After two long months without any tasty news to share, somewhat depriving you of clarity about progress on things we've been struggling with, we're finally coming up for some air…

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You know that moment when you want to tidy up a room… and you end up emptying everything onto the floor before you even get started? That's more or less what we did with WAVEN. The clock was ticking, and behind the scenes, we simplified, redesigned, trimmed, reimagined, and sometimes even daydreamed… Between two heated meetings and a number of admittedly heavy game design documents, we pulled ourselves together, keeping one clear idea in mind: How can we make WAVEN simpler without taking anything away from it? As much as we love complex systems, lengthy combos, and mind-blowing builds, there comes a time where even we lose sight of what we're actually doing. So we decided to pick our battles a bit better.

As surprising as it may seem, simplifying a game isn't simple. Quite the opposite – it's a really convoluted task. The word "simplification" can be intimidating because it brings to mind losing depth, mechanics becoming bland, and fun being restricted. But that's absolutely not the goal. What we're aiming for is clarity. A game that makes you want to dive in head first, without wondering if you'll be out of your depth. Rereading a spell description six (or more) times to grasp what it does? We don't go in for that anymore. So, we gathered our courage and tackled several fundamental aspects of WAVEN:

• heroes and their spells,

• descriptions,

• the card system,

• companions,

• the AP reserve,

• and a few removed mechanics…

Those who followed our Ankama Live in April already got a glimpse of it… but let's lay things out plainly. In the new version of WAVEN, each hero has four unique spells and a passive that is unique to them. That's all there is to the character's identity. All other spells (some 150) are now shared by all heroes – no more class spells, no more impossible builds because "Dang, I want to play that, but it's not for this class". As for hero passives, we're planning to rework all of them, but we'll come back to this in a future post about this project.

Many of you pointed this out to us, sometimes kindly, sometimes less so – spell descriptions were often mysterious. Too long, too technical, too obscure. And we've got to admit, you were right. So we went over it all again, word by word, line by line. The goal? For each spell to clearly state what it does, when, and how, without requiring you to get out a cross-reference table in Excel. We shortened text length, standardized terms, and reworked the order of information. The result? Spells that can be understood by reading them once, without any confusing jargon. And when the effect is a bit more unique, we make it more understandable, either visually or contextually.

As we already mentioned, your cards are at the heart of WAVEN's gameplay. Spells and companions are now grouped together in the deck. And that changes everything. Each deck now consists of 16 cards, which you can choose freely from among your spells and companions. Spells still cost Action Points, while companions require Command Points. To earn CP, you have to perform specific actions on the board or play specific spell cards. In combat, you will now have up to nine cards in your hand (instead of seven previously), giving you greater flexibility, more tactical choices, and most of all, less frustration with draws (and less repetitiveness in combat). We wanted each turn to make players think, but also react. Behind this overhaul is a clear intention to reunify systems, avoid overlapping layers that don't go well together, and focus the player's attention on one thing – how they play and why. And since all (or almost all) cards are now shared between heroes, the game also becomes more generous in how it lets you build a deck.

Companions… What a wonderful topic. They weren't really spells, not really heroes, often useful… and sometimes killed during the first round. Basically, it was time to put them back at the center of gameplay.

Companions are now cards in their own right, on a par with spells. They follow the same deckbuilding rules, are played from your hand, and finally have a real strategic space where they can exist. You no longer place them "because you have to" or to achieve a passive effect – you choose them, you play them, and you evolve them. This last point is important because you can now evolve a companion that is already on the field. Since they exist in the form of cards, once played, they return to your draw pile (like a spell). If you draw them again while they are still on the field, you can make them rank up by replaying their card directly on them at a reduced CP cost. Each evolution improves their attack and health stats and heals them.

Outside of combat, companions can still level up like any other item in the deck. This costs copies of the relevant hero… and a few kamas. When they reach a given level, each companion unlocks a unique special spell that is specific to their own story. This spell is automatically added to your hand when the companion is summoned or when they perform a dedicated action on the field. These special spells all have a narrative link to the relevant hero and make it possible to replay certain original, iconic, or simply fun-to-play actions.

The most observant among you will most likely recognize the artist behind the companion cards' new visual design… We've prepared an interview that will be released sometime later.

We've also made a decision that might just delight some of you. We've expanded the pool of companions with other legends from the Krosmoz and removed those who weren't historical figures (especially characters from the game KROSMAGA). You'll find these changes directly in the game.

It doesn't exist anymore… or at least, not in the same form. During our playtesting, we realized that the AP reserve was an unnatural mechanic for new players. In other words, they didn't understand it, so they didn't play it.

So, we've adjusted how it works. Some spells still let you generate additional AP, but instead of storing them so you can activate them when you want, these AP will now be automatically added to your total on the following turn.

This section might set your teeth on edge. We get it. But it's necessary in order for you to understand where we want to go with WAVEN. Nothing is set in stone – the choices we're presenting here are where we are now, so they might still change before the game is officially launched.

We've decided to remove the skill profile and all items from the game (rings, armbands, and brooches).

