The last Early Access update is live on Steam with deck building, booster packs and a full isometric rebuild. Version 1.0 follows on September 24, 2026 at 10:00 AM PST.
September 14, 2026 – Six months after launching into Steam Early Access, CRUNCHFEST and GROLAF are announcing the end of the road to 1.0. The final Early Access update for CODEX MORTIS is live now, and the full 1.0 release follows on September 24, 2026 at 10:00 AM PST.
The update changes how a run is assembled. Ahead of a mission the player builds a deck of cards covering skills and spells and carries it into combat as that run’s loadout, so the player decides what they will be casting before the first wave arrives. Points earned during runs buy booster packs, opening a pack adds new skills and spells to the collection, and every pack widens the pool the next deck is built from.
This last patch rebuilds how a run comes together. Before every mission, players now assemble their own deck – the skills and spells they own become the loadout they carry into combat. There is no improvising your way out of a bad plan: you decide what you will be casting before the first wave arrives. The points earned in a run buy booster packs, and every pack opened adds new skills and spells to the collection – so every deck after it is built from a wider pool, and the collection behind the deck screen keeps growing for as long as you keep playing.
Alongside it, the entire game has been reworked to an isometric angle, with the heroes, enemies and the world around them remade to match. The change is visual as much as tactical – the horde reads more clearly, the spells land more legibly, and the chaos still fills the screen.
What lands in Full Release on September 24
Five new schools of dark magic join the game, taking the total to ten. They arrive with a large number of new spells – and because every school in CODEX MORTIS combines with every other, each one also adds new synergies and mutations on top of what players have been theorycrafting through Early Access. More heroes arrive alongside them, taking the roster to 31, each with their own abilities – and more levels join the Apocrypha.
Since Early Access launch (March 26, 2026):
- Very Positive on Steam – 80%+ of reviews recommend
- 20+ community patches shipped in under six months
- Fully animated – every character and enemy, fully animated
- Steam Deck Verified by Valve
- Available in 27+ languages
- Active Discord community that helped shape the 1.0 roadmap
About CODEX MORTIS
CODEX MORTIS is a survivors-like deckbuilder with mutating spells and five schools of dark magic. Build devastating combos, battle through ten cursed levels, and spend earned points on booster packs. Survive the isometric bullet hell solo or in local co-op.
About GROLAF
GROLAF is a solo game developer pioneering AI-driven game development. Founded on the belief that AI tools can empower creators to build experiences previously impossible for small teams, GROLAF uses AI across the entire development pipeline – from code and art to music and design.
