New gameplay trailer reveals the details, mechanics and systems that could make all the difference when BLACKWOOD: Act 1 arrives on Steam September 16.

September 14, 2026. With BLACKWOOD: Act 1 just days away from its September 16 launch on Steam, developer AttritoM7 Productions and publisher IZilla Games have released a new gameplay trailer revealing some of the things players should know before stepping into the dangerous double life of Anton Blackwood.

BLACKWOOD is a gritty third-person action thriller set in New York in 2012. By day, players manage a seemingly ordinary DVD store; by night, they enter the city’s criminal underworld as Anton Blackwood, a ruthless contract killer caught between survival, morality, and a past that refuses to stay buried.

Combining cinematic storytelling with responsive gunplay, grounded melee combat, brutal takedowns, and a detailed recreation of 2012 New York, BLACKWOOD explores the consequences of living two very different lives.

Watch the new Things You Should Know Before Playing BLACKWOOD trailer below.

BLACKWOOD may look like a cinematic third-person action thriller, but beneath its stylish gunplay and brutal combat lies a collection of systems designed to reward players who pay attention, adapt to changing situations, and make the most of everything around them.

From managing ammunition and switching weapons on the fly to using movement, environmental objects and takedowns to gain the upper hand, BLACKWOOD gives players plenty of options when things inevitably go wrong. And when the bullets run out, players may need to think quickly and use whatever is available to survive.

The new trailer takes a closer look at some of these mechanics, while also offering a glimpse at the systems waiting between missions. Players will discover ways to customise their arsenal, improve their shooting, manage Anton’s health, make use of his home and even understand how the game’s delivery and progression systems work.

But BLACKWOOD isn’t about simply following the safest route through a mission. Its combat encourages players to stay mobile, take risks, and use the world around them. Diving into danger, chaining together takedowns, exploiting the environment, and making every round count can all make the difference between walking away from a fight and ending up on the wrong side of it.

For players looking to master the experience, plenty of deeper systems await, including different weapon configurations, shooting drills, difficulty options, and additional ways to approach combat.

A Double Life Begins September 16

BLACKWOOD puts players in the role of Anton Blackwood, an apparently ordinary DVD store owner living in New York in 2012. By day, Anton runs his store and manages his life outside the criminal underworld. By night, he becomes a ruthless contract killer, navigating dangerous missions where survival depends on his ability to adapt.

BLACKWOOD: Act 1 is the first part of a three-act story and will launch on Steam on September 16, 2026. Players who purchase BLACKWOOD at launch will receive the future Acts as free updates as they are released, with Act 2 currently planned for March 2027 and Act 3 for September 2027. BLACKWOOD is a full game released progressively in three planned acts, not an Early Access title.

Following its first public playable appearance at Gamescom 2026, where the demo received strong player response across six playable stations, AttritoM7 Productions is now preparing to put BLACKWOOD into players’ hands for the first time at launch.

Key Features

• Cinematic Third-Person Action: Fast, responsive gunplay and grounded melee combat combine with brutal takedowns and fluid movement.
• Fight Your Way: Stay mobile, use takedowns, and exploit the environment to overcome groups of enemies.
• Make Every Bullet Count: Manage ammunition, switch weapons quickly and adapt when your current weapon runs dry.
• Build Your Arsenal: Discover and collect different weapons, variants and modifications to create your preferred loadout.
• Master Anton: Use movement, diving, slow motion and other combat systems to gain the advantage.
• A Living Double Life: Run Anton’s DVD store by day and operate as a contract killer by night.
• More Than Just Combat: Manage health, food, deliveries, equipment, outfits, music and other aspects of Anton’s life between missions.
• Practice Makes Perfect: Hone your skills and target acquisition at the shooting range.
• Choose Your Challenge: Multiple difficulty options offer different levels of challenge for players looking to test their skills.
• Act 1 Begins September 16: The first chapter of BLACKWOOD’s three-act story launches on Steam, with future acts included free for existing owners.

BLACKWOOD: Act 1 launches September 16, 2026 on PC via Steam. Wishlist on Steam now. 