Why? Because as we kept adding layers, the game became incomprehensible. Worse still, the systems interfered with each other, requiring lengthy testing sessions after equally lengthy theory-crafting sessions, just to validate the desired combos.

The skill profile particularly didn't encourage diversity in builds. For most heroes, a single path naturally stood out as "the best", which ended up restricting the fun.

The same was true of items, which mainly added density without any real depth. Too many micro-effects, too many special cases ("I've got to equip this ring before the other one so that its bonuses will be fully activated…"), and clearly not enough instant fun.

So, we decided to make a more comprehensible and structured game, starting over with a clean foundation and reinventing things. New forms of build customization could emerge later on.

You've seen it time and again, liked it, and even complimented it. The home screen was mainly used to select your server, click the "PLAY" button, and admire the fantastic work of Sad! and Franho on the seasonal visual design. It was nice, and it set the mood, but that was about it.

We thought, "What if…"

What if this screen became the game's main hub, a gateway to all available modes? What would it look like? Would the available content be clearer? Would navigating between the different game experiences be easier?

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(Image not representative of the final result)

So this is where it all begins. Each game mode is illustrated by its own card, key information (progress and rank), a short explanatory tooltip, and "let's go". It's a good way for us to highlight new features and seasonal events. It's also a good way for you to select the mode you like best at any time.

The stated mode names are not final.

You already know Story Mode – it's WAVEN's PvE mode. You no longer have to start an adventure (create a character) in this mode to unlock PvP and competitive modes.

We told you about Special Stories in the 2023 KrosmoNote under the name of "Heroic Quests". The idea is to offer immersive transmedia narrative content where you will relive major events from the Krosmoz. For example, fighting the Taurs during their invasion of the Puddly Village in the Wakfu Era (WAKFU – Season 1, Episode 5: The Magnificent Five), or the epic battle pitting Oropo and his allies against Grougaloragran and his brother Chibi on Oma Island (Oropo – Battle for the Eliacube).

Roguelike (or "Survival") is our favorite playground right now (the first one being Expeditions). This mode has developed quite a bit since we talked about it in the last WAVEN Ankama Live, so we'll come back to it in a future post, because it clearly deserves its own section.

Boss Fight (sometimes called "Battle Royale") will be the next system we tackle once Roguelike has been finalized. We can already tell you that all the work done on Roguelike will speed up production for Boss Fight, since both modes share a number of mechanics.

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(Image not representative of the final result)

You also know Versus. And no, we haven't done any more work on it yet.
Season mode is the good old seasonal fight in the Time Portal. It hasn't been worked on yet either, not for the time being.

Finally, the modes on the far right of the screen are merely placeholders that are there to help you (and us) visualize what this home screen will look like when new content appears.

So as you can see, there's still plenty to do and share with you. We can't wait for you to try out this new version of WAVEN and be honest with us: Is it better? Does it work? Does it make you want to come back? In any case, we really think it does.

Thank you for your patience and messages. But more importantly, thank you for still being here. More is yet to come.

• Added a warning message to the home screen.

• World chapters, quest points, first-time rewards, and progress in Story Mode
• Characters
• Items: spells, companions, equipment, chests, etc.
• Soft currency: kamas, island tokens, Wakfu fragments, season tickets, runes, etc.
• Guilds
• Cosmetic items earned through account progress
• Boats
• Prisms

• Cosmetic items purchased with gems (or refunded if they are not compatible with the new version of the game, such as guild haven skins, etc.)
• Cosmetic items won through community events: trophies, character customizations, etc.
• Gameplay comfort elements: character slots, deck slots, etc. (or refunded if they cannot be kept)
• Your gems, both bought and earned

• Guild haven skins
• Shop packs containing gameplay elements

• The contents of this message are not transferable to another account or another server.
• This message will not have an expiration date.
• However, we reserve the right to force automatic recovery of its content on your account.

• Gauges and companion slots have been removed from the left side of the screen.
• Reserve Action Points have been removed.
• Companion and spell cards are in the same hand.
• The hand has nine cards in total, compared to the current seven.
• Command Points are located next to Action Points.
• The combat log hasn't been removed – it is being overhauled.
• A new gauge, represented by the class symbol, is located next to the AP and CP - the "Special" gauge.

• Items will be distributed in level bands (1–10, 11–20, etc.) and can be equipped if your character has reached the required level.
• Only one variable stat per item.
• If you get an identical item with a better stat, the first one will automatically be recycled as a resource.
• If the new stat is not as good, the new one will be recycled.
• If you item is already at max level, each new copy will let you increase some of its masteries.
• Armbands will offer masteries of the ATTACK archetype while rings will be for MAGIC.

• Competitive: Four (4) players will face off. Each player will face the same waves but can use specific actions to hinder their opponents. In this mode, all the players play at the same time, then it's the enemy's turn. And so on… until only one survivor is left.
• Cooperative: Four (4) players will band together to survive as long as possible against a shared enemy. This variant will be found on the Monster Islands, and turns will happen like in dungeons.

• The captains can be collected in the dungeon detours.
• The sailors may drop during any fight on the island in question.
• The ships, for their part, will need to be built using new, specific resources.

