In late 2025, the gaming world was electrified by the exciting reveal of a new single-player, open-world action RPG, Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons. Developed by Invoke Studios and Wizards of the Coast, Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons has D&D fans abuzz as the latest D&D-related gaming release since Baldur's Gate 3. While those might seem like big shoes to fill, Invoke Studios is the same developer that brought us D&D: Dark Alliance, meaning Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons is in the hands of a team familiar with the lore and mythos of D&D.

But unlike previous titles like the co-op-focused Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance, this new installment in the world of D&D video games promises an intensely personal narrative centered on the choices and consequences inherent to a Warlock's journey. This breakdown will dissect every frame of the trailer to decode what we’ve learned about this expressive magic system and how it will define the gameplay of this highly anticipated title.

What is a Warlock?

Before we launch straight into trailer analysis, let's make sure we've covered some fundamentals first. In the universe of Dungeons & Dragons, Warlocks occupy a very particular place, somewhere in between the raw power of the Wizard/Sorcerer and the dutiful divinity of the Cleric. Unlike other spellcasters, Warlocks earn their spellcasting ability through pacts forged with entities of incredible power and ability. Gods, Demigods, Monsters, Demons, Devils, and more. Typically, a Warlock’s pact involves a steep price in exchange for a sliver of the immense power belonging to these otherworldly beings. Warlock story arcs and backstories often feature dark fantasy and horror elements, usually through eldritch or cosmic entities that serve as metaphors for the character's pain or trauma. Instead of your traditional tome-wielding fantasy mage, think of Warlocks as something like Lovecraftian superheroes: epic abilities, otherworldly villains, and great power with great responsibility. 

What is Warlock: Dungeons and Dragons?

The Game Awards revealed Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons to be the next big video game release for Wizards of the Coast after BG3, signalling a bold new direction for digital adaptations of the famed tabletop game. While Baldur’s Gate 3 proved there’s a massive audience for complex, party-based CRPGs, Warlock’s third-person action framing raises questions about what kinds of experiences Wizards wants D&D fans to explore next. The trailer shown at The Game Awards was only a cinematic, so in-game footage hasn't been released to confirm precisely how similar or different these two games might be, but from what we saw, we can confirm a few essential details.

Trailer Analysis

The trailer kicks off with a shot of a shadowed tower sat atop a foreboding mountain, accompanied by some choice background music. "46 and 2" by Tool, to be specific. A song with a hidden meaning that perfectly serves the themes of the Warlock, 46, and 2 is commonly recognized as a nod to Jungian psychology. In particular, as a reference to Carl Jung's philosophy of "The Shadow", a clouded figure who represents the darker elements of one's psyche, and often, the figure one must overcome to reach new heights of development. Thematically, one can see how this song would act as the perfect introduction to the dark pathos of the Warlock. 

Next, we get our first glimpse of Warlock: Dungeons and Dragons protagonist, Kaatri. Or perhaps more fittingly, she gets her first glimpse of us. 

This beat acts as the first direct acknowledgement of the traditional hallmarks of the D&D Warlock. Reaching out from Kaatri's eyes are six searing scars that arrange themselves in a shape very similar to that of the Warlock class icon in D&D. While this doesn't clearly indicate exactly what pact Kaatri may have made, or what patron she may have borrowed her powers from, with a scar like that, we can be sure she's a Warlock.

Fortunately, we don't have to wait much longer to get a sense of what patron Kaatri may have forged a pact with. Moments later, we see Kaatri extend her hand to summon a blade, materializing in her grasp within a matter of moments—a move that resembles the Pact of the Blade, one of the Warlock's many invocation abilities. Granted, any Warlock can access the Pact of the Blade invocation, but there is one patron in particular who is particularly inclined towards the abilities of the Hexblade warlock: The Raven Queen.

Next, we see a sequence of moments that share a single throughline. One that may be our first hint at what patron Kaatri belongs to. First, a plume of feathers that swirls in a circular motion, almost resembling a crown, before transforming into billowing black smoke that parts to reveal a towering knight with a raven-shaped helmet. The camera pushes on to follow another plume of feathers, this time noticeably darker, as if tainted by the black smoke. We follow the feathers as they find their way back to Kaatri, rejoining her as the pauldron on her shoulders.

