D&D: Dark Alliance Video Game Fails Death Saving Throw
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Over the years there have been literally hundreds of Dungeons & Dragons video games. And while recent releases like Baldur’s Gate 3 have been critical hits, there are also countless video game flops sporting the iconic D&D ampersand. Case in point: Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance, a hack and slash brawler that was released back in 2021 to middling sales and mixed reviews.
Which is why it’s not too surprising that publisher Wizards of the Coast recently announced the game would officially go offline and be removed from digital storefronts in February 2025. It marks the end of an era for a once promising series and showcases the challenges of creating a successful D&D video game.
So just why are the lights going out on Dark Alliance? Below, we round up all the details.
What is Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance?
Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is a third-person cooperative action role-playing game developed by Invoke Studios (formerly known as Tuque Games) and published by Wizards of the Coast. Released in June of 2021, for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X, the game is set in the Forgotten Realms and features playable characters based on the work of popular D&D author R.A Salvatore. This includes the legendary drow ranger Drizzt Do’Urden, the human archer Catti-brie, the dwarven fighter Bruenor Battlehammer, and the barbarian Wulfgar, each with their own unique abilities, skill trees, and playstyles. Combat is primarily melee-focused, with an emphasis on combos, enemy patterns and coordination between team members.
Notably, the game was meant to be a continuation of the two games which comprised the popular Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance series from the early 2000s. Unfortunately, despite its solid premise and the inclusion of fan-favorite characters from D&D lore, the newest Dark Alliance received mixed reviews and currently sits at a 53% rating on Metacritic. Many critics pointed out the game’s performance issues, repetitive missions and lacklustre enemy AI (although some of these issues were addressed after launch). The game also did receive a downloadable expansions in the form of The Crystal Wraiths in November 2021 and Echoes of the Bloodwar in March 2022, the latter of which introduced new dungeons, monsters, loot and a new playable character in the form of a tiefling warlock named Auralla.
Why is D&D: Dark Alliance no longer being supported?
In official release notes posted on digital storefronts including Steam and the PlayStation Network, publisher Wizards of the Coast notes: “We will be shutting down (shut down) the Dark Alliance servers on 2/24/2025 and it will no longer be available to purchase starting that day. The base game and all DLC are still available to play in offline single player by anyone who currently owns it.
They don’t make any specific mention of why the game will no longer be supported, by the dwindling user base is likely the biggest culprit, given that it does require both development and logistical resources to continue to support and sell a game. From a business standpoint, it’s also possible that Hasbro is simply hoping to wash its hands of the franchise and is looking ahead to new video game titles following the success of Baldur’s Gate 3.
What other D&D video games are in development?
While Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance wasn’t the critical hit fans were hoping for, Invoke Studios is reportedly still at work on another D&D video game, which is described as “a AAA game derived from the Dungeons & Dragons universe and developed on the Unreal 5 engine.” Since it was originally announced in late 2022, however, there has been little over information available on what this game will consist of.
In the meantime, there are several other D&D video games in development, including:
- Gameloft Montreal: The studio known for the popular Disney Dreamlight Valley game is currently working on a survival-life sim set in the Forgotten Realms.
- Starbreeze Entertainment: Best known for their shooter Payday 3, Starbreeze is working on an upcoming D&D game code named “Project Baxter” that is a co-operative multiplayer game and slated for release in 2026 for consoles and PC.
- Resolution Games: Developer of the popular VR dungeon crawler Demeo, Resolution is also working on an upcoming virtual reality game that uses the official D&D license.
- Baldur’s Gate 4: Larian Studios has confirmed that they will not be working on a sequel to Baldur’s Gate 3. Hasbro, however, is unlikely to let the lucrative franchise die and chances are good we’ll see a Baldur’s Gate 4 in the future from another developer.
- Hasbro: In a recent interview with Bloomberg News, Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks announced that the company is
While not technically a video game, it’s also worth noting that Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast have invested significant resources into the upcoming D&D Virtual Tabletop (also known as “Project Sigil”), which is in a closed Beta and uses the Unreal Engine 5 video game platform.
Final Thoughts
While it’s disappointing that Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance never quite lived up to its promise, it’s a great example of how difficult it is to create a successful video game using Wizards of the Coast’s most valuable IP. And while the sun might be setting on this particular game, there’s no doubt that we’ll be seeing plenty of more digital D&D goodness in the days ahead.
If you still want to snag a copy of D&D: Dark Alliance before it’s gone, the game retails for $29.99 USD on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. The game will officially be removed from digital storefronts on February 24th, 2025.
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