PS5 date set for The Relic: First Guardian as combat reimagined

Project Cloud Games has confirmed a PS5 release date for The Relic: First Guardian, partnering with Perp Games to launch the title on May 26, 2026. Studio representative Inhyuk Park outlined how the action RPG reframes combat and progression around memory, not stats. The team positions the experience as a quiet, folktale-like journey through a world of lost voices. Players will explore traces of those who lived before, piecing together stories rather than chasing conventional heroics.

Release snapshot – what’s locked in

Below is a quick overview of the confirmed launch details and partners. The studio shared this information via its official blog announcement.

A world shaped like a folktale

The Relic: First Guardian leans into understated storytelling – environments are dotted with small objects that carry heavy histories, from half-burned letters to weathered walls and pinwheels on windswept hills. The player is positioned not as a mythic champion, but as a keeper who restores fading memories scattered across the land.

“We wanted this game to feel like an old folktale told by a grandfather to a child; gentle, lingering, and quietly profound.”

Combat rethought – stamina for survival, not offense

The team has aligned combat to its narrative ethos, emphasizing expressive offense and tense survivability. Key changes are designed to support flow and player creativity.

• Stamina is never consumed when attacking – offensive actions are unrestricted, preserving rhythm and style.
• Stamina is used only for survival – defense, dodging, and life-or-death moments drain stamina.
• Skills run on cooldowns – no resource costs, aiming for seamless ability use and clear build expression.

Five weapon styles, twelve skill trees each

At the start, players choose from five distinct weapon types, each built around a specific emotional theme and its own combat cadence. Every style features twelve exclusive skill trees, encouraging hybridization and personal class identity by mixing abilities across trees.

Equipment that exists only once

The game abandons traditional loot tiers. Instead, every weapon and piece of armor is singular in the world, tied to the life it once served.

• A sword might be the final blade of a knight who defended hundreds.
• A shield could embody a generational vow.
• A greatsword may carry the last hope of someone who never returned home.

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Gear is not just acquired – its story is inherited.

Progression through memory, not levels

The Relic: First Guardian removes character levels. Growth comes from Relics (Runes) – fragments infused with the emotions and wishes of those who came before, reshaping skills and tempo while enhancing weapon styles.

According to the studio, each Relic “carries over 70 unique passive effects.”

By equipping Relics, players sculpt the kind of Guardian they want to be – progression is measured by experience gathered, not by a level number.

Boss encounters as the last echoes of lost voices

The game features more than 70 bosses, each framed as a standalone folktale rather than a simple roadblock. These encounters range from hunger-twisted figures to beings consumed by the Void – their narratives culminate only when confronted by the player.

Official video

Watch the announcement video here:

Final takeaway – a quiet action RPG built around memory

With a confirmed PS5 date on May 26, 2026, The Relic: First Guardian pitches a different rhythm: stamina-free offense, one-of-a-kind gear, and memory-driven growth. If you value combat expression and narrative breadcrumbs woven into the world, this is one to keep on your radar.