Write Warz News

[p]Hey Word Warriors,

We discovered a pesky bug in our last build that was causing some major performance issues with one of our plot point events in the Horror Theme. So for now we have removed Moonlit Inspiration while we take some time and interrogate this joker in the back room.

Also added a few other small fixes:
[/p]

• [p]Removed Moonlit Inspiration from Plot Point rotation in Horror theme until fix can be added[/p]

• [p]Had a bug where some resolution settings weren't being saved locally on your devices. - Fixed[/p]
• [p]Added more local safeguards to our custom AI system in case of outages [/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]If you run into any other issues please let us know on our Discord www.discord.gg/writewarz[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Thanks
~Boltz Entertainment[/p]

[p]Major Updates[/p][p]Polish, Fixes, and Fresh Starts[/p][p]We continue to steer Write Warz further into the easy-to-understand, chaotic party experience we’ve always wanted it to be — while cleaning up more systems under the hood.[/p][p]General Improvements & Fixes[/p]

• [p]Steam now properly restarts the game if you try to launch while not logged in. (We promise, it won’t just stare at you anymore.)[/p]
• [p]Fixed alignment issues with Bumbly outside of 16:9 resolutions.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the missing tooltip from Pirate Word Bounties. (Pirate life’s tough enough without tooltips mutinying.)[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where players who had negative points mid-game had their totals miscalculated at intermission.[/p]
• [p]Player ability hints now render beneath the main action to avoid blocking sentences mid-vote.[/p]
• [p]Optimized texture loading and memory cleanup across themes for better stability.[/p]
• [p]Removed unnecessary backend calls for faster loading between rounds and into the main menu.[/p]
• [p]Blue font is now white — because readability > nostalgia.[/p]

[p]Reminder that there is only 5 days left of our awesome LTM Bumbly's Rockin' Adventure! Get your unlocks in while you can![/p][hr][/hr][p]Mode Changes & Retools[/p][p]Round Robin (Removed… for now)[/p][p]Round Robin, our experimental community asynchronous mode, is taking a break.
Right now, it’s more “write into the void” than “round robin,” so we’re pulling it for a full rework.
When it returns, it’ll be a streamlined, turn-based asynchronous story mode for small private groups in the custom game modes section:[/p]

• [p]No characters.[/p]
• [p]No events.[/p]
• [p]Just pure, fast-paced, turn-by-turn storytelling.
  [/p]

[h3]Pirate and Horror changes:[/h3][p][/p][p]As we continue to refine the game into the ultimate party experience we need to trim the fat a little bit. As cool as we thought some of these things below were, they were either confusing to new players or just didn't land. Sometimes when developing a game and playing it 10 million times we lose that "new player perspective". As feed back keeps coming it we will keep fine tuning though!
[/p][p]Pirate Adjustments[/p]

• [p]Removed Plot Points and the Prequel Word System for now.[/p]
• [p]Sea Shanties are being retired.[/p]
• [p]Cannon Mayhem, Shops, and Economy remain, because explosions + capitalism = fun.[/p]
• [p]Pirate UI cleaned up, pearls and fish sent overboard.[/p]
• [p]Pirates still unlockable after one Horror game completion for new players.[/p]

[p]Horror Adjustments[/p]

• [p]Removed Cursed Manuscript (reverse typing) and Witching Hour (timed chaos) — too punishing for new players.[/p]
• [p]Retaining smaller, easier-to-understand mini-games while retooling AI “Plot Point” prompts to add twists more often.[/p]
• [p]Tiny AI makeover: Horror stories will now inject a major scary twist in the middle of the action.[/p]

[hr][/hr][p]Optimization — Phase 3 Progress[/p][p]Phase 3 of our 5-phase optimization plan is now underway.
This round focuses on:[/p]

• [p]Reducing texture sizes and memory overhead.[/p]
• [p]Improving garbage collection between rounds.[/p]
• [p]Faster transitions back to the main menu after games.
  We’re aiming for smoother performance across all machines and paving the way for future platforms.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h3]The Future of Write Warz[/h3][p]We’ve hinted at it before, but here’s where things are going — and it’s BIG.
Write Warz is evolving into our own twist on the Jackbox-style party format:
each theme acts like a party pack, remixing the core game with new mechanics, tone, and chaos.[/p][p]So, to make it easier to understand and more rewarding to play, we’re officially classifying all themes into Common, Rare, and Legendary tiers.[/p][hr][/hr][p]COMING NEXT MONTH — “Common” Themes Update[/p][p]Our next mega update will launch a massive pack of brand-new Common themes — all free for every player.[/p][p]These will be designed as perfect entry points for new players while still packed with Write Warz humor and energy.
Each Common theme includes one Theme Modifier and one Event to keep things snappy, funny, and replayable.[/p][hr][/hr][p]NEW COMMON THEMES[/p][p]Dystopian — Survive the End

