Witchfire News

We know that labelling an update as “the biggest yet” is often overused, but we mean it when we say it: Webgrave is massive. And it has just gone live, accompanied by our biggest sale ever: 20% off.

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You can find the full patch notes in this post on our blog – click through if you’re curious about everything that’s been going on under the hood.

If, however, you’re more inclined to read about what Webgrave brings in a compact, easy-to-digest manner, this is the place for you: here are the most important things about the update.



Over the Early Access period we have been expanding the world of Witchfire by giving you more places to explore. Back in March, you found the navigation chart for Witch Mountain behind the throne room in which Dimacher resides. Today, there is one more document for you to find – one which will enable you to choose Velmorne as the destination in the portal in the Hermitorium.



Be warned – the blighted town is not a welcoming place. And while the screenshots may paint a picture of a deserted, quiet zone, once hell breaks loose, you may have trouble catching your breath.

Webgrave introduces several new types of enemies who will challenge your skills and test your might. If you watched the trailer above, you already know that Townswoman (who we showed a few weeks ago) is a rather nasty, handsy type. We have also shown you the Executioner before, but the more eagle-eyed among you may have already spotted even more new opponents patrolling the streets of Velmorne.

I won’t spoil the surprise, but let me tell you – your tier lists of enemies in the game may need to be updated once you meet your demise at the hands of these newcomers. Luckily for you, we’re not leaving you empty-handed.



The Rosary reveal seemed to have been well received, and we hope the sentiment stays when you actually experience it. It’s one of the several elements that make Webgrave a literal gamechanger.



The passive skills it offers provide a healthy boost to many gameplay aspects, and we’re sure it will take almost no time at all until you’re compiling location and usage guides for other players to enjoy.

We’re excited to see what configs you’ll come up with – and if you happen to craft a great setup, don’t be a stranger! Pop into our Discord and share it in the #builds channel.



Webgrave also brings a huge overhaul to some of the key aspects of the game.

The Workshop has been rebuilt so that it now allows you to guide the research path of gear in a more meaningful way – catering to your needs and tastes far better than before. And while we had some people moaning that it takes out the fun and the element of surprise from the party, let me be clear: it was never random.



The stats – and by extension, levelling – are also transformed. Gone are the old categories. In their place, we’ve introduced a more RPG-esque system based on Flesh, Blood, Mind, Witchery, Arsenal, and Faith.



The Ascension Shrine now presents a more comprehensive representation of what will change when you level up your character, so be sure to stop by and explore it.

Especially since the progress of those who played before has not been lost – you will be given a special item which will allow you to reassign points according to the new categories while retaining your overall level.

Gnosis hasn’t been left untouched either. We’ve added two more levels – but instead of eyeballing it in a spreadsheet and slapping new labels on what we had before, we’ve put in a lot of effort to rebalance the entire system. We added new level-up objectives in the process and made sure that you understand what levelling Gnosis up entails. It’s not a mere bump of a number on the character screen – it changes the face of the game, even more so than before.





Webgrave contains an answer to your requests for a proper tutorial for the game.

There is now a whole new level that serves as a prologue to the events of Witchfire. It introduces you to the basics and gives you a hands-on (or hands-on-weapons) experience, rather than a few prompts to read and forget.



We are also introducing a game handbook, available in the main and pause menus of the game. It’ll help you get up to speed on the UI – or remind you of what you may have forgotten if you’ve taken a break from hunting the Witch’s minions.

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To tie it all up, we’re also expanding what you can wield in the game: three new guns are joining the arsenal:

The Oracle – a sniper rifle which can ignore the presence of walls and make a certain elf green with envy.


The Nemesis – a lever-action rifle – we hope you’ll like it as much as we do.


The Koschei – a very special piece of kit which won’t just be available for research, but will require you to jump through some hoops in the form of a special quest.


And just so you had a quick guide to what’s new:

There are a lot of secrets we haven’t revealed in the Webgrave Dev Diaries published over the past few weeks, and Velmorne is waiting for you to explore right now.

If you’re still not sure whether to give the game a try: Witchfire is currently available at 20% off, for the first time ever. With all the new content and mechanics, there has never been a better time to join the hunt.

And if you’re already the owner of the game?

Go ahead, download the update and grab your gear — an exciting new chapter begins right now.

