An ambitious open-world D&D adventure game is in the works

Hidden Path Entertainment is in development on a AAA, third-person, open-world fantasy game in the Dungeons & Dragons franchise. The developer made the announcement on March 2, via Twitter, in a tweet that stated the studio is hiring for the project. Hidden Path Entertainment is the developer behind Raccoon Lagoon, Defense Grid 2, and VR titles Witchblood and Brass Tactics. Not much is known about the project at this time — aside from a notable figure on the development team itself.

Whitney “Strix” Beltràn, a high-profile indie developer responsible for the award-winning tabletop game Bluebeard’s Bride, is the project’s narrative director. Bluebeard’s Bride is a horror RPG based on the French folktale, with a rules-light engine. Players take control of different aspects of the bride’s psyche, ultimately deciding the ultimate fate of the character, her husband, and her home.

The Bluebeard’s product line currently includes the core rulebook, three additional books of supplemental material, and illustrated decks of cards used for depicting monsters and haunted, mysterious objects in the game’s manor. Beltràn also worked on Holovista, an ambitious mobile augmented-reality game that explored fantastical architecture and the culture of social media influencers.

Also on Twitter, Beltràn said she’s been working on the new D&D video game for some time.

This isn’t the only large-scale project currently in development for the Dungeons & Dragons franchise. Larian Studios, the creators of the Divinity: Original Sin series, released Baldur’s Gate 3 into early access in October. Additionally, Wizards’ own internal studio Tuque Games is working on a co-op action RPG called Dark Alliance starring Drizzt Do’Urden, the famous drow created by R.A. Salvatore and set in the Icewind Dale region. The game is planned for PC and consoles in 2021.

Incidentally, Dark Alliance takes place in the same part of the Forgotten Realms where the latest tabletop D&D campaign takes place. It’s called Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden.