Witchfire Early Access delayed to early 2023 to add open-world combat

The Astronauts has delayed the Early Access version of dark fantasy first-person shooter Witchfire from its previously planned Q4 2022 release window to early 2023 due to an upgrade in its combat system “from arena-style to open-world fighting.”

In a blog post, The Astronauts creative director and co-founder Adrian Chmielarz shared further details.

“The feature is now 95 percent implemented,” Chmielarz said. “It makes the game better. It is kind of hard for me to imagine the player did not have that freedom before. Sure, you can still be trapped by the witch in this or that spot, and some doors will be closed until you find a key, and it might be too dangerous to enter areas closer to the boss before you are ready—but the world is wide open for you to explore in almost any order, and you can both push forward and retreat as you please.”

The Astronauts will share more information on Witchfire later in October, the developer teased.

“Last but not least, expect something nice in a week or two,” Chmielarz added. “Let’s call it Witchfire Halloween Week. It won’t be any gameplay footage or stream or such, but if you are interested in the story and the world and great 2D art, it’s going to be a treat.”

If you missed it, watch the latest trailer here.