About AttritoM7 Productions

AttritoM7 Productions is a game development and publishing company based in Bangladesh, specializing in the creation of original video game titles, including Agontuk and Zero Hour.

About IZilla Games

IZilla Games is an independent game publisher born from Infernozilla, a marketing agency that has helped more than 200 games reach the market. Built by gamers, for gamers, IZilla Games is dedicated to helping indie developers bring their games to players through a developer-friendly publishing model. Visit the IZilla Games website to learn more.

Dig into the medieval cemetery sim and train for your newest position as the town’s most efficient undertaker, playable today on PC and consoles!

SEATTLE — Sept. 14, 2026 — tinyBuild and Lazy Bear Games have just hired you as the Kingdom’s new graveyard manager in the new demo for Graveyard Keeper 2, playable today on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch 2! Announced at the tinyBuild Connect showcase, and just in time for next week’s official launch of the medieval-est graveyard simulator, this new demo is available today until September 22. Start running your own cemetery and lead your very own undead army now, and rest in peace with the knowledge that all progress will carry forward to the full game when it releases on September 22!

Pre-order now and play the demo today on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch 2

Turn townsfolks’ problems into pure revenue. Gather and collect decayed materials like hearts, bones, brains, and skin to create your ideal zombie army and make all the work autonomous for you. Take care of your livestock, exterminate the undead, and cultivate the creepiest form of capitalism to become the most productive keeper and revitalize your quaint medieval town.

Key Features

• DEMO PROGRESS CARRIES OVER AT LAUNCH: Players who dive into the demo will have all saved progress carry over once the full game launches!
• CORPSE BURYING YOU KNOW & LOVE: All the graveyard keeping, grotesque characters and twisted humor you love is back! Manage your graveyard, craft, upgrade abilities, complete engaging storylines, fish, trade, customize your character and so much more!
• A TOWN TO DIE FOR: Explore a massive town overrun by the undead, helping the townsfolk rebuild while earning some revenue along the way. Explore tons of varied locations and travel between areas with the convenient city map.`
• MANAGE. GRIND. AUTOMATE: Build and manage your own medieval graveyard. Harvest flora and human remains to build extraordinary machinery, automate production, and expand your graveyard for pure profit.

Graveyard Keeper 2 launches on September 22 and is available to pre-order now at the limited-time price of $19.99 on Steam, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. PlayStation Plus subscribers can save even more by pre-ordering now for $15.99 before launch. All pre-orders will unlock an exclusive outfit for your character and your very own sauna outside your house! Graveyard Keeper 2 will also be available on the Epic Games Store and GOG.com on September 22.

About Lazy Bear Games

Lazy Bear Games is an independent game studio from Lithuania returning with Graveyard Keeper 2, the sequel to the original, unhinged classic! The studio is known for its legendary humor and art style across various franchises, like Punch Club, Swag and Sorcery, Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story and, of course, Graveyard Keeper.

About tinyBuild

tinyBuild started as an indie game developer and morphed into a developer-publisher you can’t miss. The company’s dedication to creating long-term partnerships and elevating recognizable franchises has resulted in many successful collaborations with talented developers from all over the world. The company has released dozens of games, including the Hello Neighbor series, Graveyard Keeper, SpeedRunners, DUCKSIDE, The King is Watching and more. Although headquartered in the Seattle area, USA, the company has established a strong global presence with studios across the US, the Netherlands, and Eastern Europe. https://www.tinybuild.com

Dunebound Tactics, the roguelite tactical RPG where you build the battlefield and fuel the engine with your own crew, is out now on Steam.

September 14, 2026: Haven is a rumour. Every caravan that has gone looking for it is now part of the desert. Dunebound Tactics is out now on Steam for $14.99, with a 20% launch discount running for two weeks through September 28. Built by Terahard Studios and published by indie.io, it is a turn-based tactical roguelite about dragging a sand-ship and its crew across a wasteland that consumes both.

Most tactics games hand you a battlefield and ask you to read it. This one hands you the tools to rewrite it. Cover can be obliterated or dragged out of position. Ice pillars rise to choke a flanking route, explosive pillars turn a chokepoint into a liability, and a pitfall dug early becomes the answer to a problem three turns later. Caravan skills reach in from off the field to buff the party or clear a path for it. Positioning still matters, but the ground underneath it is negotiable.

