Witchfire is a first‑person dark fantasy RPG shooter that mixes intense gunplay, powerful magic, and roguelite progression into one unforgiving package. You play as a condemned sinner turned witch hunter, sent on a last-chance mission to slay a powerful witch and earn salvation. After a relatively quiet early access launch, the game has steadily built a cult following thanks to its brutal combat, stunning visuals, and smart evolution into a full RPG shooter with extraction and soulslike influences.
What Witchfire Is Actually About
In Witchfire, you’re not a noble knight or chosen hero – you’re a wicked soul pressed into service as a witch hunter. The church gives you access to forbidden pagan magic and blessed weaponry and sends you into cursed, semi-open regions to steal the witch’s power – the mysterious substance called “witchfire” – and eventually confront her.
The core narrative hook is simple but effective:
You’re on a one‑way mission toward redemption.
Your targets are the witch’s armies, familiars, and powerful guardians.
Every run into hostile territory is a high‑risk expedition where death means losing resources and having to regroup.
Instead of a traditional linear campaign, Witchfire presents its story through environmental storytelling, lore, and progression systems, more in line with soulslike and roguelite design. Players gradually uncover the nature of the witch, the church, and their own damned status as they push deeper into enemy territory and unlock new regions.
Genre Blend: Roguelite, Soulslike, and Extraction
One reason Witchfire is drawing so much attention is its unusual hybrid design. The developers describe it as an RPG shooter that began as a unique blend of soulslike, extraction, and roguelite gameplay – and those roots still define the experience.
Here’s how those elements show up in practice:
Roguelite structure: You embark on repeated “runs” into semi-open maps, fight waves of enemies, gather witchfire and loot, and then extract to spend your resources on permanent upgrades.
Extraction mechanics: Runs are all about risk versus reward – push deeper into the region to secure more resources, or retreat to your sanctuary before you die and drop hard-earned witchfire.
Soulslike influences: The game leans into punishing combat, deliberate enemy patterns, and a dark, oppressive atmosphere rather than bombastic hero power fantasy.
During each expedition, you move through beautifully crafted but dangerous zones, clearing camps, triggering events, and surviving escalating waves of enemies directed by an AI “director” that increases pressure over time. As in many roguelites, you also acquire temporary power‑ups (Arcana and in‑run upgrades) that can transform a run when synergies line up.
Core Gameplay: Guns, Spells, and Movement
Moment‑to‑moment, Witchfire is all about high‑speed FPS combat with a focus on positioning, mobility, and resource management. The gunplay is tight and weighty, drawing on the Painkiller and Bulletstorm pedigree of the developers, with chunky weapons, crispy hit feedback, and enemies that demand precision rather than spray‑and‑pray.
Your toolkit includes:
Firearms – revolvers, shotguns, rifles, and exotic weapons that reward accuracy and timing.
Light spells – fast-casting magical abilities with short cooldowns, like elemental bursts or quick control tools.
Heavy spells – slower, powerful magic that can wipe groups or control space but must be managed carefully.
Mobility options – dashes, double jumps, and evasive moves that let you weave through projectiles, close gaps, and play aggressively without instantly dying.
Combat arenas often feature interactive elements, like bells you can shoot to stun enemies in an area, encouraging creative play rather than camping in a single safe spot. Enemies come in varied archetypes, from basic cultists to horrors that teleport or bombard you with ranged attacks, and their patterns become more complex as the run progresses.
If you get greedy, overextend, and die, you’re kicked back to base, losing unbanked witchfire in a manner reminiscent of soulslike and extraction shooters. This loop makes every decision feel significant, especially when you’re deep in a run with a ton of resources at stake.
Progression and Builds
Outside of your runs, Witchfire leans harder into RPG progression than many traditional roguelites. Your mountain sanctuary – sometimes referred to as your hub or Hermitorium – acts as the central place where you upgrade your character, manage gear, and plan future expeditions.
Long‑term progression includes:
Stat and ability upgrades that permanently increase your survivability, damage, or utility.
Weapon unlocks and enhancements, opening up new playstyles and synergies with spells and Arcana.
Arcana systems, which grant powerful modifiers during runs and tie into meta-progression as you unlock and refine them.
The mid‑2020s updates, such as the “Witch Mountain” content drop, added a new labyrinthine level, reworked helper NPCs (Fallen Preyers), and expanded quality-of-life systems like inventory and map improvements. These updates not only deepen build variety but also show that the developers are steadily moving the game closer to a more fully featured RPG shooter rather than a lightweight roguelite experiment.
For players, this means that your investment pays off over time: even failed runs contribute to long‑term growth, gradually turning you from a fragile novice into a terrifying witch hunter who can take bigger risks, attempt harder content, and experiment with more exotic builds.
