Hello all!

September is now rolling around, meaning it is time for some updates on development! To recap, Arms 'n Artifice was released, and saw a few updates during the Modjam window. So far, the reception for the mod has been very positive! The port requests just mean people can't live in their modpacks without it 🥹. Really though, I am incredibly proud of what I've put out so far, and modjam voting will is right the corner -- September 8th-14th 2026!

The next month will primarily be focused on more Arms 'n Artifice, with backports and content updates, as well as (still) wrapping up the Spells 'n Spellbooks 4.0 API, after the monthlong sidequest of Artifice. Keep reading to hear more about the upcoming content, porting plans, and more!

Arms 'n Artifice

Arms 'n Artifice is here to stay, and will receive continued content updates and bufixes and the rest. As far as upcoming content, there are a few modifiers I did not manage to release in time for the Modjam. Mainly because they are game-breakingly powerful (and fun). I would like to wrap them up before fully diving into backports, so I'm working on them in the immediate short term. They currently include:

Leaching Modifier: Consume Health to continue firing on empty (will probably be entirely reworked as "consume health to xyz", as infinite ammo is simply too powerful)

Heavy Bolt Modifier: Slower Fire Rate, Slower Reload Speed, mo' Damage

Harpoon/Hook/Grapple Modifier: Reel creatures you shoot in with a chain (Might end up as a Chainshot Rework)

Suppressor Attachment Modifier: Hide muzzle flash and reduce sound. Mainly a PvP appeal.

Check out the Suppressor here!

Excitingly, these modifiers are currently available for Patreon playtesting! After wrapping up these modifiers, the next major focus of development will be more enemy gunslinging mobs. There are a variety of QOL additions I've got my eye on too, like Ammo Pouches or Cooldown indicators, and I'm sure Artifice will unlock its own trove of Side Quests in the future.

However, more guns are not on the immediate horizon. I do plan on adding more eventually™, but the initial roster is highly tuned and doesn't leave much room for new guns as low-hanging fruit. New guns need their own standout purpose/niche, meaning they must take their time to fit into the mod as seamlessly as the rest of the guns do, and not be rushed.

Unfortunately, Dual Wielding is not a priority right now. I am aware of the popular request for it -- in fact, it was intended to be released with the mod. But, during prototype playtesting, I found that dual wielding didn't meaningfully differentiate itself in gunplay, especially compared to just having two guns in your hotbar (ignoring cool factor, of course). This is primarily because dual wielding only applies to pistols, and the nature of the Six-Shooter animations currently makes it very clunky to use akimbo (since you use both hands to shoot...). This means dual wielding isn't off the table, but it needs a real mechanical reason to exist before I spend the time on it.

Porting Plans

Arms 'n Artifice porting will begin soon, and shouldn't take too long given the relatively limited scope of the mod. Alpha versions will appear first on Patreon, until they are ready for stable public releases.

Releases? Yes, Arms 'n Artifice will be coming to both 1.21.1 NeoForge and 1.20.1 Forge 🎉

I haven't decided Artifice's long-term support plans for these versions yet. 1.20.1 seems to be around for the long haul, but I'm waiting to see how long it will take 26.1.2 to eclipse 1.21.1. Hopefully it actually does (unlike 1.20.1), since Mojang didn't give us another cataclysmic schism with vanilla changes... for the most part.

To recap Spells 'n Spellbooks plans, 26.1.2 porting will begin after the solidification of the 4.0 API. Support for Spellbooks 1.20.1 will also be mostly dropped at that point, because backporting the 4.0 update would demolish the 1.20.1 addon ecosystem.

And Beyond

While Artifice took up most of last month, the older roadmap goals have not gone anywhere. The Ender Expansion is still the long term destination for Spells 'n Spellbooks, and much of the groundwork for it continues to be laid by the 4.0 API. Ice Spider content, a variety of Side Quests, and the Tyros Ominous fight are all still on the list, waiting for their turn once the API is solidified. As always, more details on each will come in future roadmap posts!

Otherwise, I've got my work cut out for myself, and I better get to it! Thank you for reading, and make sure to vote for Arms 'n Artifice for the 2026 Modjam!