The cost of all this sits in the hold. The world runs on Elios, a resource that rewrites life and death and leaves crystals where the dead used to be, and it is the only thing that keeps the engine turning. It is also inside every member of the crew. A wounded survivor can go to the infirmary or can be extracted, which fuels the caravan and leaves a husk behind. The desert is rarely generous enough to make that an easy call.

No single attempt is meant to be the one that works. Wrecks of earlier caravans yield modules and occasionally survivors, dynamic world generation reshapes the route each time out, and every failed run leaves the next one better equipped. Crews are assembled from fifteen classes, sixteen traits and more than fifty modules, while thirty-eight enemy types stand between the caravan and the horizon as the Imperials and the Arcanists fight over what is left of the world.

The launch lands on the opening day of Steam’s Party-Based RPG Fest, which runs September 14 to 21. The game was playable ahead of release at gamescom in Cologne and at PAX West in Seattle, both on the indie.io booth, where the demo drew hands-on crowds across both show floors. The engine is fuelled, the route is unmapped and Haven is still a rumour. How far a crew gets, and how much of it is still breathing when it stops. Dunebound Tactics is available to play today on Steam for $14.99, discounted 20% through September 28. Players can find out more about the game and where to purchase it on the indie.io store.

| STEAM PAGE |

ABOUT TERAHARD STUDIOS

Terahard Studios is a game company established in 2012, with two studios based in London, UK (HQ) and Athens, Greece. The team’s purpose is to create outstanding games that always push the barrier that people are used to today. Terahard is composed of software engineers and technical artists who strive to create games that stand out from the masses. The studio works on self-published titles and also works with other institutions.

ABOUT INDIE.IO indie.io is a games publisher dedicated to bringing exceptional independent games to players worldwide. With a portfolio spanning a wide range of genres, indie.io partners with developers to provide the support, resources, and expertise needed to bring creative visions to life. For more information, visit indie.io.

Gaming’s premiere no-frills showcase is back for round two

Bordeaux, FRANCE (Sept. 14, 2026) – Evil Empire is back with a surprise edition of the Triple-i Initiative showcase on Oct. 8, for another 45-minute extravaganza of back-to-back trailers from Triple-i games – all killer, no filler. Tune in for world premieres, gameplay reveals, release dates and other announcements across 40 games, including Dave the Diver, Risk of Rain 2 and Windrose.

Watch the announcement trailer for the upcoming Triple-i Initiative Showcase on YouTube here:

Having debuted in 2024, The Triple-i Initiative showcase has already become a must-watch event for players and fans around the world by revealing games such as Slay the Spire 2, Don’t Starve Elsewhere and Graveyard Keeper 2 along with DLC content for fan favorites like Katana ZERO, Vampire Survivors and Barotrauma.

The upcoming show will bring even more exciting announcements, including eight exclusive world premieres, from studios such as Team17, Amanita Design, Strange Scaffold and Norsfell. But fans of previously released games will have plenty to see too, with reveals for Dave the Diver, Brotato, Chained Together, Risk of Rain 2 and Windrose. If all that wasn’t enough, the show will be topped off with big news from highly anticipated titles such as Hela: of Mice and Magic, Militsioner, the new Among Us title, Pony Island 2: Panda Circus, Haunted Paws and Outward 2.

Viewers can watch the 45 minute-long show on YouTube, Twitch, Steam, bilibili and niconico, and with some of the very best content creators.

The Triple-i Initiative showcase is run by developers for developers. Now in its third year, the not-for-profit initiative has seen year over year growth in the industry’s top global markets, with success attributed to an approach centered on content curated to a specific audience. Focused on engagement and conversation on a global level, the all killer, no filler showcase has no unengaging fluff, no ads, no sponsors and no hosts. Evil Empire’s no-b.s approach has achieved high visibility for today’s best creative teams and the show continues to go from strength to strength.

For more information on the Triple-i Initiative showcase visit https://iii-initiative.com/, and be sure to keep an eye out for updates on who will be participating in the show this year.

