Wizards of the Coast Montreal workforce reveals new D&D recreation, Warlock

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

In a cinematic teaser proven throughout The Recreation Awards 2025, we get a glimpse on the titular magician, Katri, as she conjures some spells amid basic D&D creatures just like the Undead. Whereas no gameplay was proven, the trailer confirmed a gameplay reveal is coming subsequent summer season, 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 recreation.

Forward of The Recreation Awards, MobileSyrup obtained to participate in a Q&A with Invoke to be taught a bit extra in regards to the recreation. First off, it’s not an RPG like fellow D&D Baldur’s Gate 3, focusing as a substitute on delivering a third-person action-adventure expertise set in an open world. Jeff Hattem, Invoke’s VP of inventive, says Warlock will enable 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 form of crowd management monsters. There’s additionally a gust of wind spell that you just’re utilizing to create some area. So it’s not at all times about injury. It’s additionally in regards to the inventive benefit that these spells may give you towards 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’ll do with them to their benefit.”

Invoke provides that whereas there are numerous D&D followers on the workforce, it’s not making an attempt to recreate the tabletop expertise, and there aren’t any dice-rolling mechanics à la Baldur’s Gate. As an alternative, studio head Dominic Guay says the workforce is “closely leaning into the lore and universe of D&D.”

The workforce itself additionally has a powerful pedigree that pulls from skills of the bigger Montreal gaming trade. Each Guay and Hattem beforehand labored at Ubisoft on varied franchises, and so they word 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 will 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 together with her personal patron over the story. Moreover, Invoke confirmed that you just’ll solely be controlling Katri, slightly than a whole get together, 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 season 2026 gameplay reveal, Hattem recommended that followers take a look at the teaser extra carefully.

“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 mentioned. “In order that’s what’s fascinating that folks can form of look into.”

Picture credit score: Wizards of the Coast