New D&D Video Game In The Works From ‘Jedi: Survivor’ Director And Giant Skull
There’s a brand new single player D&D video game in the works from the new studio founded by Stig Amussen, of Jedi: Survivor fame.
Another of Wizards of the Coast’s many D&D projects has been revealed—this time, it’s a new single-player video game in the works from developer Giant Skull, the studio founded by Jedi: Fallen Order/Survivor game director, Stig Amussen. Exciting news, because those are absolutely two of my favorite Star Wars games. It would be easy enough to imagine a game like that but in D&D. It would be great. I don’t know if that’s what we’re getting. This is just an announcement that a game will one day exist from this studio. Maybe.
Because the video games industry is a chaotic place. How many times have we heard that Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 is going to come out maybe one day soon since 2020? But if anyone has the ability to see a product through to the end, it’s Wizards of the Coast. And their giant pile of Hasbro Money. So hopefully this announcement becomes something in the not too distant future (3-4 years).
New D&D Single-Player Video Game in the Works
What I think is really worth mentioning is the fact that the press release hypes the game up as a new single-player experience. This strikes me as WotC both wanting to capture the good feels of Baldur’s Gate 3. Seems like they are distancing themselves from the multiplayer flop, Dark Alliance. It reads as “no, look we learned our lesson, single-player is what the people want.”
And they’re not necessarily wrong. The new game comes from Giant Skull, a new studio formed after Stig Amussen left Respawn. But what a pedigree! Amussen has worked on both of the Jedi games mentioned above, and the God of War series. Single-player action adventure is a fitting pairing for this studio. And for D&D video games.
It’s paradoxical. All the best D&D video games are typically single-player focused; some come with multiplayer elements. These are your Neverwinter Nights. Your Baldur’s Gates (3’s multiplayer mode is incredible, don’t miss it if you haven’t tried it). Planescape Torment. The list goes on. But I would be interested to see a take on D&D that isn’t turn-based, which it sounds like this might be. Though details are extremely sparse.
All that you really get the sense of from the press release is that both companies are excited to be working with each other. That and that Amussen is particularly excited about the possibilities of doing something new in the D&D space:
“Our goal is to craft a rich new Dungeons & Dragons universe filled with immersive storytelling, heroic combat, and exhilarating traversal that players will fully embrace.”
It’s the exhilirating traversal, for me. Hey if we get some action platforming out of this game, I will be very happy. That’s one of the most underutilized pillars of D&D – getting from place to place.
At any rate, keep an eye out for more information in the near future. In the meantime, WotC’s digital ambitions steam ahead with the imminent release of Exodus.
God of War but in D&D seems like a great combo.Hard to believe it hasn’t been done, but it hasn’t!