[/p][p]Theme Modifier: Bonus words replaced with scrambled “Survival Words.”
Successfully unscramble and use one and it “levels up”  higher tiers mean more power in the final event.[/p][p]Event: The Word Wave.
You’ll face literal waves of words hurtling toward you. Higher-tier survivors get advantages. Fail, and you perish. Survive, and rack up enough points to flip the leaderboard in one dramatic ending.[/p][hr][/hr][p]RPG — Relics, Quests, Chaos[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Theme Modifier: Each player begins with a random Artifact of Power that changes how they write.
Character abilities are disabled — it’s all about adapting to your relic.[/p][p]Event: Goblins Attack!
Every player faces a typing duel where goblins throw words at you. Fastest fingers win the round, and the top performers get to swap relics.[/p][hr][/hr][p]Sci-Fi — “Space. The Final Font.”[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Theme Modifier: Join your AI-driven crew and explore procedurally generated missions across the galaxy.
Will you fix the ship, find new worlds, or just argue over whose turn it was to flush the cryo toilet?[/p][p]Event: Crew Points Challenge.
Earn points by writing as a team. The better your cooperation, the more successful your mission. (Don’t let Chad from Engineering tank the story again.)[/p][hr][/hr][p]Superheroes — POW! BAM! WRITE![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Theme Modifier: Bonus words are replaced with Onomatopoeias — classic comic action words like “THWACK” and “ZAP.”
We also add SUPER TAGS — themed words you must write around every few rounds.[/p][p]Event: Superhero Trivia!
Show off your comic knowledge and prove who’s the real hero (or villain) in your group. Expect laughter, betrayal, and maybe an origin story or two.[/p][hr][/hr][p]Western — Guns, Grammar, Glory[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Theme Modifier: Each round, one player is placed on a Wanted Poster.
If other players use their name in a sentence and it earns votes, they’ll collect the bounty.
Normal bonus words are disabled, bounty hunting is the new way to earn big.[/p][p]Event: Word Poker.
Brand new original take on Texas Holdem. Better start practicing 😉[/p][hr][/hr][p]Current Themes: RARE & LEGENDARY[/p][p]Our existing Horror and Pirate themes will now be reclassified as Rare, since they include layered mechanics, events, and mini-games that go beyond the “Common” core.
They’re sticking around, just with clearer progression and onboarding paths.[/p][p]And yes…
Our first Legendary DLC, Elves vs Samurai, is still on the way. 
We’re delaying the release slightly to focus on polishing these huge core updates first, so that when it launches, it’s the epic crossover event you deserve.[/p][hr][/hr][p]Additional Announcements[/p]

• [p]A brand-new Theme Selector UI will debut alongside the Common update, showing detailed theme info, difficulty tiers, and unlock requirements.[/p]
• [p]Every theme will include a fun animated tutorial, so new players instantly understand what’s happening.[/p]
• [p]Character Abilities will be temporarily disabled next update as we completely rebuild the system from scratch for consistency across themes.[/p]
• [p]Continued optimization work: We aim to complete Phases 3–5 by the next major update.[/p]

[hr][/hr][p]Devgamm contest winner announcement[/p][p]Congrats to SalmonDabarn in Discord! With his awesome support in voting for us in this event he has locked down his own copy of the next DLC Elves vs Samurai.


