Publisher and developer The Astronauts have announced an early access release date for Witchfire.

Witchfire is launching via early access on September 20th for PC, via the Epic Games Store. The developer also confirmed while there is extensive lore and story in Witchfire, the focus is currently on its early access release so that it has polished gameplay and great atmosphere.

“The thing that excites me the most in video games is the idea of experiencing different worlds,” The Astronauts co-founder and creative director Adrian Chmielarz said to Epic Games News. “To be a space pirate, a detective with supernatural powers, or a Church’s witch hunter. It doesn’t matter to me if the game is focused on the story or on the mechanics— I need its world to feel like a real place. So even though Witchfire is obviously a shooter first, we invest a lot in its world and lore. I believe this enhances the experience even for the people who claim they don’t care about the stories in games at all.”

He added, “The last few trailers were very combat focused and I think gave the wrong impression that Witchfire is a non-stop action fest. It is not. Sure, some fights will be incredibly intense, but there are also periods of quiet exploration, planning, thinking. It is much closer to Souls in that regard rather than, say, Doom. So that’s why the beginning of this new trailer is a little slower. We might slow down even more when there’s finally time for the launch trailer.”

Here’s a rundown on the game, plus a new trailer:

Witchfire

Armed with strange weapons and forbidden pagan magic, hunt a powerful witch holding the key to your salvation. Witchfire is a dark fantasy roguelite shooter from the creators of Painkiller, Bulletstorm, and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter.

Features

• Dark Fantasy With Guns! – Witchfire is a first-person shooter from the creative leads behind Painkiller and Bulletstorm. A roguelite for people who hate roguelites, the game offers a challenging but satisfying gameplay experience, and with multiple roads to victory.
• At War With Witches – Desperate for a chance to triumph in the deadly war against witches, the Church calls on forbidden pagan magic to turn willing sinners into immortal witch hunters called preyers. Armed with powerful spells and fearsome firearms conjured by the best Vatican sorcerers, your mission is to find the infamous witch of the Black Sea, destroy the phantom army that protects her, and retrieve a mysterious artifact that can finally turn the tide of war.
• Immersive Graphics in a Grimdark World – Like The Astronauts’ previous title (The Vanishing of Ethan Carter), Witchfire uses photogrammetry technology to achieve stunning visuals and a grim, immersive dark fantasy world..