Good hunting!

In our final blog post before the release of the Webgrave update, let’s talk onboarding.

Because nothing is harder to do, yet more important, than proper onboarding.

Most games get it wrong. Too much information or too little, poorly explained mechanics, a wall of text instead of action. There are very few games whose opening segment is both exciting and properly teaches the gameplay loop. Gears of War. Bioshock. Portal. Half-Life 2. Maybe Sekiro.

For a long time, Witchfire got it wrong, too. Our excuse was that we’re an Early Access title. We didn’t want to invest heavily in the tutorial knowing many things can and will change. We also assumed most players buying Early Access titles are experienced gamers who’d grasp concepts without much introduction.

We were, of course, wrong.

If there’s one game design book everyone should read, it’s The Gamer’s Brain by Celia Hodent. I’m not kidding – I genuinely don’t think a more important or better book on game design exists. And while I could quote an endless number of wisdom nuggets from it, here’s one that has stuck with me:



Yes, it’s better to annoy a veteran slightly than to have them miss something crucial. As an example, we had a FromSoftware fan and seasoned gamer play Witchfire. He progressed far but was frustrated by some aspects. When we asked him to record his gameplay, we were shocked to discover he wasn’t using Dash – around which our entire core combat loop is designed. Once he started using this feature, it was like he was playing a different game.

So we pushed hard, and the Webgrave update will feature an additional Prologue section to improve the onboarding process. Here’s a few screenshots:


It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. And let me tell you, for a segment this short, it took an insane amount of time to get even close to right. Back in 2011, I designed a parody of silly tutorials and their pacing…

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…and even Ubisoft themselves did it:

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But today, after watching people play the new Witchfire tutorial – ignoring hints or doing exactly the opposite – I am much, much less critical of these elaborate segments, especially in games targeting casual players.

Witchfire isn’t exactly that kind of game, though. Witchfire is a gamer’s game, so we won’t teach you how to “look around.” Still, we do teach a lot, employing various techniques, both intrusive and subtle. We hope you’ll forgive us – and find the Prologue useful.

But onboarding doesn’t end there.

Understanding a game is one thing; remembering how to play it after a break is another.



And so, ladies and gentlemen, we’re introducing an interactive help feature. One video is worth a thousand words… (Note: this is a video of the prototype. We’ll fill it with proper categories and content… tomorrow. Yolo.)

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We hope both new and veteran players will find this feature handy.

And last but not least… Here’s Koschei.



It destroys …but will not be easy to obtain.

Good luck.



We may have taken a week off from writing to spend more time working on the game, but the community hasn’t been resting on their laurels. It’s fantastic to see, and we cannot wait for your thoughts and comments on Webgrave once it drops on Monday. Before that happens, let’s take a look at some of the more interesting posts from the past few days.

[h4][Marks task as partially done][/h4]

Over the past months, there have been several threads with really valuable feedback, and this one is no different. What is different is timing. Webgrave will address some of the critiques from this - and many other - threads, so we’re counting on your opinions to keep coming our way to make Witchfire better.



The newly revealed interactive help (which will surely evolve over time), the changes to the Workshop and stat systems - it’s all there to make the game more enjoyable. Witchfire will remain challenging, make no mistake, but it’s like a battle between fire and ice. We create a mechanic or a path, and you find a way to…

[h4]… circumvent it.[/h4]

We like to think we know our maps - after all, we designed and built them. We may leave a few secrets here and there, just for giggles, but we generally believe we’ve explored most nooks and crannies, at least collectively. And then someone like Labonski comes along and proves us wrong, demonstrating that jumping in that one spot might yield results we never foresaw, and showing us there are new pathways to explore.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

And you know what? It’s fantastic. It may not be like discovering yet another path from the Templar’s Well to the Gorgons’ Labyrinth, but I know the thrill. I vividly remember my (successful) attempts to glitch onto Normandy’s “roof” in Mass (D)Effect 1 on Xbox 360 - good times. I wonder what exploits you’ll discover in Velmorne.

So we can patch them.

Or not.

Last minute edit:

It turns out that Labonski just managed an even more impressive feat, beating Witchfire in its current, pre-Webgrave state without leveling… anything. He even went as far as to de-level his save, bringing all statistics down to zero. No ascension, no secondary weapon, no demonic weapon, no spells (light or heavy), no relic, no fetish, no ring, no mysterium upgrades. Such minimalism would put monks to shame.