The Road Ahead[/p][p]This next stretch is the biggest creative leap Write Warz has ever taken. We’re simplifying where needed, enhancing what’s fun, and turning every theme into a self-contained party experience. With that being said this current patch today will be our last big update for a few weeks while we heads down all these new features.[/p][p]You’ll see:[/p]

• [p]Faster onboarding for new players.[/p]
• [p]More variety for veterans.[/p]
• [p]Cleaner UI and smoother performance across all systems.[/p]
• [p]And yes — even more humor, chaos, and “did you really just write that?” moments.[/p]

[p]We couldn’t have reached this point without your feedback, memes, and thousands of wild sentences.
Thank you for helping shape Write Warz into something truly special.[/p][p]Stay tuned — the next one’s going to be huge.[/p][p]— The Write Warz Dev Team[/p]

[h3]“Write. Vote. Laugh.” …and now, spellcheck like a pro.[/h3][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]Major Updates[/h2][p][/p][p]New Spellcheck — toggleable in the escape menu [/p][p]Our previous autocorrect was a bit… over‑eager. We’ve replaced it with a system that works like the editors you already know:[/p]

• [p]Misspelled words are now underlined in red—they are not changed automatically. Hover a word to pick from the top three suggestions; 1 click fixes it.[/p]
• [p]You can still turn spellcheck on/off from the options menu.[/p]

[p]This should reduce surprise corrections and give you control when you’re going for a specific joke, name, or stylized spelling. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Tutorial Carousel in Custom Lobby[/p][p][/p][p]We’ve added quick, swipe‑through tutorial cards in the Custom Game lobby so new players can preview and learn while waiting to fill your lobby. These are a first step toward our fully voiced, Jackbox‑style intros that will play at match start.[/p][p][/p][p]Optimization — Phase 1 [/p][p][/p][p]Stage 1 of our five‑phase optimization plan is live. This pass focuses on the Horror theme to reduce spikes and improve performance on lower‑end machines.[/p]

• [p]Engine‑level tweaks to smooth out frame pacing. [/p]
• [p]Assets and effects adjustments in Horror. [/p]

[p]Pirates and other themes are up next in this phase, thanks for your patience while we tune for mobile and slower devices.[/p][p][/p][p]New‑player flow:[/p][p]To keep the first sessions simple, new accounts must play one game of Horror or Bumbly to unlock the Pirate theme. (Returning players who’ve already played Write Warz will see Pirate unlocked on first login.)[/p][p]Pirate adds shops and cannonballs on top of the core loop—learning Write/Vote (and Character Abilities) first makes everything click much easier for new players. [/p][p]Heads‑up on upcoming Pirate adjustments:[/p][p]We’re streamlining Pirate soon and removing the current shanties (as they are now) and Pirate Plot Points to speed up rounds and keep focus on shops/cannonballs. Horror will get its own identity in tandem with this change.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]Store & DLC Changes[/h2][p]As we shared previously, we’re moving away from microtransactions and focusing on party‑first DLC. To make that transition clear and friendly:[/p][p][/p]

• [p]Currencies removed.[/p]
• [p]All lore pages granted to every player (and formatting cleaned up). (Still a known bug for the font sizing, we will get that fixed next update)[/p]
• [p]Cedric and Morgana are now FREE for everyone. [/p]
• [p]Horror and Pirate themes are free with the base game. New players MUST complete a Horror or Bumbly game first before having access to Pirates.[/p]
• [p]Elves vs Samurai launches in October as our first paid seasonal DLC (theme + 2 characters + fonts/colors and more).[/p]

[p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]Minor Updates & Fixes[/h2][p][/p]

• [p]Good Judgment: new animations (also part of the optimization pass). [/p]
• [p]First‑time setup: fixed an issue that set incorrect defaults for new players. [/p]
• [p]Keytar Hero: fixed a bug that prevented the preview from showing correctly. [/p]
• [p]Bumbly’s Rockin’ Adventure: Mad‑Tag words now highlight in the story UI (just like Bonus Words) with a special color/animation so those chaotic contributions are easy to spot. [/p]
• [p]Character Abilities: fixed a bug that could trigger issues after multiple back‑to‑back games. [/p]
• [p]Main Menu load time: removed excess geometry to speed up entry.[/p]
• [p]Loading flow: reduced unnecessary server calls.[/p]

[p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]Default Settings Tweaks[/h2][p][/p]

• [p]Extra Time: enabled by default. [/p]
• [p]Single‑Round Voting: now the default.[/p]

[p]We’ve heard you—more time helps groups of mixed typing speeds. We plan to add additional time options in a future patch; that requires re‑timing music and a few other systems first.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]What’s Next[/h2][p][/p][p]Phase 1 optimization continues across Pirate and other themes, plus new fully voiced tutorials and the Elves vs Samurai DLC prep. Keep the feedback coming—your suggestions directly shape this party game’s future. [/p][p]Thank you for the love and support while we level Write Warz up into a top‑tier party experience.[/p][p][/p][p]—The Write Warz Dev Team[/p]