Check out the Owlcat titles joining this week-long event

Nicosia, Cyprus (September 14th, 2026) — Ready your weaponry and have your healing potions on hand, for today marks the start of Steam’s Party-Based RPG Fest! Joining the festivities is genre powerhouse Owlcat Games, participating with fan favorites Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous – Enhanced Edition and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, as well as highly-anticipated upcoming titles Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy and the publishing title Shadow of the Road.

Owlcat isn’t coming to the party empty handed — during the week-long event, players can pick up Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous – Enhanced Edition at a pretty righteous discount. Both Wrath of the Righteous and Rogue Trader have received high praise from both fans and critics alike, making this the perfect time to dive into these critically acclaimed titles. Additionally, players are encouraged to wishlist upcoming titles Dark Heresy and Shadow of the Road to stay ahead of their future releases.

The Steam Party-Based RPG Fest begins today, September 14, and will run until September 21.

About Owlcat Games
Owlcat Games is a developer and publisher with a passion for RPGs and narrative-driven experiences. What began as a small team of games industry veterans with a love for tabletop roleplaying has evolved into a truly international studio. Headquartered in Cyprus with over 450 employees worldwide, Owlcat continues to grow, drawing talent from across the globe, and still finds time to roll dice together every week, in person and online.

Previous titles include the critically acclaimed Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader.

About Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group PLC (LSE:GAW.L), based in Nottingham, UK, produces the best fantasy miniatures in the world. Games Workshop designs, manufactures, retails, and distributes its range of Warhammer Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40,000 games, miniatures, novels and model kits through more than 550 of its own stores (branded Games Workshop or Warhammer), its own web store, and independent retail channels in more than 50 countries worldwide.

More information about Games Workshop and its other related brands and product ranges (including its publishing division ‘Black Library’ and its special resin miniatures studio ‘Forge World’) can be found at www.games-workshop.com.

About Another Angle Games
Another Angle Games is a team of seasoned developers with experience spanning both AA/AAA and indie projects, united by a shared passion for crafting ambitious and immersive gaming experiences. Their collective portfolio includes acclaimed titles such as Outriders (People Can Fly), The Witcher series (CD Projekt Red), and Ghostrunner (One More Level).

Take a look at the newest titles coming to tinyBuild’s catalog, including the latest project from the makers of The King is Watching!

SEATTLE – Sept. 14, 2026 – Among the many reveals and announcements at the newest tinyBuild Connect showcase, indie game publisher tinyBuild unveiled two new games: The Crab is Walking, a new roguelite kingdom builder and autobattler set on top of a giant walking crustacean, and Road to Jukai, a new psychological night-shift taxi driving horror title set in Japan.

The Crab is Walking

From the team at Hypnohead, makers of the critically acclaimed The King is Watching, comes The Crab is Walking, a roguelite kingdom builder and autobattler where your capital sits atop giant creatures. Pick your eight-legged ride, select your rider, merge buildings, unlock upgrades, and reshape your settlement as you traverse a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Space is precious when you’re building a city on the back of a giant crab, so every decision matters!

No two crabs take the same path. Different runs bring different challenges and opportunities to shape your city. The wasteland is an ocean of opportunities for those who know how to sail it. Will you grow your army, boost production, or focus on keeping your ride moving? Players will experience full strategic depth squeezed into short roguelite sessions: construct, fight, claw your way further, and then start again with what you learned.

Key Features

• Deep strategy combined with short runs
• All buildings have their own unique forms: Space limitations require tough decisions
• Pick your ride and your rider: Different shells, different playstyles
• Merge and upgrade your buildings,then find the combos that break the game
• 100+ unit types powered by gasoline and hate
• Take the hard road or play it safe: Take the easier route to be careful, or push the odds for better rewards on the more difficult path

Road to Jukai

Developed by Endflame, Road to Jukai, previously known as Silent Road, is a first-person psychological horror game where players get behind the wheel of their own cab as a night-shift taxi driver in a remote region of Japan. Transport passengers between small Japanese towns surrounded by a vast haunted forest. Keep your eyes on the road but stay vigilant — not all passengers you pick up after sunset are what they seem.

Road to Jukai has a new playtest available now and will come to Steam in 2027.

