After Baldur’s Gate 3, fans of Dungeons and Dragons had high hopes for the franchise’s video game future. After multiple Game of the Year accolades and millions of units sold, it’s hard to be anything but optimistic. However, the tone shifted when Larian Studios, the developer of Baldur’s Gate 3, announced their next project would not be DnD. It wasn’t until The Game Awards 2025 that fans finally got a glimpse of DnD’s gaming future.
The reactions aren’t quite what Wizards of the Coast may have wanted.
During the biggest gaming show of the year, WotC revealed its long-awaited follow-up to Baldur’s Gate 3. Warlock, developed by Invoke Studios, is reportedly a single-player action-adventure game that follows Kaatri, the eponymous protagonist. The trailer showcases Kaatri’s DnD class powers accompanied by a song that’s charmingly 2000s-coded, befitting of an angsty spellcaster. Notably, the trailer was purely cinematic, with a gameplay reveal teased for Summer 2026.
With so little to work with, the only information fans can glean anything from is the developer itself. As it turns out, Invoke Studios is a rebranding effort for the former Tuque Games. The studio previously worked on Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance, a game that didn’t quite get the same love as Baldur’s Gate 3 did. Reviews from critics and the community alike sat around average to negative. As someone who’s played the game, I unfortunately have to agree. Dark Alliance suffered from issues all around, be it gameplay, narrative, and even technical fumbles.
The studio’s less-than-stellar past leaves many fans concerned about Warlock. Four years removed from Dark Alliance and not even any gameplay to show for it certainly doesn’t help matters. Regardless of how far along development is, there’s simply not enough here for fans to be optimistic about. Plus, with Larian Studios reviving their beloved Divinity franchise, the pressure’s on for Warlock to succeed.
The Wargamer Discord is welcome to all Dungeons and Dragons discussion (dooming or otherwise). If you want an in-depth look at Invoke Studio team’s previous efforts, Wargamer has you covered with a Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance review.