Witchfire is a first person shooter focused on challenge and mastery, it’s accessible and there are many roads to the ultimate victory but you’ll still need to prove your witch-hunting skills if you’re after all of its secrets.

During the 300 years of European witch hunts that started in the 15th century, tens of thousands of women, men and children lost their lives due to superstition, politics and profit.

But that’s our history and our world.

In the world of Witchfire, witches are real.

And you are the punishing hand of the Church.

That’s the core idea behind the game, even if things are not as black-and-white as one might think.

In Witchfire, a deadly war rages between powerful witches and the Church. In this alternate reality, witches are very real and very dangerous— but so is the witch hunter. Armed by Vatican sorcerers, players wield an ungodly array of guns and forbidden magic as they combat dark terrors on behalf of their shadowy benefactors.

Built in the Unreal Engine 4, Witchfire boasts AAA graphics made by an indie team of only nine people. Players explore gorgeous, semi open-world levels, featuring advanced photogrammetry and post-processing that create an immersive and realistic dark fantasy world.

The Astronauts released a scorching new gameplay video showcasing the spellcraft of their upcoming dark fantasy shooter Witchfire. Featuring commentary from senior game designer Karol Krok, the video displays the different types of elemental magic available to witch hunters on the prowl, which will allow players to unleash an arsenal of spells, hexes, and curses upon their enemies.

Spellcraft is designated into two distinct categories: light spells and heavy spells. The former are quicker to deploy and cost less stamina to use, but don’t do as much damage as their heavier counterparts. In the gameplay video, we can see the witch hunter execute a fearsome heavy spell that summons a phantom bell capable of stunning nearby enemies when properly shot.    Krok also reveals the four core elements that comprise the majority of spells and magic within the game: water, earth, fire and air. Each has its own unique properties—setting enemies aflame increases the amount of damage they can take, for example—and utilizing different elemental spells in quick succession can achieve powerful combined effects. Ultimately, the wide variety of spellcraft available to the witch hunters is just as vital as their arsenal of guns, and both will be crucial for any soul brave enough to conquer the Land of the Witch.

Witchfire uses the photogrammetry tech The Astronauts previously used in The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. This tech allows the devs to 3D scan real-life objects – even entire buildings! – and use them as digital assets in our games for unparalleled visual quality, and natural, organic look and feel. The Astronauts believe we can push the tech even further, with new tools, hardware, and all the experience we gathered during the development of their first game and can’t wait to bring you along on the ride.

Witchfire will launch into Early Access (Epic Games Store) in 2023.