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I mean… Hot damn, hats off, well done.

[h4]Gatekeepers gonna gatekeep. Somewhat.[/h4]

We have quite a lot of stuff in our backlogs (fun fact: we have two of them - one for internal ideas, and the other for suggestions from you, the players), but few entries have as much mileage and as many notes saying “gotta get back to it” as the Gatekeeper. We know this trap needs a rethink and a redesign, and we’ll get to it in due time. Just letting you know that we understand why you’re not enthusiastic about it, and it won’t remain in its current shape forever.

Visit the thread.

[h4]Warm and fuzzy feelings.[/h4]

While scouring the vast archive of feedback you’ve provided, we come across all sorts of comments - some make us reconsider and question the choices we’ve made (see the previous paragraph). Others tell us we’re wrong. But every once in a while, a comment genuinely makes us smile. This is one such comment, because it seems to support the idea that - at least for some of you - we’ve managed to capture lightning in a bottle and create a game that feels like home. Thanks.



Oh, and by the way - remember when two weeks ago I said I wouldn’t be surprised if, by the time Webgrave launches, we hit compilation number 62750?

I think I may have been a tad too conservative with my estimates, as with four days till launch, we’re already at 63630.

I can already hear the footsteps of the approaching changelog, and they are heavy. It’s going to be bigger than the Galley Slave…

Webgrave arrives Monday. We’ve shared quite a bit about the update, but we haven’t spilled all the beans. We’ve left plenty for you to discover, and we’d be thrilled if you decided to embark on a journey to Velmorne once the update drops at 6 PM CEST (12 PM EST).

See you there, preyers!

Preyers, welcome - this week it’s time to have a look at yet another feature of the game receiving a fresh coat of paint: Gnosis. Adrian will guide you through what is changing and how it will affect your experience with the game, and then let’s talk the release date.

[h2]Gnosis Update[/h2]

Gnosis is one of Witchfire’s unique features. However weird that sounds, it’s a mix of Bloodborne’s Insight, metroidvania mechanics, and dynamic difficulty.

Wait, what?

Well, the higher your Gnosis, the more areas you can unlock, the more hidden things you can see, and the tastier spoils become yours. On the other hand, the witch starts respecting you more, making things more difficult.

Gnosis is separate from your Level – which technically we call Ascension, but that’s not important here – which governs stats like HP, Stamina, Resistance to Madness, etc. Think of it this way: if you were a footballer, your Level would determine how fast you run or how well you kick the ball. Your Gnosis, however, would determine your deep understanding of the game, like knowing how to position yourself or exploiting a goalkeeper’s weakness.

Can you finish the game by just leveling up, without increasing Gnosis? No, you cannot. It’s expected that you’ll possess the highest esoteric understanding to even reach the witch’s lair, let alone face her.

However, it’s 100% your choice when to increase your Gnosis level. You can go as fast or as slow as you want. And when you feel ready, just open the Gnosis book and…



What are we changing about Gnosis with the Webgrave update?

Nothing related to the core idea. The Gnosis feature just works.

However, we are updating two things.

First, let’s talk difficulty. Bear with me for a second, as things are about to get complicated.

Originally, we imagined the final game would have ten Gnosis levels: two for each of the five major regions. But the game already has three such regions and only four Gnosis levels instead of six… and it seems fine? It didn’t feel like we needed more. Of course, you never know until you test it, so be aware that things might change in the future.

Also, these existing four Gnosis levels do not mean that – assuming we eventually have ten levels – reaching Gnosis IV puts you at about 40% of the final difficulty. No, we made Gnosis IV feel like a very late-game difficulty to ensure you’re sufficiently challenged. I’d say it’s equivalent to about Gnosis VIII in the full ten-level scenario.

With all that in mind, in the Webgrave update, we’re adding two more Gnosis levels and rebalancing the difficulty across all levels again. Long story short, the new Gnosis VI will feel roughly like the old Gnosis IV, perhaps with a slight difficulty bump.



Does this mean veteran players, for whom the current Gnosis IV is a piece of cake, won’t find any challenge in the Webgrave update?

Nah.

