Wizards of the Coast Montreal team reveals new D&D game, Warlock

Montreal-based developer Invoke Studios unveiled a brand new Dungeons & Dragons action-adventure sport referred to as Warlock.

In a cinematic teaser proven throughout The Sport Awards 2025, we get a glimpse on the titular magician, Katri, as she conjures some spells amid traditional D&D creatures just like the Undead. Whereas no gameplay was proven, the trailer confirmed a gameplay reveal is coming subsequent summer time, main as much as a 2027 launch. Canadian Tricia Helfer, who performed EDI within the Mass Impact video games, additionally got here on stage to verify she stars within the sport.

Forward of The Sport Awards, MobileSyrup bought to participate in a Q&A with Invoke to study a bit extra in regards to the sport. First off, it’s not an RPG like fellow D&D Baldur’s Gate 3, focusing as an alternative on delivering a third-person action-adventure expertise set in an open world. Jeff Hattem, Invoke’s VP of inventive, says Warlock will permit gamers to make use of “immersive, expressive magic” throughout “all axes of the sport,” together with fight, exploration and puzzle-solving.

He notes that some examples of this may be seen within the trailer.

“From a spell standpoint, within the teaser, you noticed a few spells — there’s black tentacles in there that you should use to sort of crowd management monsters. There’s additionally a gust of wind spell that you simply’re utilizing to create some house. So it’s not all the time about harm. It’s additionally in regards to the inventive benefit that these spells may give you in opposition to monsters, traversing the world, fixing puzzles, fixing environmental challenges, and exploring the treacherous terrain,” says Hattem. “So the identical spells are utilized in other ways, and it’s as much as gamers to find what these spell limits are and what they will do with them to their benefit.”

Invoke provides that whereas there are lots of D&D followers on the staff, it’s not attempting to recreate the tabletop expertise, and there are not any dice-rolling mechanics à la Baldur’s Gate. As a substitute, studio head Dominic Guay says the staff is “closely leaning into the lore and universe of D&D.”

The staff itself additionally has a formidable pedigree that attracts from abilities of the bigger Montreal gaming trade. Each Guay and Hattem beforehand labored at Ubisoft on varied franchises, they usually notice that different members of their roughly 200-person studio have labored on video games within the action-adventure, open-world and immersive genres.

When it comes to story, Invoke isn’t revealing a lot but, with Guay merely saying that Warlock focuses on a “private and pressing” quest for Katri. D&D followers can even know {that a} warlock has a patron, a strong, otherworldly being who grants their powers, and Invoke teased the significance of the connection that Katri builds along with her personal patron over the story. Moreover, Invoke confirmed that you simply’ll solely be controlling Katri, somewhat than a complete social gathering, though they famous there’ll nonetheless be many different characters you’ll meet in addition to the patron.

Whereas we look forward to the summer time 2026 gameplay reveal, Hattem recommended that followers have a look at the teaser extra intently.

“I discussed about how Warlocks make a pact. There’s references to that pact and magical spells, together with rituals, and there are additionally some characters in there which have a double that means,” he stated. “In order that’s what’s fascinating that folks can sort of look into.”

Picture credit score: Wizards of the Coast