Invoke Studios is delving into the more sinister realms of Dungeons & Dragons with its upcoming action-adventure title, Warlock. The game, set beyond the Mists of Darkon, will allow players to forge a pact with the warlock Taasha to harness dark magic. Developers have emphasized a significant degree of creative freedom in shaping the experience, aiming to expand upon established D&D lore.
"We're building on the franchise, we're expanding it," stated Invoke's general manager Dominic Guay and VP Jeff Hattem in a conversation with GameSpot. "We're going to the Domains of Dread, which is one of the darker fantasy corners of Dungeons & Dragons. And the monster manual is filled with a whole bunch of monsters to choose from, and we're expanding on that as well. The magical spells as well, we're taking what's built into D&D and expanding. We're creating some new stuff as well for players and reimagining some older spells from previous editions."
Unlike the party-based RPG Baldur's Gate 3, Warlock adopts a third-person, single-player perspective. Players will directly control the protagonist, Kaatri, engaging in combat with both magic and melee weapons without the direct intervention of dice rolls. This approach is intended to allow players to express creativity through magic.
"D&D is a game that players can express a lot of creativity in, and for me, at least personally, I wanted to make a system that would allow them to express that creativity with magic. The Warlock class has magic at the core of what they can do, and we wanted to really represent that with the game," Guay and Hattem explained. "Being expressive and creative with magic is really fun when you can manipulate the elements, the world, and find an advantage over monsters because of the systems that you can impact."
The tone of Warlock is described as dark fantasy, though Invoke Studios has indicated that moments of levity and color will be interspersed throughout the journey. The game world of Darkon is vast and open, featuring varied biomes and a diverse cast of characters. The developers highlighted the contrast between characters like the chaotic Tasha and the more somber inhabitants of Darkon, suggesting a wide range of tones rather than a singular mood.
Invoke Studios aims for Warlock to serve as both an introduction to the Dungeons & Dragons universe for newcomers and a compelling experience for long-time fans. Kaatri's role as a point-of-view character is designed to help new players acclimate to the world, while veterans can expect to find numerous references and Easter eggs.
"I think like if you want a fully realized adventure that you can play in the setting of DnD, and see some of the spells that you really like, some of the monsters that you're familiar with, realized into an action-adventure, this is the game for you," Guay and Hattem concluded.
Set for a 2027 release, Warlock features Tricia Helfer as Kaatri and Maggie Robertson, who previously voiced Orin the Red in Baldur's Gate 3.