PS5 date locked for The Relic: First Guardian – combat reimagined

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Project Cloud Games has set a firm date for its story-driven action adventure The Relic: First Guardian. The studio announced a May 26, 2026 launch on PlayStation 5, with publishing support from Perp Games. Creative lead Inhyuk Park outlined how the team pairs a folktale-inspired world with a distinct combat design. The focus is on recovering memories and lost voices, not on playing an all-powerful savior.

A release focused on PS5

The Relic: First Guardian will be available on PS5 starting May 26, 2026. The announcement comes from Project Cloud Games, which is partnering with Perp Games for publishing. The studio shared fresh details alongside the date, emphasizing narrative atmosphere and combat rhythm.

A world framed like a folktale

The developers frame the setting as a quiet, lingering tale where every trace is a final record of someone who lived there. Environmental storytelling – from gouged walls to half-burned letters – underpins exploration. The protagonist serves as a keeper of stories, restoring fragments rather than basking in heroics.

“From the beginning, we wanted this game to feel like an old folktale told by a grandfather to a child; gentle, lingering, and quietly profound.” – Inhyuk Park, Project Cloud Games

Combat – freedom in attack, intensity in survival

The team reworked core systems to match the emotional tone, separating offensive expression from defensive tension. The result is a ruleset that rewards creativity while reserving stamina for life-or-death situations.

• Attacks do not spend stamina – preserving player rhythm and style.
• Stamina is used only for survival – defense, dodges and split-second escapes.
• Skills run on cooldowns – no consumable resource costs to keep combat flow intact.

Five weapon styles and 12 skill trees per style

At the outset, players select from five distinct weapon types, each designed around a different emotional cadence. Every style features twelve exclusive skill trees, enabling deep customization and mix-and-match builds that reflect individual play preferences.

Equipment that exists only once

The Relic moves away from traditional loot churn. According to the studio, every weapon and piece of armor is unique – not a slight variant of something else. Gear arrives with a story attached, tying acquisition to discovery rather than repetition.

• A sword may be the final blade of a knight who defended hundreds.
• A shield may embody a vow guarded by a family for generations.
• A greatsword may carry the last hope of someone who never returned home.

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The message is clear: you inherit histories, not just stats.

Progress without levels – growth through Relics (Runes)

Character progression omits traditional levels. Instead, players advance through Relics (Runes) – fragments imbued with the emotions and wishes of those who lived before. The team notes that Relics provide more than 70 unique passive effects, reshaping skills, altering tempo and significantly enhancing particular weapon styles.

Relics “carry over 70 unique passive effects” that can redefine builds and combat flow.

70-plus bosses as final echoes

The game features more than 70 bosses, each positioned as a self-contained folktale rather than a simple roadblock. These encounters are framed as the last echoes of the world’s vanished voices, bringing their arcs to a close only when players face them.

Official reveal trailer

Watch the reveal here:

Final takeaway – a memory-led action journey

The Relic: First Guardian stakes out a distinctive path: attack-first combat, cooldown-driven skills, one-of-a-kind gear, level-less progression and 70-plus bespoke bosses. For players who value world-building and mechanical clarity, this PS5 release date sets the stage for a methodical, story-charged trek through loss, memory and the power of restoration.