September 25, 2025 September 27, 2025
Wizard101 Fall Spell Teasers 2025
School’s back in session, crops are ready for harvest, and leaves are ready to fall. Do you know what that means? Wizard101’s Fall update is right around the corner! KingsIsle has been in the teasing mood lately and has already revealed this year’s new world: Darkmoor! As part of our journey back to this witchy world, the developers have decided to revisit Shadow magic, and it’s not a rework without spell changes. With several spell teasers already released by KI, this article will conveniently put them all in one place and explain some of the changes and thoughts about them.
This update is set to rework a vast amount of spells. Shadow Forms, Shadow Creatures, and Shadow-enhanced hits are all set to get hit by these changes for the system rework. Additionally, school pip spells have been mentioned – although no teasers have been shown. Last, but not least there are a few spells like Empower and Dark Pact that are getting hit with changes.
Shadow Magic Rework
As part of the journey into Darkmoor later this year, we will be revisiting Shadow magic along with our spells getting a bit of a change up. If you’ve been paying attention to the lore throughout Khrysalis you’ll notice that Shadow magic is always suppose to come with a bit of a side effect. This is expressed through backlash on spells like Shrike or Dark Nova. But because Shadow-enhanced hits generally offered this big power boost with no trade off, there was always a bit of mismatch with the lore. Enter: Shadow Pacts – and the primary driving force behind a complete rework of the Shadow library.
Shadow Pacts
Shadow pacts will be a new mechanic used with Shadow pips. They will replace the existing concept of backlash and will have a more defined requirement compared to the current versions. In essence you are creating a contract with a Shadow creature and that Shadow creature is looking to consume specific hanging effects in order to reduce backlash. The form will consume the hanging effect at the start of the turn and that will affect the damage the player will take at the end of the pact. This feature will be further explained in an article centered around the Shadow magic rework. However, you can check out KingsIsle’s reveal of Shadow pacts here.
Shadow Creatures and Forms
Each School will be getting one Shadow creature and one Shadow form for a grand total of 14 spells. You may remember there are currently 3 Shadow creatures (Nova, Shepard, and Fiend) and 4 Shadow forms (Shrike, Sentinel, Seraph, and Trickster). These spells will be reworked and associated with each school and then the gaps will be filled to give the alternative to each school.
Shadow Seraph
(Teaser – Subject to Change)
Hover for Tooltip
Source: Kingsisle Shadow Pact stream
Dark Nova
Teaser – Subject to Change
Hover for Tooltip
Source: Kingsisle Shadow Pact stream
All I can say is.. FINALLY. Really happy to see the shadow forms reworked. Seraph was somewhat decent in the past but I like the synergy it now offers. I can’t wait to see what happens with sentinel as it’s been a long overdue rework after the intercept mechanic was added to beastmoon and normalized as a utility there. Dark Nova does seem a bit underwhelming, a shadow of it’s former self. I’d say I’m more interested in seeing what the new Shadow ‘creatures’ do as opposed to the updated existing ones. Maybe one that heals?
Shadow Enhanced Hits
As part of the rework, Shadow-enhanced hits will become Shadow fusions. This means that the shadow-enhanced hit will no longer exist on its own. Instead a new base version of the “Shadow spells” we all know and love will exist as regular spells with the same animation. In order to make them “Shadow-enhanced” or Shadow fusion spells, players will use a corresponding Shadow creature or Form to create the Shadow-enhanced hit.
*NEW* Glowbug Squall (Base)
Teaser – Subject to Change
Source: Kingsisle Shadow Pact stream
*NEW* Glowbug Squall (Spellement)
Teaser – Subject to Change
Hover for Tooltip
Source: Kingsisle Shadow Pact stream
Glowbug Squall – Shadow Fusion (Base)
Teaser – Subject to Change
Hover for Tooltip
Source: Kingsisle Shadow Pact stream
Glowbug Squall – Shadow Fusion (Spellement)
Teaser – Subject to Change
Hover for Tooltip
Source: Kingsisle Shadow Pact stream
Ruslka’s Wrath – Base + Spellement
Teaser – Subject to Change
Source: KI Live
Ruslka’s Wrath – Shadow Fusion – Base + Spellement
Teaser – Subject to Change
Source: KI Live
The changes to Shadow spells have captured my interest. For starters, the separation of the spells offer a way for some of these AOE animations to to find their way back into the PVE meta. Glowbugs, Mystic Colossus, Call of Khrulhu. The pacts are also come in a variety of ways to use for more advanced combat situations. If you notice glowbugs, it will clear dots on self. The trade of for the extra power of a shadow pip is that it’s countering an enemy’s DOTs that get placed on you. The Shadow pact contract is now acting as both a counter or a deterrent to Fire’s primary damage output. Extrapolating that idea around the rhoshambo wheel will add quite a few interesting interactions. The other part of this is the fusion system. I like the idea that we are enhancing the spells ourselves with Shadow magic ourselves.
Shadow Utility Spell Teasers
The following Shadow spell utilities are being changed. Donate Shadow is being decreased to 1 pip and I can’t stress how much sense that makes. Dark Surge now has a Pact and grants a school pip and a weaving pip.
Donate Shadow
(Teaser – Subject to Change)
Dark Surge
(Teaser – Subject to Change)
Source: Cam’s Tweet 9/24/25
Non-Shadow Spell Teasers
These last two spell teasers may feel a bit random, but in context to the Shadow pacts it makes sense for the devs to be revisiting self-damage spells that trade health for power. I have mixed feelings on the teased versions but I do think the change is long overdue.
Self Damage Spells
Previously spells like empower have had a set damage value that scales off death stats. Before the 2021 audit, these spells dealt death damage which meant Death blades could be consumed and they were not great. The change to moon damage was a way to try to mitigate the advantage other schools had. However due to stat buffs because this is a death spell, the moon damage would still get amplified and deal a good amount of damage to death wizards.
Now self damage hits like Empower and Dark Tribute will deal pure damage to the caster. Neither stats, nor hanging effects will influence the damage dealt. It will be a percent of max health. If you have 10,000 max health, empower will now deal 500 damage. If you have 9,500 out of 10,000 health it will deal 500 damage.
Empower
(Teaser – Subject to Change)
Source: Cam’s Tweet 9/24/25 – 1:48:00
Dark Pact -> Dark Tribute
(Teaser – Subject to Change)
Source: Cam’s Tweet 9/24/25 – 1:51:00
I am happy to finally see Death spells that do not benefit other schools more than they benefit Death. If you’re familiar with dark pact and empower they are typically dealing around 500-700 damage to the caster compared to the 200 or less damage other schools will take. I am iffy on whether 5% is the correct valuation for these spells however. Simple spell rules for Dark Tribute would allow for a spell to grant 2x 25% universal blades for 1 pip – without the self damage. So is 10% buff or a sharpen worth 5% damage? Definitely not. I think this spell would be more acceptable at 0 pips, 5% self damage, and 35% blades.
Editor’s Note: Before this article was published, the Wiz devs released updated versions based on community feedback. The current versions look a lot better given the health exchange for listed pips and blades.
School Pip Spells
School Pip spells are reportedly getting audited in this update. Not many details have been shared about these changes. Although we may see teasers for these spells from community members so be on the lookout. These teasers will be posted here after they have been posted publicly.
That’s All Folks
That wraps up all the spell teasers that have been released so far. The Wizard101 Fall Update definitely has lots of changes coming and I’m excited for this Shadow Rework.
