๐ Changelog
Full update history from Early Access launch (September 2024) through Patch 9 (July 1, 2026). Covers all new wizards, maps, spells, scrolls, trials, and post-launch rebalances.
1.0 IS HERE โ 4-Player Co-op First Impressions
1.0 launch gameplay โ April 29, 2026
- โ 7 new Scrolls: Second Breath, Lucky Scroll, Magician Collision, Passive Income, Fight or Flight, Thick Skin, Drinking Buddies
- โ 4 new Quests to unlock the new Scrolls
- โ Scroll HUD added โ shows cooldowns, triggers, and stacks in-run
- โ Scroll reworks: Fist of Support (+Damage/+Crit on revive), Power of Friendship (now Armor-based)
- โ Removed scrolls: Savior Focus, Steady Hand, Resilient Revival
- โ Spear Barrage buffed โ improved targeting, hitbox, cast speed, and base damage
- โ Split augmentation damage fix โ no more damage splitting on Talon Slash, Phantom Blades, Spear Barrage
- โ Mul'gath boss rebalance โ higher phase-transition resistance, minions heal immediately
- โ 7 enemy types now pingable: Elder Shaman, Elder Bloat Crab, Elder Teethy Worm, Broodmaw, Stampeders, Frostroot, Baby Manta
- โ Quest progress indicators in-run for Realm Threat, Element Infusions, and Scroll collection
- โ Go-Getter's Grace healing buff increased 25% โ 30%; Bountiful Quests and Go-Getter's Grace now retroactive
- โ Ghost movement no longer affected by terrain; Scroll Chests damageable by enemy projectiles
- โ Official Post-1.0 Roadmap announced โ new wizards, realm, spells, scrolls, and QoL planned
Final stabilization patch (v1.0.6.17709). As of July 13, 2026, no Patch 10 has been released. Bolt Blaster Games confirmed the game is in a stable state and announced future content plans.
- โ Fixed Ascension Outfits not unlocking properly
- โ Fixed Trial Covenants not unlocking retroactively after rework
- โ Fixed Solar Pulse scaling out of control with Solar Surge + Size Mastery
- โ Fixed locked Covenants being selectable
- โ Fixed text overlap in Covenants menu
Targeted hotfix addressing outfit and covenant progression bugs from Patch 7.
- โ New 8th Trial: Diminution โ shrink wizard and spells for a unique challenge
- โ Wizards reverted to Quest-based unlocking (Gold spent refunded)
- โ Trials now unlock sequentially on every Ascension regardless of wizard
- โ Spell buffs: Talon Slash +20%, Spear Barrage +30%, Phantom Blades +10%, Impish Havoc +20%
- โ Elder Monsters buffed โ more HP, move speed, and ice resistance
- โ Individual Enchantment refund system added
- โ Matchmaking now prioritizes low-latency lobbies
- โ Soul Sludge clearable by Explosions, Resurrection Beams, Tornadoes, Void Hoppers
- โ Talon Slash rework โ no longer divides damage across targets
Major progression rework addressing the #1 community complaint about Gold-based wizard unlocking.
- โ Fixed Mana Beasts bleating continuously in pen
- โ Fixed Soul Sludge not cleanable after using a portal
- โ Fixed old soundtrack volume mismatch
- โ Fixed high-latency players blocking Braziers Objective completion
- โ Fixed missing Onslaught Trial description
- โ Fixed A Worthy Sacrifice achievement not completable as client
Quality-of-life bug fix patch between the major Patch 5 and Patch 7 updates.
- โ Major Gold economy rebalance โ reduced Ascension costs, Enchantment costs, and Max Rank XP
- โ Increased Gold gain in all missions (+15% Severe, +30% Hardcore bonus)
- โ Abstinence converted from Trial to Covenant โ unlocks much earlier
- โ Old soundtrack toggle added (old, new, or mixed)
- โ Mana Beast Objective overhaul โ second pen opening, faster herding, objective pointers
- โ Spell Core objective pointers added when objective nears end
- โ Crash recovery system โ restores Gold and Wizard Rank XP on crashes
- โ 20+ bug fixes including Knelly friendly fire, Pipwick Thunder, Star Mage revive at Sol'phish
The most impactful post-launch patch โ directly addressed progression grind complaints from the 1.0 launch.
- โ Fixed majority of early-game crashes
- โ Fixed achievements not unlocking despite meeting requirements
- โ Fixed Mana Gain stat not working
- โ Fixed pinned Scroll adding 4th store item instead of replacing
- โ Fixed stores not appearing after pinning Augmentations
- โ Performance improvements for damage popups, Lightning/Thunder, Dark spells, Mana Orb pickups
- โ Performance improvements for Chthonic Stalking, Stalking Sprout, Stalking Whirl Augmentations
Critical stability patch โ addressed the crash epidemic that plagued the first week after 1.0 launch.