See, challenge isn’t just “enemies have more HP and hit harder.” Challenge is also the unknown. And the town is… something else. I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoilers. Rest assured, before you figure out how to deal with these new threats, the Velmorne town will not be a walk in the park even for the most hardened preyers.

Second, we’ve changed some Gnosis level-up objectives, added new ones, and redesigned parts of the UI. It’s more celebratory and informative now.

Back to you, Spajk.

[h2]Webgrave Release Date[/h2]

By now it’s quite evident that Webgrave is bringing a huge amount of new stuff to the table - we know that “the biggest update yet” is often overused and abused, but we really mean it. And there is even more stuff coming next week, but let’s just leave it at this teaser and concentrate on the important stuff: guns.

Gearpacks have been accompanying the updates for a while now and today we’re ready to reveal yet another piece of the puzzle: a new lever-action rifle, Nemesis. A weapon for those who love the thrill of the hunt.



It will join Oracle in the upcoming expansion of the armory. And there is a very good chance it won’t be the latest addition to the collection of boomsticks when Webgrave will be made available to you all on the 28th of July.

… Oh, hang on, did I just spill the beans on the launch of the update?

Sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking. Let’s make it official:

[center][/center]

There, this seems like a more appropriate way to reveal the date.

And do not for one second think that it means we’re done - while the list of what’s coming has been revealed for the past few weeks, we still have more to share and we will be doing so over two upcoming Wednesdays. This update will really be packed and while you already can get a sense of how much it’s going to change the face of the game, it’s all part of the major plan.

Which should not come as a surprise, after all, we’re in Early Access and Witchfire is constantly evolving - a while ago, back in May, I mentioned on Twitter that the compilation number is based on how many changes there have been made behind the scenes. The build most of you have access to is 59896. As of the moment of writing, we’ve screamed past the 62555 mark.

We have 19 days until the launch of Webgrave, and more often than not, that means commits are going to come hard and fast, almost in rapid fire mode. So, 62555 is where we sit on the 9th of July. Keep that number in mind and when the update drops on the 28th, see by how much the number has changed - I am not willing to bet all of my hair that we will breach the 62750 mark, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we did.

And since we’re done with the announcements for this week, it’s time to open the broad sheets of chatter and indulge ourselves between the pages of this week’s issue of



[h4]It’s all about balance[/h4]

In one of the previous posts we highlighted a reddit topic in which you could express why you dropped the game - the topic itself hasn’t been ignored and it was a subject of discussion inside the studio, with the feedback really having a potential to influence the future of the game and its shape. This week the pendulum was swung the other way (by the same user, no less - thanks Vortigon123) and you were discussing what you really liked about the game. Some things deserve being turned up to 11, we like going over the top from time to time, so… You know, let us know - maybe the stars will align and you will get what you wish for.

Click here to visit the thread.

[h4]Learn your mushrooms and mind your surroundings[/h4]

In Poland we have a sarcastic saying “Akcja wartka jak na grzybobraniu” (literally “The turn of events is as dynamic as if we’re gathering mushrooms”). I think we could drop the sarcasm for now or, like, you know, at least mind the surroundings a bit more.


(due to the inability of Steam client to handle external video, I'm afraid you have to watch this one on our website - hit this link to go there)

At least we can be certain that eating this mushroom could prove rather damaging to one's health..

Thanks to Weathertop for submitting the video to our Discord!

[h4]Other languages[/h4]



This is becoming more and more of a common sight and - make no mistake - it’s fantastic, we’re happy to see that you find Witchfire worthy of endorsing to your friends who are not as versed in English as you are. We know that the translations are important, but we need them done well - we have secured resources and cooperations required to make that happen, some of the work is already happening.

That said, we’re not one of these huge studios, with 250 people on board, a huge publisher behind them, and infinite money cheat set to “very enabled”. Paying top dollar to properly (and I mean properly - cultural context, all the nuances, etc.) translate a segment of the game to X languages only to decide later in development that the said segment is not going to be included in the game due to whatever reason would be an unwise investment. And we made it clear that we’re doing what we can not to waste time and money.

So, to put this subject to bed for a while - translating the game is one of our top priorities and we remain committed to doing it right and doing the target languages (list is TBA) and their native speakers justice. Growing up in the time and place we’ve grown up, we know the value of a good translation and we know it can make or break a product - I think to a surprise of no one, we’d rather have Witchfire succeed.

