It might be worth taking a look at Painkiller creator Adrian Chmielarz’s new FPS, Witchfire, as it is receiving a substantial update.

Witchfire has been in development for almost a decade, but the project has gained momentum since its release on Steam in early access last year, following an initial release on the Epic Store in 2023. The RPG-infused shooter has received two substantial content patches in the past seven months. Now, the development team, The Astronauts, has announced the biggest update yet.

Webgrave will add a new region, Blighted Town, details of which The Astronauts are still withholding, as well as several new weapons. These include the Oracle sniper rifle, which can shoot through walls, and the Nemesis lever-action rifle. The Astronauts aren’t giving any specifics about this weapon, but given the legacy of the Witchfire FPS, it’s probably doing something unusual. Witchfire is also overhauling many of its core mechanics. Over the past few weeks, The Astronauts has been explaining these in a detailed series of articles on their website.

The first is a renovation of the Witchfire Workshop, where players can research new gadgets using a system inspired by Bullfrog’s 1993 classic, Syndicate. Witchfire’s workshop operates similarly, but while Syndicate allowed players to research projects within specific categories, Witchfire only permits selecting a category; projects within that category are then completed sequentially. Webgrave has rebuilt its stats system around six new core statistics: flesh, blood, mind, witchery, arsenal, and faith. These stats affect your character’s playstyle in different ways. For example, putting points into flesh and blood improves physical strength, while increasing mind and sorcery makes you more like a wizard.

Webgrave introduces the rosary, a secondary stat system that, according to Chmielarz, works similarly to the Caryll runes in Bloodborne. Players can insert a limited number of magic beads into the rosary to unlock powerful bonuses. However, players can only cast a particular spell if they meet the spell’s prerequisites. This system rewards players who commit to a particular playstyle, similar to Bloodborne and other FromSoftware action RPGs. However, it does not force all players to make such commitments with the basic stat system. Chmielarz suggests that at least one more weapon will be added to the roster and that there may be more additions.

“Syndicate had many brilliant mechanics, with its research system being one of them. You could commission research on weapons or gear, which took a fair bit of time to complete. You could speed up the process with cash, but that money was also needed for other critical things. The thrill of waiting for those higher-tier cybernetic legs to finish was unmatched. We rebalanced stats to be impactful without overpowering skill, manual, or strategic elements. They’re definitely worth leveling up, but we want to ensure that player skill remains central. 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. We know that ‘the biggest update yet’ is often overused, but we really mean it,” wrote Chmielarz.

Witchfire’s new update drops on July 28.

Source: PCGamer, The Astronauts, The Astronauts 2