• the rewards collected along the way, and
• an expedition log, detailing the maritime events that happened during the crossing.

• An initial test version of the new systems, ideally in September.
  If certain elements are ready sooner, we'll open an early test build.
• The global release of version 1.0, hopefully in December.
  That will, of course, depend on the test phases going well and if we stick to our schedule. If needed, we won't hesitate to take more time even if that means carrying over into 2026.

• Because the rules are changing. Spells, companions, items and deckbuilding: everything has been rethought. Keeping the former system would be a source of inconsistencies and unfairness.
• Because the game economy is changing. Resources, loot, item rarity, and progress value won't mean the same thing.
• Because we don't want to force the old world to live alongside the new one. We want this version 1.0 to be clear, fair, and fresh for everyone.

• The shortcut to open the Story Mode Interface has been removed.

• Ephemeral spells no longer consume modifiers related to casting a spell.
• Several errors when launching Daily Quests have been fixed.
• Cost changes for subsequent spells played are now correctly interrupted, even if the same spell is recast.

• Fixed the default skin for the Hero Spectral Armabladegeddon.
• Added a transition animation for the Hero Shaden Shiru's "Thunderbolt" skin.
• Fixed the Hero Bovalor Orok's "Vagabond" and "Sentinel" skins.

• It's now possible to validate the quest even if the player had to restart from the last checkpoint.

• Fixed an issue with loading multiple locations.

• You can now activate gift codes directly in the game via the "ACCOUNT" section of your Settings.
• Text and voice languages can now be set separately.
  • You can do this from the Settings menu.
• In the customization interface and Shop, Hero and Companion skins now show a preview of their animations.

• Achievements have been reorganized in the Logbook.
• The portraits of other group members have frames that match the color code for the group channel.

• The description has been fixed and is now:
  • When you cast an elemental spell that costs 4 ACTION POINTS or more on an opponent: […].

• The number of SLAGS summoned has been changed from 2 to 1.

• Items that you can interact with now have a visual effect.

• Portal Tickets that have not been collected are converted into Wakfu Fragments at the end of the current season.

• The effect is correctly taken into account on Saka Patataur.

• Adamai's Breath no longer does damage to allies.

• When he gives a bonus Movement Point, it correctly disappears when Khan Karkass is removed from the field.

• Certain fights in the Pig, Vampyre and Crackler dungeons now impose 5 monsters, like in the other dungeons.

• The spell correctly triggers an adjacent Taur's attack when the conditions are met.

• In co-op, the monster no longer improperly generates excess Bushi auras.

• The Chafer family spells conditional on a clan no longer appear in fights where the clan in question is not present.

• Crystalrock Clan Cracklers now show the right clan name in their descriptions.

• The puddles of lava appear correctly on the monster team.

• The "Serve 3 different dishes in a single turn" achievement now validates properly.

• The Lure spell now increments the push distance correctly on each use.

• The "Defeat 25 Supercharged Tofus having gone through a character in the same turn" achievement now validates properly.

• The "Mysterious Gas" modifier makes Oxygen Bubbles appear correctly in the allied team.

• The "Win a fight, finishing off the Vampyre Baroness first" achievement has been fixed.

• Fleeflees correctly appear on the cells in the corners of the field.

• The Arachnees attack the mechanisms correctly.
• The description of certain combat effects have been made more specific.
• It is no longer possible to go through the decor in the puzzle room.
• The numbers in the puzzle room have been fixed.

• Failing during an infiltration phase no longer forces you to start over from the first fight in the quest; instead, you can start over from the fight that was lost.

• A checkpoint has been added before the final fight in the chapter.
  • In the event of defeat, you can try this fight again directly without having to start the entire quest over.

• Breaches trigger their effects properly at the end of the turn.

• Several checkpoints have been added before some of the fights in the chapter.

• The Slick Skulls summoned by a sacrifice from the End of the Dance spell are no longer invisible.

• The "Complete Chapter X in Gold" achievement validates properly.

• The "Defeat a Snapper that has 9 Movement Points" achievement validates properly.

• The dialogs of Rascaflip Pirates from monster islands can no longer overlap, so only the sound from the most recent dialog is played.

• It is no longer possible to remain stuck in the spell upgrade tutorial if the player has several builds saved.
• A rare bug while loading the account has been fixed.
• An interaction between trap arrays and the death of monsters that could cause a trap to improperly appear has been fixed.
• An issue that could cause game sounds to not be silenced properly when switching between the customization and deck editor interfaces has been fixed.
• The guild interface closes correctly for players excluded from the guild.
• Certain Flamboyant Kasai emotes are indeed attributed to the hero.
• It is no longer possible to block the customization interface when double-clicking on a category.
• The Guild Island can no longer be run through by players' boats on the world map.
• The "Buy" button is no longer displayed incorrectly two times in the Guild Island skin selection interface.
• A rare issue preventing a fight from being started has been fixed.
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  A bug preventing deckbuilding elements from being improved when a mouse or stylus is in use on mobile has been fixed.

• The "Generate 30 Reserve ACTION POINTS" season goal actually requires you to generate at least 1 Reserve Action Point 30 times.