We will keep you posted on the progress.


That’s it for this now - we’ll bring you more news from the world of Witchfire next week, please stay tuned and see you around!

Some of you may have already noticed that the stat names in last week’s post about the Rosary feature were slightly different, so here we are with yet more information for you. Take it away, Adrian.

[h2]Stats 2.0[/h2]

Witchfire is an RPG shooter. With the Webgrave update, we’re giving you more things to shoot at and more things to shoot with, but we also want to keep improving the RPG side of things. Last week, I explained how the Rosary nudges you toward a particular playstyle (which, in a way, defines your “role”). Today, let’s dive into another piece of that puzzle: Stats 2.0.

Stats 2.0 aren’t merely an upgrade to the original system – they’ve been redesigned almost from scratch. The old stats are gone, replaced by these new core stats:

FLESH | BLOOD | MIND | WITCHERY | ARSENAL | FAITH

Even without detailed explanations, I bet you can already see the role-playing potential just from their names. Focusing on FLESH and BLOOD makes you a physical brute, right? WITCHERY plus FAITH creates a zealot. MIND and WITCHERY lead to a sorcerer, while BLOOD and ARSENAL can form a glass cannon.

However you envision your preyer, you can now define him clearly through these stats. Go all-in on one stat, mix and match a few, or create a balanced character – the choice is yours. And that’s exactly what role-playing means to us.

Stats 2.0 also introduce more layers to customize. Take a look:



Each main stat (e.g. FLESH) has three minor stats beneath it (e.g. Health, Elemental Resistance, and Melee Recharge). Enhancing a main stat will always improve at least one of its associated minor stats. Sometimes all three, sometimes just one, but always at least something.

But here’s where it gets interesting: leveling up one main stat can occasionally boost minor stats associated with another main stat. For instance, increasing FLESH can sometimes also enhance BLOOD’s Vigor…



…and it makes sense, right? The stronger your body, the better you handle pain.

Improving these cross-linked minor stats indirectly is naturally less efficient than leveling them up directly, but we feel this adds depth and logical coherence to the game world, and more meaningful choices for you.

By now, most stats probably seem self-explanatory, but if you’re ever unsure, we’ve implemented tooltips throughout the menus to explain each feature clearly. Like this:



Now here’s the really juicy and essential bit: forget maxing out a stat and suddenly feeling like you’re using cheat codes. We rebalanced stats to make them impactful without overpowering skill, manual or strategic. They’re definitely worth leveling up, but we want to ensure that player skill remains central. Witchfire will feel a bit different, so be ready for that shift.

What about the levels and stats you’ve already worked hard for?

When the Webgrave update launches, you’ll receive an item that lets you fully respec your character…



Your stats will reset, but you’ll retain all your earned levels, which you can freely redistribute into the new stats. You might want to experiment a bit first to get comfortable with the new system.

See you next week with another reveal, and now back to Spajk…

[h4]Heavy steps are heard around the corner[/h4]

Since we’re nearing the launch of Webgrave (and yes, I know I’ve been using this phrase rather freely - the date will be revealed soon), the time has come to introduce another new opponent: the Executioner.



I sincerely hope none of you will be fond of him in the same way some of you greeted the Townswoman – but who am I to judge? A certain kind of enthusiasm is welcome, but I strongly suspect it will morph into fear when you encounter him roaming the streets of the town.

This concludes the new information segment for this week – it’s time for…



[h4]The matter of Control[/h4]



DualSense support is something that I’m also looking forward to since I myself absolutely love this controller. Thing is, implementing the support for the adaptive triggers and haptics across all the platforms is not as straightforward as it would appear and will likely have to wait until later stages of development. Witchfire should, eventually, be able to use all the bells and whistles that come with Sony’s controller, but – sadly – there is no ETA on this one. Not yet, at least – we will keep you posted.



Vibrations are often mentioned alongside DualSense support – they’re easier to include and quite high on our list of priorities, but it’s unlikely that support for them will be part of the upcoming update. There’s simply a lot of more important stuff to tackle first. Rest assured, though, we’ll get them into the game eventually.

Plus, a bit of a confession – I honestly didn’t even notice vibrations were missing from the game until someone brought it to my attention back in April. Sometimes there’s enough happening on-screen that you forget about their absence – at least, that’s how it was for me.

