Polish indie studio The Astronauts has delivered a major combat overhaul for its dark fantasy FPS, Witchfire, alongside announcing a significant sales achievement. The "Reckoning" update, now live, fundamentally expands the game's tactical options by introducing a suite of brutal melee weapons, new firearms, and systemic challenges. This comes as the studio confirms the game has sold over half a million units since its Early Access launch, solidifying its place in the competitive RPG-shooter landscape.
Witchfire "The Reckoning" Update Key Additions:
- New Melee Weapons: Morgenstern, Katar, Buckler Shield (replaces default fist).
- New Firearms: Tribunal (triple-barrel shotgun), plus two other un-named guns.
- New Systems: "Extraction 2.0" world corruption, "Torment" optional challenges, "Surge" temporary power-ups.
- New Area: Velmorne Vault (described as the game's biggest vault yet).
- Quality of Life: Shooting Range with Bestiary, toggle for screen shake, font size settings.
- Accessibility: Arachnophobia filter.
- Platform: Full Steam Deck verification.
- Commercial: Game has sold over 500,000 units. Currently 20% off (until Dec 18, 2025).
A New Arsenal for Close-Quarters Carnage
The most striking addition in "The Reckoning" is the introduction of dedicated melee weapons, addressing a long-standing player request. The update replaces the player's basic fist attack with three distinct tools: the Morgenstern (a spiked morning star), the Katar (a push-dagger), and a Buckler shield. According to The Astronauts' founder Adrian Chmielarz, the goal was not to transform Witchfire into a melee-centric game like Dying Light, but to provide a powerful and fun alternative that seamlessly integrates with the existing gunplay and spellcasting. Each weapon features a standard attack and a unique special ability, allowing players to fluidly chain close-quarters brutality with ranged attacks, creating more dynamic and visually spectacular combat encounters.
Firepower and Finesse: New Ranged Options and Systems
Complementing the melee suite are three new firearms, headlined by the highly anticipated Tribunal—a triple-barrel shotgun that rewards aggressive, mobile play. Its unique mechanic charges powerful shots by dashing or sliding, with fully charged "overkills" unleashing a devastating area-of-effect shock explosion. This weapon epitomizes the update's philosophy of encouraging player mastery and stylistic expression. Beyond new gear, "The Reckoning" introduces deeper systemic layers. A new "extraction 2.0" system makes the world itself react to player success, gradually spawning tougher enemies like Golems and environmental hazards. Optional "Torment" challenges from the Codex Maleficarum offer high-risk, high-reward trials, while temporary "Surge" power-ups provide bursts of enhanced ability during expeditions.
Quality-of-Life and Accessibility Enhancements
Recognizing community feedback, The Astronauts has packed the update with significant quality-of-life improvements. A new shooting range, complete with an interactive bestiary, allows players to test loadouts and strategies against previously defeated enemies in a safe environment. Critically, the notorious screen shake effect—a common point of feedback—can now be fully disabled. New accessibility options include adjustable font sizes and an arachnophobia filter, the latter being timely given the introduction of a new spider-themed calamity event. Furthermore, Witchfire is now fully verified on Steam Deck, complete with a dedicated performance profile, making the demanding title fully portable.
Road to 1.0 and Commercial Success
"The Reckoning" is positioned as the penultimate major update before Witchfire's full 1.0 launch, now scheduled for 2026. This delay from the original late-2025 target was caused by the extended development of the prior "Witch Mountain" update. The studio's commitment to a substantial Early Access period, which began over two years ago, appears to be paying off. The announcement of surpassing 500,000 units sold demonstrates strong player adoption for a title from a 26-person team (with additional outsourcing). To celebrate the update, Witchfire is available at a 20% discount on Steam and the Epic Games Store until December 18, bringing the price to approximately USD 31.99.
Development Context & Timeline:
- Studio: The Astronauts (26 core team members, plus outsourcing).
- Previous Major Title: The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (2014).
- Witchfire Early Access Start: ~2 years ago (2023).
- Original 1.0 Target: Late 2025.
- Current 1.0 Target: 2026 (delayed due to previous "Witch Mountain" update).
- Current Price with Discount: ~USD 31.99 / GBP 26.80.
The Evolving Vision of an "RPG Shooter"
In discussions surrounding the update, Adrian Chmielarz reflected on Witchfire's place in The Astronauts' portfolio, following the studio's work on classic shooters like Painkiller and Bulletstorm. He describes Witchfire as their first true "RPG shooter," blending the studio's signature spectacle with deep progression systems, build crafting, and a Souls-like challenge. The addition of melee weapons is framed not as a concession, but as a natural expansion of the game's core design pillar: player autonomy. By providing more tools, from skull-crushing maces to dash-charged shotguns, the development team aims to create more opportunities for players to demonstrate skill and develop their own combat identity, all while piecing together the lore of the Witch and her domain.