[h3]Write Warz v1.04.00 – Bumbly’s Rockin’ Adventure (Live Today)
[/h3][p][/p][p]Patch 1.04.00 is live with our first Limited-Time Mode, a new rhythm mini-game, fresh quests & unlocks, and an update on how Write Warz will grow from here.[/p][p][/p][h3]At a Glance[/h3]

• [p]LTM: Bumbly’s Rockin’ Adventure — Sept 17 → Oct 15, 2025[/p]
• [p]Loop: Mad‑Tags → Writing → Voting (yellow = other players’ tags)[/p]
• [p]Mini‑game: Keytar Hero with streak multipliers and Awesome Mode[/p]
• [p]5 LTM quests with character/cosmetic rewards[/p]
• [p]Systems update: clearer seasonal model, marketplace changes, matchmaking removed (for now)[/p]

[h3]LTM — Bumbly’s Rockin’ Adventure[/h3][p]Bumbly formed a band and needs you to help tell his story.[/p][p]How it works[/p][p][/p][p][/p]

1. [p]Mad‑Tags: Fill out categories with hilarious answers.[/p]
2. [p]Writing: Build your sentence around the shown category—we’ll swap in someone else’s Mad‑Tag for surprise comedy.[/p]
3. [p]Voting: Wipe the tears of laughter and vote for the best sentence. Yellow words are inserted tags from other players. Pro tip: Good Judgment multipliers can stack up to 3×.[/p]

[h3]New mini‑game — Keytar Hero[/h3][p][/p][p][/p]

• [p]Match letters/words to an original synthwave beat.[/p]
• [p]Build streaks for multipliers.[/p]
• [p]Trigger Awesome Mode to 2× your points.[/p]
• [p]Top 3 finishers get extra points each game. (Also: winning this is one of the LTM missions!)[/p]

[h3]Quests & Unlocks (event‑limited)[/h3]

• [p]Win a game: Unlock Bumbly as a permanent character.[/p]
• [p]Place 1st in Keytar Hero: Unlock a special space‑tour banner.[/p]
• [p]Have your Mad‑Tags used 10 times: Unlock a brand‑new font.[/p]
• [p]Play with at least 3 human players: Unlock a new “Awesome” font color.[/p]
• [p]Play 5 games of Bumbly’s Rockin’ Adventure: Unlock an alternate Bumbly skin.[/p]

[p]For a more in-depth look at our new theme check out our update/ tutorial here

[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][h3]Systems Update & Direction[/h3][p]Dev Comment: Early Access is an adventure. Write Warz is at its best as a party game—friends laughing and celebrating wild sentences. We’re steering toward that experience and a sustainable way to support it.[/p][p]What’s changing now[/p]

• [p]Matchmaking removed (for now). We’re designing around groups of friends. Bots remain in Custom Games to fill seats.[/p]
• [p]Writing Pass and Marketplace disabled while we transition.[/p]
• [p]Horror and Pirate themes remain free as a base to play.[/p]

[p]What’s coming next[/p]

• [p]Starting in October, seasonal themes (beginning with Elves vs Samurai) become DLC. Each pack bundles what used to be the grind—fonts, colors, characters, emotes—so you get everything instantly.[/p]
• [p]Only the host needs to own a DLC for the whole lobby to play that theme.[/p]
• [p]Pirate theme items will be granted next season, so purchases are disabled to avoid wasted spend.[/p]
• [p]The Marketplace will return later focused on cosmetic bundles (skins & fonts), and we’re removing both in‑game currencies.[/p]
• [p]We’re building phone play (Jackbox‑style): host on a computer, friends join from their phones.[/p]
• [p]Season 2 tease: a Dungeons‑and‑Dragons‑themed season is already in motion.[/p]

[h3]Thank you[/h3][p]Thanks for sticking with us through the experiments. These changes are about delivering the joyful party‑game nights you’ve already had, while giving us a sustainable path to keep shipping new themes, characters, and modes. Tell us what works, what doesn’t, and what you want next—join us on Discord, and if you’re enjoying the direction, a Steam review helps a lot.[/p][p]—The Write Warz Team[/p]

[h3]What’s new in v01.03.05[/h3]

[h2]Bonus Words 2.0 (multiplier scoring)[/h2]



Bonus Words aren’t a novelty anymore—they’re a strategy. When you build your sentence around Bonus Words and receive at least 2 votes, you’ll earn:

• 1st word: +10 points
  
• 2nd word: +20
• 3rd word: +40
  That’s +70 points for three in a round. Any words beyond the third (super rare) are +10 each.
  