Key Features

• THE DEAD NEVER LEFT: Experience a disturbing, non-linear story spanning six nights in a remote Japanese region marked by tragedy and mystery. Here, the dead still call out from beyond.
• THE NIGHT SHIFT: Pick up odd passengers whose stories and requests grow more unsettling every night. Prepare for whoever – or whatever – steps into your taxi.
• KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD: Drive between quiet towns on forest routes and witness what unfolds after nightfall. The sunrise cannot come soon enough.

For the latest from tinyBuild, visit www.tinybuild.com and follow the company on Twitter/X and Discord.

About tinyBuild

tinyBuild started as an indie game developer and morphed into a developer-publisher you can’t miss. The company’s dedication to creating long-term partnerships and elevating recognizable franchises has resulted in many successful collaborations with talented developers from all over the world. The company has released dozens of games, including the Hello Neighbor series, Graveyard Keeper, SpeedRunners, DUCKSIDE, The King is Watching and more. Although headquartered in the Seattle area, USA, the company has established a strong global presence with studios across the US, Netherlands, and Eastern Europe. https://www.tinybuild.com

Camp Manager Simulator, a relaxing open-world campground business management simulator, is heading to PC and consoles. In the meantime, a free demo is available to everyone on PC starting September 10. The full version of Camp Manager Simulator is expected later in 2026, with PlayStation 5 and XBOX Series X|S versions planned further down the line.

Camp Manager Simulator is the work of independent studio Luna Games LTD from Türkiye. Ultimate Games S.A. is the publisher.

Become the King of Campgrounds!

Camp Manager Simulator is a relaxing campground business management simulator with first-person visuals and an open world. Players start with a modest patch of land and gradually grow their business, from simple tents to far larger facilities.

Gameplay involves welcoming guests, assigning accommodation, maintaining the site, completing various tasks, and unlocking new areas. As players progress, they can automate some work by hiring staff.

While growing their business in Camp Manager Simulator, players decide for themselves where to place tent pitches, cabins, caravans, and bungalows. The title also offers extensive customization options that let players make their campground truly one of a kind. A day-night cycle and changing weather conditions add further variety.

Steam Store: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4311420/Camp_Manager_Simulator_Demo/

The developers have also prepared broad business management options, and it is up to the player to strike the right balance between finances, costs, and prices. Growing the business means keeping campers happy, and special activity zones (such as campfires, sports areas, and festival stages) and seasonal events (such as barbecues, fairs, and music nights) can help with that.

Camp Manager Simulator With a Free Demo

In the demo, available on PC from September 10, players manage a small lakeside campground where they can pitch tents, welcome guests, and get to grips with the realities of running this kind of business.

Camp Manager Simulator Demo lets players try out the game’s core mechanics. Players are responsible for keeping the place clean, managing reservations, running the shop, and generally growing the campground. The demo focuses on the basic campground management loop. The full version will add more areas, tools, employees, activities, and other elements and mechanics.

Camp Manager Simulator – Key Features:

• Become the king of campgrounds
• Build and grow your business
• Manage your finances, staff, and resources
• Take good care of your campers
• Open activity zones and host events

The full version of Camp Manager Simulator is set to launch on PC (Steam) in Q4 2026. PlayStation 5 and XBOX Series X|S versions are also planned.

Launching on PC later this fall

PARIS (Sept. 14, 2026) – Solo developer Regal Pigeon Games and publisher The Arcade Crew (Drop Duchy, Abyssus) today announced a brand-new Steam demo for Chivalware, the roguelite adventure that blends real-time, rapid grid-based combat and tile matching in a nonstop, dance-like battle. Try out the demo today if you’re prepared to have an all-new meaning of the word flowstate: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3591900/Chivalware/

Today’s new demo was accompanied by a brand-new gameplay deep dive into Chivalware’s genre-blending action. Chivalware will launch on PC this fall:

The new demo gives you access to three of Chivalware’s five playable characters, The Disk Knight, The Tank Knight and The Jester Knight. Additionally, over half of the game’s 80 floppy disk-based weapons will be available, alongside a huge portion of the 150+ available upgrades. Plus, you’ll have access to two of the game’s four biomes and a brand-new challenge levels to test your prowess.