Visuals, Atmosphere, and World Design
Witchfire’s presentation is one of the key reasons it’s getting so much word-of-mouth attention. Built in Unreal Engine 4, it delivers near‑AAA visuals despite being made by a small indie team of around nine developers. The game uses advanced photogrammetry and post‑processing to create hyper-detailed, realistic dark fantasy environments that feel both beautiful and hostile.
Players explore semi open‑world levels – twisted coastlines, cursed villages, ruined strongholds, and now the maze-like Witch Mountain – that invite exploration while still maintaining a sense of danger around every corner. Sound design and music reinforce the grim tone: distant chanting, monstrous shrieks, and heavy, echoing gunshots make each encounter feel lethal and important.
This strong aesthetic identity helps Witchfire stand out in a market filled with sci‑fi shooters and colorful hero games. Where many titles lean toward accessibility and lighthearted presentation, Witchfire doubles down on gothic horror, religious imagery, and a sense of desperate penitence.
Why Witchfire Is Gaining Momentum Now
Although Witchfire entered early access back in 2023 on Epic Games Store, it has been gradually ramping up momentum, especially as it arrived on Steam and received major updates through 2024 and 2025. Multiple factors are driving renewed interest:
Steam launch and wider availability
After a period of Epic exclusivity, Witchfire’s early access release on Steam exposed it to a much larger PC audience, instantly boosting visibility and player numbers. Steam’s discoverability, wishlists, and user reviews made it easier for curious roguelite and soulslike fans to finally jump in.Regular content updates and communication
The Astronauts have been pushing notable patches, such as the Witch Mountain update, adding new regions, gear, reworked systems, and extensive bug fixes driven by community feedback. This evolving roadmap has reassured players that the game isn’t a one‑and‑done early access drop, but a living project steadily moving toward a substantial 1.0 release.Creator and community hype
Content creators and reviewers have praised Witchfire as a “stunning dark fantasy roguelite shooter” and a “brutal but gorgeous” FPS worth trying, often highlighting how addictive the combat loop feels. Streamers revisiting the game in 2025 with updates like Webgrave and Witch Mountain have helped re-ignite interest, bringing in viewers who missed the initial early access launch.A strong niche in a crowded market
The modern shooter landscape is dominated by live‑service PvP titles, extraction shooters, and battle royales, leaving a gap for premium single‑player experiences that still deliver high replayability. Witchfire occupies that sweet spot: a purely solo, skill‑based FPS that offers deep replay value through roguelite systems without forcing players into endless FOMO seasons or battle passes.2026 full release expectations
Commentary from creators suggests Witchfire is being positioned as a potential “Game of the Year” contender when it moves out of early access, with talk of a more complete release in early 2026. This kind of long‑tail hype – similar to how some early access hits mature over years – is drawing more players who want to get in early and watch the game evolve.
Player Reception: Difficult, Addictive, and Rewarding
Hands‑on impressions from players who have spent dozens of hours with Witchfire describe it as a challenging, engaging blend of extraction shooter tension and roguelite runs. The difficulty curve is steep – enemies hit hard, mistakes are punishing, and greedy decisions get punished – but that harshness is exactly what many players enjoy.
Common praise points include:
Exceptional gunfeel and spell synergy, making each encounter a mechanical test of skill rather than a numbers-only DPS race.
Atmospheric world design that feels dense and hand-crafted despite the roguelite loop.
Meta progression that feels meaningful, with each upgrade noticeably changing how you approach future runs.
Criticisms mostly focus on early-access realities: limited regions, a desire for more boss fights, more guns, and more story content – all things commentators say are needed for the game to reach its full, best‑in‑class potential. The upside is that these criticisms come from a place of enthusiasm; people who love Witchfire want more of it, not a different game entirely.
Is Witchfire Worth Watching in 2026?
For players in 2026 who are tired of copy‑paste live‑service shooters and want a demanding, replayable single‑player experience, Witchfire is absolutely a title to keep on your radar. It offers:
A dark fantasy setting that feels distinct from the usual sci‑fi and modern military shooters.
Deep mechanical focus on gunplay, spells, and movement that rewards mastery over time.
A hybrid roguelite‑extraction‑soulslike design that keeps runs tense and meaningful, with permanent progression that respects your time.
With ongoing updates, a growing community, and mounting creator buzz labeling it a possible standout game once it hits full release, Witchfire is increasingly positioned as one of the most interesting dark fantasy shooters of this generation. If you enjoy punishing but fair combat, eerie worlds, and the thrill of walking out of a run with pockets full of witchfire and a story to tell, this is a game that deserves a spot in your 2026 backlog – and maybe on your homepage as well.
