Wizards of the Coast and developer Invoke used Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25 to drop the first real gameplay footage of Warlock, their original action-adventure set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. No more teaser trailers or concept art. Actual gameplay, and it looks like they have something genuinely interesting here.
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What the gameplay actually shows
The reveal centers on Kaatri, the game's protagonist, and introduces a brand-new character: Tasha, voiced by Maggie Robertson. Tasha serves as Kaatri's patron and the source of her warlock powers, which is a very D&D setup if you know the class at all. Patrons are a core part of the tabletop warlock fantasy, and it's good to see the game leaning into that lore rather than treating D&D as a coat of paint.
The big mechanical hook here is Raw Magic, a power hidden throughout the game's setting of Darkon. Kaatri can sense it, and learning to harness it is how she expands her magical abilities over time. That progression system sounds like it could give the game some real depth if the world design supports it.
Combat looks fluid on paper. The footage shows Kaatri chaining spells together and then following up with weapons, positioning enemies using environmental manipulation, and even using weather as a tactical tool. That last part is the most interesting detail. If the weather system actually feeds into combat in meaningful ways rather than just looking nice, Warlock could carve out a distinct identity in the action-adventure space.
Darkon as a setting
Darkon is a Domain of Dread in D&D lore, which means it sits in the Ravenloft corner of the multiverse. It's a darker, more gothic setting than the Forgotten Realms locations most people associate with D&D games. That's a smart choice. Baldur's Gate 3 owns the Forgotten Realms space right now, and trying to compete on that turf directly would be a tough ask. A gothic horror-tinged action-adventure has a lot more room to breathe.
Platforms and release window
Warlock is targeting a 2027 release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. No specific date yet, just the year. Given this is the first gameplay reveal and the game still has a year-plus of development ahead, that timeline feels realistic rather than optimistic.
The Gamescom slot gives Wizards and Invoke a strong launchpad. Opening Night Live is one of the most-watched gaming showcases of the year, and landing a gameplay reveal there rather than just a cinematic trailer signals genuine confidence in what they're building.
For fans of adventure games who want something with real D&D DNA rather than just the branding, Warlock is worth keeping an eye on. The systems Invoke is describing, magic that reshapes the environment, weather as a tactical layer, spell-weapon combos, add up to something that could be genuinely different from the usual action-RPG template. Whether the execution matches the pitch is the only question left, and 2027 is when we find out.
If you're looking for more to play while you wait, check out 007 First Light for a different kind of action-adventure fix, and the 007 First Light guides collection has everything you need to get the most out of it.