- โ Fixed bosses not spawning with Dodge Mastery equipped
- โ Fixed Void Hoppers and Gnashers bugging out when hit with Dodge Mastery
Small hotfix targeting Dodge Mastery interaction bugs discovered after Patch 2.
- โ Significantly reduced Gold cost scaling across the board
- โ Fixed players getting stuck after respawning
- โ Fixed incomplete challenges shown as completed
- โ Fixed prestige cost miscalculation
- โ Fixed Krog'wa moving after death
- โ Fixed Knelly explosion achievement not triggering on boss kills
- โ Fixed Reginald always assigned Gold Bonus on startup
- โ Fixed World completion challenges in endless mode
- โ Fixed save files lost during power failures
First major response to progression grind feedback โ preliminary Gold economy adjustments.
- โ Restored achievement progress lost during the 1.0 transition
- โ Hotfix deployed same day as the full 1.0 release
Emergency day-one hotfix โ players reported missing achievement progress after updating to 1.0.
- โ 15th playable wizard: Knelly (The Bell Mage) with Bell March resonance spell
- โ New boss: Mul'gath, the Twisted One (Pyrestorm Pit)
- โ Masteries system โ ultimate tier of Enchantments
- โ Ascension Outfits โ secret cosmetics via Trials
- โ Trial Covenants โ Solitary Focus, Eternal Bond, Cursed Runs
- โ Wizard Prestiges & Curses โ accept setbacks for powerful perks
- โ PS5 release with full PCโPS5 crossplay
- โ Original soundtrack by Austin Wintory & Dallas Crane
- โ Ban & Pin augmentation system
- โ Lightning rework: Thunder burst on initial hit
- โ Wildfire rework: can now inflict Critical Damage ticks
- โ Ice rework: full freeze instead of slow
- โ Balthazar (Revenant) added โ ghost-form revive mechanic
- โ Pipwick (Summoner) added โ autonomous minion control
- โ Disciples of Sol'phish Skin Pack DLC
- โ Deluxe Edition bundle
- โ Over 60 achievements across Steam and PS5
The 1.0 release marks the end of Early Access and the game's biggest update yet. The small studio refined it across 18 months of community play.
- โ New wizard: Pipwick (The Summoner) โ autonomous minion control
- โ New wizard: Balthazar (The Revenant) โ lifesteal and ghost-form revive
- โ Dark element complete overhaul โ corruption cascade mechanics
- โ New spells: Swirl Sickle and Spear Barrage added to general pool
- โ Army achievement: have 8 minions simultaneously
- โ Ghost Reviver achievement: revive 12 teammates as a ghost
- โ Ban & Pin system preview (full version ships in 1.0)
Final major Early Access content update before 1.0 preparations.
- โ Balthazar Revenant early preview build
- โ Ludwig sacrifice mechanic improvements
- โ Pyrestorm Pit tornado path updates
- โ Armor stat formula rebalancing
- โ Multiple crash fixes for 4-player sessions
Balance-focused update in preparation for the final push to 1.0.
- โ Masteries system preview โ first look at the Enchantment upgrade tier
- โ New Enchantment types added
- โ Bryony (Nature Mage) XP mechanics improved
- โ 1 million player milestone celebrated
- โ Minor performance improvements
The 1 million player milestone was reached during this update cycle.
- โ New wizard: Wizard King (The Archmage) โ dual spell + sacrifice build
- โ Pyrestorm Pit environmental update: Sulfur Geysers added
- โ Resurrection Beam spell added
- โ Magic Missile improvements โ better cone spread
- โ Critical Damage stat added to the game
- โ Crit Master achievement added
Introduced the most complex wizard and the critical damage system.
- โ New wizard: Maggie (The Bird Mage) โ minimap awareness and relic detection
- โ Aurora Wings spell added
- โ Minimap improvements for all wizards
- โ Relic system overhauled
- โ Birdshot achievement added
- โ Relic Hunter achievement added
Maggie immediately became a fan favourite after this update.
- โ New wizard: Aldric (The Healer) โ dual damage/heal beam
- โ Aether Beam added โ the only native healing spell in the game
- โ Bewitched Fungi mechanic added
- โ Healing Fire augmentation added
- โ Healer achievement added
- โ Co-op revive system improvements
The only dedicated healer wizard in The Spell Brigade.
- โ New wizard: Bryony (The Nature Mage) โ XP farming specialist
- โ Magnet spell rework โ 666 XP Orb collection milestone
- โ XP Gain stat added
- โ Full HP Potion conversion mechanic (Bryony passive)
- โ Magnet Master achievement added
XP system overhaul significantly changed early-game progression pacing.