We also added a new announcement effect when you land a Bonus Word so the moment feels tactile, funny, and satisfying.

[h2]How to get Bonus Words[/h2]

• Character abilities can grant (or remove) them—timing abilities matters more now.
  
• Catch-up rule: if you’re in the bottom half, you’ll always have at least 2 Bonus Words tied to your character’s lore.
  
• Themes: some themes hand out more. In Pirate, you can buy up to 3 words at each port—now very valuable.
  

Please tell us how this feels—we’ll keep tuning based on your feedback.

Other improvements

• More consistent text rendering while typing
  
• Fixed unintended “vote for yourself” bug
  
• Faster gold distribution when lots of gold is awarded (Pirate)
  
• Pirate gold conversion now always converts all gold to points
  
• Fixed ink blob animations throughout menus
  
• Fixed Scriptorium shadows across resolutions
  
• Reduced duration/particle count for Pirate gold-earn VFX
  
• Clearer bundle rotation in Marketplace
  
• Fixed scrolling issues (Escape menu, Lobby, Market)
  
• Fixed tooltip spam that showed “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”
  
• Fixed rare story display bug with very long words/sentences
  
• Fixed redeem code button missing in certain cases
  

[h2]Coming up:[/h2]





Everyone plays as Bumbly. Start with a Mad Libs–style Madtag sheet, write around your tags, and during voting someone else’s tag can replace yours for maximum chaos. If your tag appears in the winning sentence, you also score. Then jump into Keytar Hero, our synthwave typing mini-game.
Limited-time: runs ~1 month starting Sept 16. Unlockable content (including Bumbly) during the event.





Teams split into Elves and Samurai. Tight votes can trigger duels to swing the round, and you’ll earn War Points for your side. At game end, the faction with the most War Points gets a big bonus that can flip the outcome.

[h2]From the team: where we’re headed (and why)[/h2]

We’ve been honest that Early Access is an adventure. Write Warz started as a competitive writing game with a light, cosmetics-only economy. Along the way we learned two big things: 1) the systems we built around progression and monetization didn’t land the way we hoped, and 2) the game absolutely shines when it’s treated like a party game, friends laughing, tossing lines back and forth, and celebrating the clever (or unhinged) sentence that wins the round.

So we’re steering toward what feels best to play and most sustainable to support.

First, the good news for anyone jumping in: Horror and Pirate will remain free so there’s always a base set of themes you can enjoy without spending a dime. Starting with Elves vs Samurai in October, our new seasonal themes will be DLC. We bundle everything that used to be a grind including fonts and colors, characters, emotes etc. So if you pick up a theme you get the full package instantly. It’s cleaner, clearer, and it lets us fund more of the content you actually play.

We’re also making this easier for groups: only the host needs to own a DLC for everyone to play that theme together. If there are six of you, get one friend to grab the pack and the whole table can jump in. We’ll still have a few bigger cosmetic bundles in the store, but most new goodies will live inside each seasonal theme where they belong.

Another change: for now, we’re putting matchmaking on the shelf. The best sessions we see are with friends—online or in the same room—so we’re designing around that. Bots remain in Custom Games to fill a seat or two, and we’ll keep listening if you want other ways to find players later.

To make party nights even easier, we’re heads-down on phone play. The goal is simple: host on a computer (more platforms to come), and let everyone else join from their phones, Jackbox-style. This takes engineering time, and we want to do it right, but it’s a top priority for the next few months.

Finally, a small tease: pieces are already falling into place for Season 2, a Dungeons-and-Dragons-themed season we’re very excited about. We’ll share more when it’s closer.

If you’ve been with us through the experiments and growing pains - thank you. These changes are about making the game feel as joyful as the nights you’ve already shared, while giving us a sustainable way to keep building new themes, characters, and modes. Tell us what works, what doesn’t, and what you want next. We’re listening, and we’re building Write Warz with you.