[h4]Housing market in the town is on fire[/h4]



For sale: A spacious two-bedroom apartment with a glamorous view of the central town square, often warmly illuminated by the inviting glow of burning stakes. Security (or lack thereof) provided by Witch & Followers LLC.

Disclaimer: The town may be susceptible to abnormally frequent, seemingly natural disasters absolutely unrelated to the nearby strong presence of the forces of evil.

Price: 120,000 Gold or 1,200,000 Witchfire.

[h4]Worth its weight in gold[/h4]



As mentioned in previous entries of this series, we love reading your feedback. This past week, we received several smaller tidbits of information here and there, but we also saw another sizable thread written thoughtfully and comprehensively. While the shorter comments give us plenty to think about, threads like this one feel more like a full three-course meal. If you have the patience, the time, and a lot to share with us, don’t hesitate to write posts like these.

[h4]It would appear that you enjoy the game…[/h4]



I have no comment beyond the title of this section. We tried to wrap our heads around this number and decided that this particular player must have had the game running in the background while… well, living. But if this person has indeed been actively playing the entire time, they surely know the game inside and out by now. Either way, we salute you!

[h4]This section may be a teaser.[/h4]



… go nuts …

… flamethrower …

Got it. One day. Not for Webgrave, but one day. Let’s just hope I don’t mix anything up.

See you next week!

The gears of the machine are turning and we’re here for the third consecutive week with more information about the Webgrave update - we’re beginning by handing the mic to Adrian, who has something new to present…



Starting with the Webgrave update, your stats will matter more. Way more.

Here’s the problem we had to solve: Some people complained they didn’t feel any tangible change from leveling up stats. No real difference between, say, Witchery 14 and Witchery 15.

I was puzzled. In Soulsborne games, I was ecstatic about every level-up. The gains were minuscule, but they mattered. Ultimately, they made a difference. I remember grinding extra levels for Cainhurst Castle in Bloodborne just to finally be able to one-shot certain annoying virgins.

Meanwhile, in Witchfire, a game some consider difficult, our stats gave even greater benefits. With some upgraded to the max, you’re basically playing with cheats. Almost immortal. Yet, for some players, this wasn’t enough.

The whole thing got me thinking. But before I could pinpoint the real issue, a fan – whose name I’ve lost, so if this is you, ping me on Discord! – sent me a few pages of thoughts on stats and their role. Among all his insights, one fragment stood out clearly:



Originally, we wanted to have thresholds for stats. For example, something cool would unlock when reaching Witchery 25, 50, 75, and 100. But I felt this wasn’t enough and resembled a skill tree too closely, and I’m not a big fan of skill trees for several reasons.

Some of you, especially FromSoftware fans, already know where this is going. In their games, the world rewards specialization. Want that big-ass hammer? Great, but you’ll need Strength 27. Once achieved, the weapon’s damage scales with the stat, so it pays to keep investing. This effectively locks you out of using something like a sorcerer’s wand – but hey, you can swing a big-ass hammer!

Such an approach creates hard choices and forces you to live with their consequences. Yes, you can respec, but resources for that and weapon upgrades are scarce, requiring careful decisions.

This is exactly what players love about Soulsborne games. “A game is a series of interesting choices,” said Sid Meier, and choosing your path is among the most interesting ones there is.

The issue for me was, I didn’t want to bind our gear to specific stats. Witchfire is about failing and trying again with a new setup – not repeatedly hitting a wall with the one you’re stuck with. You can master one setup and beat the game, but if we do our job right, that’ll be for the most kinetically gifted players only.

The solution?

The Rosary.



For Bloodborne fans: beads are a bit like Caryll Runes, but tied to stats.

For everyone else: you’ll find magical beads that grant unique powers. Your Rosary has limited slots, so your first choice involves selecting beads that complement your build and playstyle from all the beads you discover or earn. Your second choice confirms whether the stats required by these beads align with your intended investment. Slotting a bead is free, but you must meet the bead’s stat requirement.

In short, we’re giving you awesome tools to do things otherwise impossible – at the cost of committing to a playstyle. You could grind every stat to max, but with Webgrave, that’ll be brutally tough, if not impossible, in a single playthrough. More on Stats 2.0 in next week’s post.



