.
Open route
I am playing co-op
Choose complementary lanes: one player holds pressure, one clears or controls, and both keep soldiers from becoming unattended damage.
A rare item does not fit
Judge it by the current build tag and run job, not by rarity alone. A powerful off-plan item can break the repeatable loop.
First campaign route
Test the hero job before scaling the settlement
Early Access balance and the 100-plus item pool can change. Build around repeatable battlefield responsibilities first.
- 1Choose the hero job
Frontline command, crowd break, or ranged tracking.
- 2Name one item tag
Survival, stagger, area damage, tempo, range, or soldier support.
- 3Run a short test
Observe whether the hero and soldiers perform the named job under pressure.
- 4Upgrade after repetition
Spend settlement resources once the result survives more than one run.
Game systems
Every run has two combat layers
The hero creates openings; the battalion turns those openings into controlled territory.
| System | Player job | First move |
|---|---|---|
| Hero | Direct combat, movement, item triggers, and the immediate fight shape. | Pick one role to prove. |
| Soldiers | Hold space, add pressure, and keep the battlefield from collapsing behind the hero. | Give them a visible lane. |
| Items | Reinforce the role through tags and synergies across the run. | Take the item that serves the job. |
| Settlement | Improves future runs and changes the cost of experimentation. | Invest after a route repeats. |
Risk board
Early Access builds need a retest budget
When a row says “Check in game,” confirm it before spending rare resources or changing an important save.
- Safe move
- Keep a second tag that preserves the hero job.
- Avoid
- Treating one drop as guaranteed.
- Safe move
- Assign formation and soldier recovery ownership.
- Avoid
- Both heroes chasing the same elite.
- Safe move
- Retest the job in a short run.
- Avoid
- Spending the settlement around an old value.
Guide directory
Open the page that changes the next decision
Choose the route, comparison, or tracker that matches what you need to do next.
Player questions
Tears of Metal FAQ
Answers reflect the current status and check date shown on this hub.
Is Tears of Metal in Early Access?
Yes. It entered Early Access on July 22, 2026, so exact balance and item rankings can change.
Can Tears of Metal be played solo?
Yes. The current release supports solo play as well as online co-op.
What does the build finder rank?
It compares role-first build briefs by hero, solo or co-op use, item tags, and the job assigned to soldiers. It does not invent exact item values.
When should I invest settlement resources?
Invest after the hero and soldier loop performs the named job in more than one short run.