Thematically, this sequence screams Raven Queen. While other patrons deal with avian themes, few are as distinctly "feather forward" as the Raven Queen herself. If the repeated instances of swirling feathers weren't enough, the wings on the side of the summoned knight's helmet are oddly reminiscent of the wings on the Raven Queen's headpiece. 

If the Raven Queen connection weren't already clear, the following sequence depicts Kaatri casting a concussive spell that sends a vampiric creature flying back into darkness. Symbolically, this move perfectly represents the Raven Queen, who is known to be a natural enemy of the undead.

Next, we get a clear impression of some of the spells available to Kaatri as she subdues an oncoming skeleton warrior. With a wave of a hand, Kaatri summons dark, shadowy tentacles from thin air, which in turn wrap themselves around the skeleton, restraining the creature from advancing further. These tentacles are strikingly similar to Evrard's Black Tentacles OR Arms of Hadar, two classic Warlock spells. But this isn't all we see of Kaatri's arcanic ability. Next, we see a move that is likely to be an Eldritch Blast, as Kaatri follows up her attack and reduces the restrained skeleton warrior to dust.

Finally, the trailer concludes with an appearance from one of D&D's most iconic creatures. Or at least, that's how it may appear…

To many, this one-eyed behemoth may resemble the classic Beholder monster, but fans are speculating that there may be more to this beast than meets the (gigantic) eye. The Beholder featured here has some key characteristics that distinguish it from other Beholders. To be specific, the standout red eyes and many-mouthed tendrils. While this creature is certainly Beholder-shaped, characteristics like those are definitive of the arguably more fearsome, Deathkiss.

What is a Deathkiss? Put simply, they're vampiric Beholders. Beyond the threat of a regular Beholder, the Deathkiss has access to several drain abilities, allowing it to consume blood and lifeforce for its own benefit. Find more on the Deathkiss in Mordenkainen’s Monsters of the Multiverse.

Predicitons

According to Invoke Studios, Warlock: Dungeons and Dragons will be a "third-person action-adventure set in a dark fantasy open world inspired by Dungeons & Dragons”.  It’s hard to say precisely what this will mean for the setting, but taking "dark fantasy open world" and highlighting the locations in the trailer, a few key locations come to mind. The tower at the start of the trailer could represent the Raven Queen's tower, located within the Shadowfell, BUT the coffins and other undead iconography could indicate that the game is set in Castle Ravenloft. The domain of Strahd himself. A theory underscored by the later appearance of a vampire who attempts to charge Kaatri, and the foreboding glare of the Deathkiss, a vampiric version of a Beholder. While the Raven Queen is our best bet for who will serve as Warlock: Dungeons and Dragons' primary antagonist, Strahd is a close runner-up.

Although both figures may play equal roles in the war over Kaatri's soul. The Warlock: Dungeons and Dragons website states, "Make a pact to wield forbidden magic to overcome a wide range of challenges", implying that you, as a player, will actively get to choose who Kaatri swears herself to. This could be indicative of a morality or a favor system. Specific actions attract the interest of one patron, while the opposite actions attract the interest of another, granting you different abilities based on your favor with each patron.  From what we've seen and heard so far, using a wide variety of spells to overcome various challenges will be integral to the core gameplay loop. Almost akin to the multiple powers usable in the Bioshock franchise. In that sense, Warlock: Dungeons and Dragons will allow you to cycle between different loadouts and ability sets, invoking the power of various patrons on the fly to solve problems creatively.

Warlock: Dungeons and Dragons Release Date

With only the announcement trailer from The Game Awards to go off of, we're still in the early days of Warlock: Dungeons and Dragons. Unfortunately, that means we don't yet have a specific release date. Invoke Studios has stated that they expect a 2027 release. Can't wait until then? Sounds like the perfect time to roll up a new Warlock character! Check out our guide to Warlocks for more!