Garden of Witches 1.0 Official Launch & Major Update

Greetings from Team Tapas!

Garden of Witches officially launches today, August 28, 2026!

Since the beginning of Early Access, so many of you have visited the Garden. You didn't just play the game—you reported bugs, shared your thoughts on balance, suggested new systems, and even showed us ways of playing that we had never expected.

Throughout that process, Garden of Witches has changed in countless ways compared to when it first entered Early Access.

And today, we're finally bringing you Version 1.0, featuring new story content and a major overhaul of the combat system.

We sincerely thank everyone who has been with us along the way.

New Story

Epilogues 2 & 3

The story that began in Epilogue 1 continues in Epilogue 2 and Epilogue 3.

See for yourself how Sil and the other witches' story comes to an end, and discover the conclusion of Garden of Witches that was not available during Early Access.

You'll also unlock new skills as you progress through the Epilogues, and once you've seen the story through to the end, new challenge content awaits.

Major Combat System Overhaul

Combat is the biggest thing that has changed in Version 1.0.

Throughout Early Access, we introduced various systems such as Attributes, Tags, and Synergies to make combining different Scissors and Spells more interesting.

However, as more systems were added, the number of choices increased while actual combat often ended up feeling similar, using several skills whenever their cooldowns became available.

For Version 1.0, we went back to the fundamentals and reworked the overall combat system from the ground up.

As a result, the existing Attribute, Synergy, and Rune Systems have been removed, with their roles redistributed across the unique mechanics of individual Scissors, Spells, Imprints, and Relics.

Now, your build is determined not only by which skills you choose, but also by how you choose to use them.

New Mechanics for Each Skill

Scissors and Spells now feature a wider variety of mechanics, including Charging, Combos, and Channeling.

For example, Scissors and Giant Scissors unleash powerful unique attacks when you complete their full Combos, while Magic Scissors and Fireball change in both behavior and power depending on how long you Charge them.

Rush is no longer simply a movement skill. It now creates needles and threads, and can be used again to pull connected enemies toward you.

Existing mechanics such as Sharpness, Thread, Flower, and Crow have also been redesigned. Rather than functioning as separate systems shared across multiple skills, they are now part of the unique identities of individual Scissors and Spells.

Choose Your Loadout in the Armory

At the beginning of the game, only your default Scissors and a limited selection of Spells are available. Additional Scissors and Spells will gradually unlock as you progress through chapters and meet various conditions.

Once unlocked, you can freely choose your preferred combination of Scissors, Spells, and Special Skills in the Armory.

Build around your favorite Scissors, maximize the potential of a particular Spell, or combine several skills that complement one another. Find the combat style that works best for you.

Customize Skills with Imprints

Imprints have been redesigned so that they do more than simply increase a skill's stats—they can now fundamentally change how a skill is used.

Once you raise an attribute to Level 3, you can select one of three Imprints assigned to that attribute.

For example, you might create a single Giant Fireball for one devastating hit, or instead fire multiple Small Fireballs to maximize on-hit effects.

Even when using the same skill, your build can develop in completely different directions depending on the Imprint you choose.

Relic Rework

Relics have also been extensively reworked.

Some interactions that were previously built directly into individual skills have been moved to Relics, which now play a larger role in connecting different skills and enabling new combinations.

Rather than only strengthening a single skill, you can also discover combinations that create entirely new effects when multiple skills are used together.

Keyboard & Mouse Controls

One of the most frequently requested features during Early Access, keyboard and mouse controls, has now been added.

Starting with Version 1.0, keyboard and mouse controls are available as the default control scheme. You can aim freely with the mouse and assign actions to mouse buttons as well.

If you prefer the previous control style, you can continue using Keyboard-Only Mode from the settings menu. Even in Keyboard-Only Mode, menus and other UI elements can still be controlled with the mouse.

Choose whichever control scheme feels best for you.

Difficulty & Overall Balance Overhaul

Alongside the combat system changes, we have also readjusted the overall difficulty curve of the game.

We've reduced sections that felt overly demanding during repeated playthroughs and adjusted enemy stats, reward distribution, combat encounters, and progression flow across every chapter so that the difficulty increases more naturally as you progress.

The existing Very Hard difficulty has been removed from regular chapters, with higher-difficulty gameplay now primarily available through Challenge Mode.

For players looking for an additional challenge, we've also added an option to Disable Invincibility During Dash.

Challenge Mode Overhaul

Challenge Mode now unlocks after clearing Epilogue 3.

If you continue playing from your save data after clearing Epilogue 3, you'll be taken to a Challenge Mode version of Sil's house, where you can select the Challenge Mode you want to play when leaving through the door.

Challenge Mode is endgame content designed to test your builds and combat mastery under higher difficulty and special conditions beyond the regular story progression.

Steam Achievements

The long-requested Steam Achievements have now been added.

Some can be earned naturally as you progress through the story, while others require you to meet specific conditions.

Explore everything the Garden has to offer and see how many you can complete.

Japanese Character Voices

Japanese character voices have been added through Chapter 5 of the main story.

Experience the witches' story again with their new voices.

The following voice actors participated in the Japanese voice recording:

• Sil — Ikumi Hasegawa (長谷川育美)
• Fiena — Hyosei (氷青)
• Abigail — Noa Honda (本田乃愛)
• Limz — Mana Koshirakawa (小白川愛菜)
• Berry — Yukina Shuto (首藤志奈)
• Chloe — Riho Sugiyama (杉山里穂)
• Canule / Nahatra — Saho Shirasu (白砂沙帆)

Voice settings can be changed between Japanese / None in the settings menu.

Other Changes

Real-Time DPS UI

A new real-time DPS UI has been added, allowing you to see how much damage your current build is dealing during combat.

Use it to test new builds and compare the performance of different combinations.

New Interactions in Sil's House

New interactions have been added to Sil's house.

You can now even call the other witches and have conversations with them.

After progressing through the story, take some time to look around Sil's house as well.

UI/UX Improvements

Alongside keyboard and mouse support, we've improved the UI and general usability throughout the game, including menu navigation, equipment and skill selection, and the way various types of information are displayed.

Other Changes

• Fixed various bugs.
• Revised some text and localization.
• Made general quality-of-life improvements.
• Adjusted various values and rewards to accommodate the new combat system.

The Future of Garden of Witches

Version 1.0 is a major milestone for Garden of Witches, but we plan to continue refining the game after its official launch.

We'll keep an eye on your gameplay and feedback as we continue improving balance and quality of life, while also considering how Garden of Witches might be expanded further in the future.

When we have something new to share, we'll let you know in a separate announcement.

30% Launch Discount

To celebrate the official launch, Garden of Witches is available at 30% off.

If you haven't visited the Garden yet, now is a great time to join Sil and bring the witches together for their tea party.

Closing

A lot has happened since we first revealed Garden of Witches, through Early Access, and all the way to today.

Your feedback helped us discover problems we hadn't noticed ourselves, while unexpected builds and playstyles gave us new ideas along the way.

Every part of that process has helped shape Garden of Witches into what it is today.

We sincerely thank everyone who has played Garden of Witches and sent us so much feedback and support.

We're finally able to share the complete story with you in Version 1.0.

See you in the Garden.

Thank you.