Open World Dungeons and Dragons Game in Development

It looks like a new open-world game set in the universe of Dungeons and Dragons is in development. Developer Hidden Path Entertainment tweeted out a job listing requesting positions for a new Dungeons and Dragons game.

Though it started out almost 50 years ago, Dungeons and Dragons has stuck around. Thanks to the casual nature of 5th Edition and the popularity of streaming series like Critical Role, the game has recently taken off more than ever. Multiple video game studios are starting to jump in, with titles such as Baldur's Gate 3 by Larian Studios. As a fantasy RPG, the tabletop game is perfect for the open-world format of many games today.

Hidden Path Entertainment is hiring multiple positions for the title, according to its post. To be specific, it is going to be a AAA open-world experience in the third-person perspective. Fans of the franchise and looking for work can apply for one of the four jobs available. Currently, a graphics programmer, lead graphics programmer, senior technical artist, and writer are needed for the project. Since the game is taking place inside the franchise, it is hard to say which Dungeons and Dragons sourcebook planes it will focus on.

The job descriptions include a few more details about the title. For instance, when looking through the graphics programmer responsibilities, it is clear that the title is going to be utilizing Unreal Engine 4. The writer, meanwhile, must have experience working with branching narratives. So it is possible that the title will include multiple dialogue options or different endings. Hidden Path Entertainment does not have a massive catalogue of games, but the team did work with Valve for the positively reviewed Counter Strike: Global Offensive.

Even with slim details, a AAA experience set in the realms of Dungeons and Dragons should be exciting for fans. The series depends heavily on character customization and choice, so bringing that to an open-world format seems like a winner. Having a deep story with flexibility in decisions follows with the general role play philosophy of the series too.

With a history of rather small games, stating this title will be AAA level could set misleading expectations. On top of that, open-world games are plentiful in the industry today and tend to rely on some stale tropes. With Baldur's Gate 3 having insane sales and offering multiplayer, this game by Hidden Path may have trouble standing out. However, fans will just need to wait and see more before coming to a decision on the new Dungeons and Dragons title.

Baldur's Gate 3 will soon receive a newly playable class when Druids are added in Patch 4. Druids are set to join the ranks of Fighters, Rangers, Clerics, Rogue, Warlocks, and Wizards as options for characters. The Druids class will add a new layer to combat in the game with their abilities to wield magic and polymorph, and a lot of fans are hoping for more role-playing opportunities as well. Baldur's Gate 3 already has a good selection of classes, and Druids could go a long way to diversify the action even more. Beyond Druids, there are several other classes that Larian Studios could introduce to give players more options in approaching combat and role-playing.