Take on the role of a Disk Knight in a cyber meets medieval world filled with quirky citizens. The kingdom calls on you to slay its King, driven mad by power and years of isolation. But as you carve your way toward the castle, strange glitches suggest something deeper is at play…

Cleverly match tiles on the battlefield in sets of three, earning and equipping new weapons to obliterate your opposition – all while weaving between real-time attacks in a grid-based battlefield. Permanently unlock new items, weapons and playable Disk Knights to evolve and diversify your playstyles in this daring quest to topple a king lost to a maddened state. 

Match tiles, charge your abilities and don’t get hit. Easy to pick up, but a true challenge to master. Chivalware is not just a homage to one of gaming’s most beloved tactical adventures, but aims to evolve the genre with fresh new gameplay twists that will keep even veteran strategists with the sharpest reflexes on their toes.

About The Arcade Crew

With a gameplay first approach and high-quality focus, The Arcade Crew produces and publishes awesome indie and innovative games from creative teams from around the world.

The Crew’s iconic projects include Abyssus from DoubleMoose Games, Drop Duchy from Sleepy Mill Studio, Blazing Chrome from JoyMasher and Infernax from Berzerk Studios. The Crew is working on several new games for 2026 and beyond.

The Arcade Crew is Dotemu’s indie publishing division.

Join the Crew at http://www.thearcadecrew.com.

About Regal Pigeon Games

Regal Pigeon Games is a solo developer based in Hong Kong that specializes in mixing juicy pixel art and fast, fluid combat. Regal Pigeon Games is currently developing Chivalware, which blends tile matching and grid-based combat with roguelite progression, being published by The Arcade Crew. Regal Pigeon Games previously self-published their debut title Neophyte on Steam in 2022.

New side quests explore Gia and Benny’s relationship and uncover more about the aether research taking place in Nations Crusade

Issaquah, WA, USA – September 14th, 2026 – Seismic Squirrel today announced that Aether & Iron, the narrative RPG set in an alternate 1930s New York transformed by anti-gravitational technology, is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, XBOX One and XBOX Series X|S consoles in 2027.

A new content update featuring two new side quests in Nations Crusade will also launch tomorrow, alongside a 20% discount on Steam during the Steam Party-Based RPG Festival, running from September 14th through September 21st. 

The new content update adds two side quests that give players new opportunities to explore the characters and mysteries of Aether & Iron. In one quest, Gia and Benny get a chance to spend time together, giving players a closer look at their relationship and the people behind the smuggling crew. The second quest takes players deeper into the aether research taking place in Nations Crusade, revealing more about the technology that has transformed New York and shaped the world of Aether & Iron. The update will be available on Steam at 3:00 PM Pacific Time / 11:00 PM BST on September 15th. 

From September 14th through September 21st, Aether & Iron will be available at 20% off on Steam as part of the Steam Party-Based RPG Festival. 

Aether & Iron is now available on Steam for Windows and macOS, featuring full English voice acting and text localization support for English, Spanish (Spain & Latin America), French, German, Polish, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, and Simplified Chinese. Players can purchase Aether & Iron and try the demo today on Steam. The game will also come to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, XBOX One and XBOX Series X|S consoles in 2027, bringing its story-driven adventure to a new audience. Further details about the console versions and release date will be announced at a later time. 

About Aether & Iron: 
Set in an alternate 1930s New York transformed into a vertical city by the discovery of “aether”, a key component to newfound anti-gravitational technology, Aether & Iron follows Gia, a smuggler navigating crime syndicates, political conspiracies, and fragile alliances. Players shape Gia’s story through meaningful decisions, with every choice influencing relationships, outcomes and the fate of the city itself. The game features writing talent with credits on Mass Effect, Far Cry, and Sovereign Syndicate, with an original score composed by two-time Grammy Award winner Christopher Tin and Grammy nominee Alex Williamson, best known for their work on the Civilization series. 

About Seismic Squirrel
Seismic Squirrel is a talented and passionate team of both industry veterans and enthusiastic newcomers. We share a strong desire to tell fascinating stories supporting engaging gameplay mechanics. 

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.