Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons looks like the Witcher 3 Yennefer spin-off we always wanted

The general consensus for Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 was that it was a pretty underwhelming showcase.

There were some cool reveals. Exodus locked in its release date; we got a fresh look at the next Final Fantasy VII remake; and of course, The Witcher 3 remaster stole the show. Plenty of good stuff, but not the non-stop world premiere experience every gamer hopes for.

Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons was a highlight, though, and while the initial gameplay piqued my interest, the behind-closed-doors showing I got a few days later sold me entirely.

It was essentially what was shown at Opening Night Live but expanded, and with additional context on how the in-game mechanics worked.

While it bears the Dungeons & Dragons name, it’s more reminiscent of The Witcher than Baldur’s Gate 3. In fact, following my presentation I was left wondering why CD Projekt Red never green-lit a spin-off game about Yennefer…

That said, the D&D influence remains. At the start of the Opening Night Live demo, the protagonist Kaatri destroys some brambles blocking her path with fire from a broken lantern, before dousing the flames with water so she can progress. I was told that this is just one of many ways she could have circumvented this mundane obstacle, and that oil from the lantern could have also been collected as it burned to form a makeshift fireball, had there been enemies nearby.

Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons- Wizards of the Coast

Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons has superb spellcasting

Throughout the demo, a wide array of spells were flung and cast, and while they were visually striking, what impressed me the most was the fluidity with which they could be cast.

No menus were navigated, nor scroll-wheel pop-ups, just intuitive magic available at the edge of your fingertips. Now I’m sure as more spells are unlocked, you’ll have to put them together in some sort of build, but with casts so quick and effortless, I’m excited to see the full selection.

That’s the D&D feel I alluded to before. It’s not a game about the final destination, but the journey you take to get there. How you traverse those imaginary landscapes is entirely up to you, and from my sneak peek at Warlock I can tell that freedom of choice is vitally important to the vision it’s trying to impose on players.

When it comes time to play the game myself, I’ll consider my run to be dead the moment I have to use a sword. I want to go full Scarlet Witch and become a master of all its dark arts.

Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons launches on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC sometime in 2027.

A fixed release date hasn’t been announced yet, but we now know that it’ll launch before The Witcher 4.

That’s great news in my opinion, as while I’m confident that Warlock could hold its own, it deserves its own time to shine. Gamers are going to get the best of both worlds here. Warlock for an in-depth, narrative-heavy magical rollercoaster and The Witcher IV for a gritty monster-slaying adventure.

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