Dark Fantasy Roguelite ‘Witchfire’ Announces September 2023 Early Access Release; Developer Comments

Indie developer The Astronauts has announced that their dark fantasy roguelite, Witchfire, will enter early access via the Epic Games Store on PC on September 20, 2023.

This first-person title is by the creators of Painkiller and Bulletstorm, focusing on a war between the Church and witches. The Witch Hunter is known as a prayer, and players are backed by Vatican sorcerers as they wield forbidden spells and countless firearms.

Adrian Chmielarz, Creative Director and Co-Founder of The Astronauts stated the following regarding this news:

“The thing that excites me the most in video games is the idea of experiencing different worlds. To be a space pirate, a detective with supernatural powers, or a Church’s witch hunter. It doesn’t matter to me if the game is focused on the story or on the mechanics— I need its world to feel like a real place. So even though Witchfire is obviously a shooter first, we invest a lot in its world and lore. I believe this enhances the experience even for the people who claim they don’t care about the stories in games at all.”

“The last few trailers were very combat focused and I think gave the wrong impression that Witchfire is a non-stop action fest. It is not. Sure, some fights will be incredibly intense, but there are also periods of quiet exploration, planning, thinking. It is much closer to Souls in that regard rather than, say, Doom. So that’s why the beginning of this new trailer is a little slower. We might slow down even more when there’s finally time for the launch trailer.”

The primary goal for the early access state is to emphasize a “polished and atmospheric gameplay experience,” with story elements set to be added as the full complete launch arrives. Prospective players wanting to learn more about this world’s lore can read the official short story titled The Preyer.