Wait, wait, wait… Didn’t I just say we want players juggling gear and builds to overcome challenges, but now I’m suggesting committing to certain stats for extra options?

Yes. The difference here is beads are designed to support your chosen playstyle, not individual pieces of gear. You’re committing to your role-played vision of the preyer rather than both playstyle and gear simultaneously. Plus, there’s still wiggle room to explore other directions, and of course, a respec option.

With Webgrave, we’re starting slow. Most beads you’ll initially find aren’t too wild, like extra health or an extended Dash. However, there are a few notable exceptions, such as immunity to all elemental ailments (yes, you can literally walk through fire unharmed) or an additional charge for your Light Spells (even for spells originally limited to a single charge). We’ll closely monitor your feedback and likely introduce more beads that push into unexpected territory – or perhaps not, because simplicity sometimes wins. Again, we’ll see!

Back to you, Spajk.



There’s one more thing that usually comes with Witchfire updates, something I have, in fact, written about not that long ago: guns. We’re not slowing down - this update will also include new weapons, and today we’d like to show you one of them:



How about a gun that can see and shoot enemies through walls?

How about this being just the first Mysterium, with more craziness added on top of that in the remaining ones?

How do you balance a gun like that?

Coming with the Webgrave update soon.

The name of the weapon is the Oracle. We teased it a while ago, in the discord announcement posted by Adrian back in May. We tried to conceal the weapon’s unique trait a bit, but you managed to see through it (pardon the pun) in no time.



It’s the weapon mentioned by Andrzej in one of the latest posts when we were discussing weapons (namely: railguns), so we have been teasing it here and there for a while now. Congrats to everyone who guessed (TaedetOmnia takes the proverbial cake) what the big secret is and… Rest assured that we have learned our lesson, and future guessing games are going to be harder.

Or so we think - someone will likely come along and guess it again in five minutes anyway, but such is the way of life.

And now for something (not) completely different…



A response to a response.

Last week’s post seems to have generated a mixed bag of reactions. Some of you pointed out that the seemingly random nature of research in its current form was somewhat exciting, and you expressed doubts about Workshop 2.0 being an improvement.





Well, the thing is… it was never random - the order of research is pre-determined, and you only perceived it as incidental because we hadn’t yet revealed our cards or the inner workings of the system. Additionally, very few people conducted the entire research cycle enough times to spot the pattern buried in the data, but it has always been there.

Hot Reddit topic is hot

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Every now and then, a topic surfaces that generates considerable attention. A recent addition is this one, asking why Witchfire hasn’t yet become part of the mainstream. To be frank, it’s flattering that people think we deserve a bigger audience and wider recognition, but - as many pointed out in the thread - we’re still in Early Access, and there’s a lot of work ahead of us before release. We’re doing our best to make Witchfire a game that could stand proudly among the greats. The upcoming update is going to be an important part of this journey, and right now we’re deep in the trenches, creating, tuning, and tinkering. We’re happy you’re along for the ride - thanks!

Your feedback matters

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The topic of War Priests being absolute menaces was raised a while ago when you discovered there is an optimal order for killing enemies: specifically, getting rid of War Priests before dealing with any other foes, since there’s virtually no limit to whom they can resurrect. That's going to change, because in the upcoming update, we’re going to make some adjustments to their behaviour. We want our game to provide a challenge, but this mechanic - in its current shape - is genuinely more of an annoyance, so we’ll address it. I’ve mentioned it before, and I’ll say it again: we live and breathe Witchfire, and sometimes we lack the perspective that only you can provide. Keep that feedback coming!

What the distant future holds…

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Questions about post-launch support have already been raised in the past, so we thought it’d be a good idea to address them for the very first time. And the honest truth is… it remains to be seen. Right now, our focus is on making the fattest Witchfire possible. Releasing version 1.0 doesn’t necessarily mean we’re done - more content may follow. We might also decide “this is it, this is the game,” similar to what Supergiant did with Hades, and begin work on our next project. It all depends on about a million different factors, so we’ll have to wait and see. For now, our priority remains firmly set on version 1.0, with each update serving as a milestone into which we’re pouring our hearts and souls.

That’s it for this week - expect a fresh post in about seven days, we’re steaming ahead towards the release and there is more to share.

Cheers!