Polish studio, The Astronauts, has announced the release date for their dark fantasy FPS Witchfire. After their initial premiere at the 2017 Game Awards and teaser trailer at Gamescom 2022, their Summer Games Fest announcement brings two exciting dates. First: players can play Witchfire‘s Early Access this Fall on the Epic Games Store. Secondly, Witchfire will release on September 20.
Witchfire is set in an alternate history where a brutal war has broken out between witches and the Church. To combat the witches, the Church commissioned witch hunters. These witch hunters come armed by the Vatican’s sorcerers with an array of weapons and forbidden magic. Now armed and outfitted, you are tasked with finding the witch of the Black Sea, destroying her army, and retrieving a mysterious artifact to help turn the tide of war.
Credit: The AstronautsCreative Director Adrian Chmielarz spoke with Epic Games News about what players can expect from the Early Access launch. Although Witchfire will have an intricate backstory, the Early Access will focus on presenting “a polished and atmospheric gameplay experience”.
However, there will be updates to include more story features as they approach the release date. Fans interested in learning more about Witchfire’s lore can read Chmielarz’s short story Witchfire: The Preyer.
Credit: The AstronautsWitchfire will be the second title from the BAFTA award-winning team from The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. Studio co-founders Adrian Chmielarz, Michael Kosieradzki, and Andrzej Poznanski of Painkiller and Bulletstorm are returning to the project.
While the first trailers focused on combat, Chmielarz reassured players that Witchfire will resemble titles similar to Souls. Although there will be intense fights, there will also be periods where players will explore or plan their next moves.
Check out the Early Access Reveal Trailer below:
