During a remote press presentation ahead of TGA 2025, publisher Wizards of the Coast and developer Invoke Studios (previously known as Tuque Games, the studio behind Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance) revealed Warlock, a single player third-person action/adventure game targeting a 2027 launch. This is the Unreal Engine 5 powered game that was previously announced to be in development in October 2022. Invoke currently employs between 180 and 200 developers in Montréal. Several of them have experience with action-adventure games and immersive simulations, which is why they chose that direction for this game.
In a twist from usual D&D-based games, the developers have focused specifically on one of the many classes available in the tabletop RPG, the Warlock. Since it's a magic class, they confirmed that magic will be used not just in combat but also to traverse the game world. Often, there are direct uses for the spells, but the creators also teased that there will be a lot of lateral thinking in how to apply them creatively. They also added that there will be plenty of player agency when it comes to world exploration.
Not only do you play specifically the Warlock, but the protagonist is also predefined rather than player-created. She's called Kaatri, and she's made a Pact with a dangerous being to get her powers. She was actually a weapon master before she became a Warlock, which she did for her own personal reasons that players will discover during the game. Her previous career as a weapon master means she is adept at handling various melee weapons, more so than a usual Warlock. Invoke claims that one of the main goals is to combine melee and magic spells very smoothly. Kaatri is played by the renowned actress Tricia Helfer, previously seen in popular TV shows such as Battlestar Galactica and Lucifer.
Obviously, the game does not seek to replicate the tabletop experience at all, which means no dice rolling and the like. This is partly to ensure that those who are not familiar with D&D can easily come in and enjoy the game from the get-go without knowing a lot, or anything really, about the ruleset. That said, the wealth of lore available to D&D absolutely informed the story and setting of the game, and the developers who attended the presentation teased that there would be familiar characters to meet.
When I asked about co-op, Invoke's VP Creative Jeff Hattem replied that the team made it single player only because they wanted to craft a focused story that had momentum and stakes. There also won't be dialogue choices and branching options. Gameplay will be released next Summer. Until then, sit tight.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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