Sword of the Sea

Sword of the Sea is an atmospheric single-player adventure from Giant Squid. As the Wraith, you cross a dried-up world on a floating sword that doubles as a surfboard, snowboard and skateboard. Your task is to bring the sea buried under sand back to life.

The game combines fast movement with exploration and a story told without long dialogue. Ruins, sunken temples and mysterious landscapes hint at the world's past.

Sword of the Sea released on Aug 19, 2025 for PC and PlayStation 5. The Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S versions release on Oct 29, 2026. On PC, the adventure is available via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

The PS5 version was also included in the game catalog of PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium at launch.

Sword of the Sea is playable on PC and PS5, and also releases for Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S on Oct 29, 2026. The PC version runs on Windows. On PS5, the game supports haptic feedback and adaptive triggers on the DualSense controller, as well as PS5 Pro optimizations.

The new console versions are released as native versions. No PS4, Xbox One or original Switch version has been announced.

The hover sword is the central movement tool. You build up speed, use wave crests as ramps, ride over walls and chains, and perform jumps, spins and grabs. The controls draw on ideas from skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing games.

Thanks to the speed, wide sand fields become tracks you can ride. In crumbling facilities and temples, by contrast, courses form with half-pipes, wall rides and hidden paths.

Austin Wintory's soundtrack is available on Steam as a separate music product. It should not be confused with another playable edition or an additional console version.

The PC version requires at least Windows 10, an Intel Core i5-9400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600 with AVX2 support, 12 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 1070, Radeon RX 5600 or Intel Arc B570. DirectX 12 and 15 GB of free storage are required.

Recommended: Windows 11, a Core i5-12600K or Ryzen 7 5700X, 16 GB RAM and a GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, Radeon VII or Intel Arc B580.

The Wraith wakes in the abandoned Necropolis. Sand dunes behave like water waves and cover the remains of a lost culture. Your journey leads through ruins, temples and shipwrecks, as well as over snowy landscapes and mountains.

As you progress, parts of this dry world turn back into oceans. Plants and sea creatures return, while new routes emerge through the revived environment.

The returning sea changes movement through the game world. Schools of fish accompany the hover sword, jellyfish can launch you upward, and larger animals like dolphins or orcas appear in the newly formed waters.

The revival of the sea is therefore not just a narrative goal. It changes the explorable areas and the routes through the landscape.

Sunken tombs, crumbling structures and old machines make up the exploration areas. Ramps and chains serve as tracks for jumps and tricks. Off the direct paths lie clues to the lost culture and further secrets.

Alongside the calm passages, there are encounters with huge creatures lurking beneath the waves.

Sword of the Sea is a single-player adventure. The hover sword responds to changes of direction, building speed and jumps. The PC version supports controllers, and the PS5 version uses the features of the DualSense.

The focus is on moving through the game world and discovering its secrets, not on a competitive multiplayer mode.

The music for Sword of the Sea was composed by Austin Wintory. Creative director Matt Nava oversees the game's visual style. The two have already worked together on Journey and ABZÛ.

The music and colorful visuals support the switch between fast surfing sections and calm exploration.

The PC and PS5 versions offer German on-screen text. English is listed as a spoken language. German dubbing is not listed in the official language lists.

Giant Squid developed Sword of the Sea. The studio is also known for ABZÛ and The Pathless. Creative director Matt Nava previously worked on Journey, and composer Austin Wintory contributed the music.

Giant Squid released the original PC and PS5 versions itself. For the Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S versions, Fictions handles the publishing.