Cold Symmetry’s recent statements have sparked heated discussion after players discovered that equipping the Slayer Seal in Mortal Shell 2 disables Steam achievements. Marketed as an “easy mode,” the seal grants a crushing melee punch and Break damage for ranged weapons, dramatically lowering the game’s difficulty.

Reddit threads quickly erupted, with many gamers protesting the loss of achievements while others questioned the relevance of Steam trophies altogether. The backlash highlighted how tightly modern players tie bragging rights to in‑game milestones.

In a candid interview with the Between Levels Podcast, co‑founder Andrew McLennan‑Murray clarified that the lockout was a mistake. “We wanted a separate set of achievements for the Slayer Seal, mutually exclusive from the normal run, to encourage a second playthrough with a different style,” he explained.

However, the studio hit a technical snag: the game’s disc version shipped simultaneously with the digital release, and all achievement IDs had been hard‑coded months earlier. “We realized we couldn’t change them – they were locked in on the consoles,” McLennan‑Murray said, describing how the team felt “cornered” and forced to disable achievements entirely.

When pressed about future options, McLennan‑Murray hinted that post‑launch DLC could re‑introduce a tailored achievement system, especially for players who rely on the Slayer Seal for accessibility. “It wasn’t that we planned to lock everybody out,” he reiterated, “but we may add tools later to make the game more inclusive.”

Historical Background

Cold Symmetry first garnered attention with the 2022 release of Mortal Shell**, an indie souls‑like praised for its combat depth and minimalist storytelling. Building on that foundation, Mortal Shell 2 launched in 2023 with expanded mechanics, a richer world, and multiple difficulty layers, positioning it as a flagship title for the studio.