- โ Frozen Ancients rework โ Ice Patches now slow more significantly
- โ Krog'wa boss improvements โ new phase 2 attack
- โ Ludwig unlock condition tied to Frozen Ancients completion
- โ Armor stat formula improvements
- โ Multiple multiplayer stability fixes
Foundation update for the Frozen Ancients difficulty spike.
- โ New wizard: Star Mage โ Falling Stars with 4-instance cap
- โ Pyrestorm Pit map added
- โ Lava and tornado hazard systems
- โ Mul'gath boss preview (Pyrestorm Pit)
- โ Starfall achievement added
- โ Solitary Focus Covenant preview
The most impactful single update before 1.0 โ introduced the game's most powerful wizard.
- โ Initial Early Access release on Steam
- โ 4 starting wizards: Reginald, Campanelli, Sun Mage, Kavin
- โ 2 maps: Verdant Meadows and early Frozen Ancients
- โ Core spell and element system
- โ Ludwig available via unlock
- โ Hatti available via unlock
The game launched to strong reception and immediately attracted a dedicated community.
๐ The Spell Brigade โ Development History
Post-Launch Patch Cycle (AprilโJuly 2026)
The 1.0 launch on April 29, 2026 drew mixed feedback โ especially around progression grind. Bolt Blaster Games responded with an unprecedented nine patches in two months. Patch 5 (May 19) overhauled the Gold economy. Patch 7 (June 11) reverted wizard unlocking to Quests and added the Diminution Trial. Patch 9 (July 1) added 7 new Scrolls and announced the Post-1.0 Roadmap. See the Scrolls Guide and Trials & Covenants Guide for details on the latest systems.
From 4 Wizards to 15 in 18 Months
The Spell Brigade launched in Early Access on September 16, 2024 with four playable wizards: Reginald, Campanelli, Sun Mage, and Kavin. Ludwig and Hatti were available as unlockables from day one. Over the following 18 months, Bolt Blaster Games shipped 13 major updates that expanded the roster to 15 wizards โ adding Star Mage, Maggie, Bryony, Aldric, Balthazar, Pipwick, and Knelly alongside the Wizard King.
The 1 Million Player Milestone
During Update 11 (late 2025), The Spell Brigade crossed the 1 million player milestone โ an extraordinary achievement for a six-person indie studio with no traditional marketing spend.
The Element System Evolution
The Spell Brigade's element system has evolved significantly from the Early Access launch. Version 1.0 reworked Lightning (Thunder burst), Wildfire (Critical Damage crits), and Ice (full freeze instead of slow) โ transforming the element rankings and enabling entirely new build paths.
Austin Wintory & Dallas Crane โ The Soundtrack
The 1.0 full release included the game's first original soundtrack, composed by Austin Wintory in collaboration with Dallas Crane.
PS5 Crossplay Implementation
The PS5 version launched simultaneously with Steam 1.0 on April 29, 2026, with full crossplay between PC and PS5.
โ The Spell Brigade Changelog โ FAQ
When did The Spell Brigade 1.0 release? +
The Spell Brigade 1.0 released on April 29, 2026 on both Steam (PC) and PlayStation 5 simultaneously with full crossplay between platforms. The full release ended 18 months of Early Access that began September 16, 2024.
How many post-launch patches has The Spell Brigade received? +
Nine post-launch patches were released between April 29 and July 1, 2026 (Patches 1โ9). These addressed progression grind, crashes, spell balance, scroll additions, and trial progression. Patch 9 also announced the official Post-1.0 Roadmap.
What was added in Patch 9? +
Patch 9 (July 1, 2026) added 7 new Scrolls (Second Breath, Lucky Scroll, Magician Collision, Passive Income, Fight or Flight, Thick Skin, Drinking Buddies), a Scroll HUD, split augmentation damage fixes, Spear Barrage buffs, and the official Post-1.0 Roadmap announcement.
Is The Spell Brigade still being updated after 1.0? +
Yes. After nine stabilization patches, Bolt Blaster Games announced a Post-1.0 Roadmap in Patch 9 (July 2026) planning new wizards, a new realm, spells, scrolls, map variants, rebindable controls, highscores, and a logbook. No release dates have been confirmed.
What changed in Patch 7? +
Patch 7 (June 11, 2026) added the Diminution Trial (8th Trial), reverted wizard unlocking to Quest-based (refunding Gold spent), buffed Talon Slash (+20%), Spear Barrage (+30%), Phantom Blades (+10%), and Impish Havoc (+20%), and reworked Trial progression to unlock sequentially on every Ascension.