Starbreeze, the studio behind the co-op first person shooter series Payday, has announced a new, officially licensed Dungeons & Dragons game.
Details are a bit thin at the moment, but we do know from a press release that the game, currently codenamed Project Baxter, is a co-op action adventure game "based on the D&D IP."
Likewise, the developer says it'll focus on a "lifetime commitment through a Games as a Service-model, community engagement and a larger than life experience."
Starbreeze is developing and publishing Project Baxter and says it'll launch on "all major platforms" sometime in 2026. No specific platforms were mentioned, presumably because we can't know exactly what the gaming hardware landscape will look like in three years' time. That said, it is confirmed to be in development in Unreal Engine 5.
Two images of Project Baxter have been revealed, one a close-up of a pretty typical D&D-esque town with lots of pointed towers, and another showing a character holding a staff. Check 'em out:
"It is hard to imagine a better pairing than Dungeons & Dragons and Starbreeze – both with their foundation in cooperative and community driven experiences, ‘play it your way’ and infinite replayability," said Starbreeze CEO Tobias Sjögren. "When looking at prospective IPs for our future projects, Dungeons & Dragons was always at the top of our list and I’m incredibly happy to announce this license. I want to thank Wizards of the Coast for being such a great partner. Development of the game is in full swing, and we are excited to deliver an amazing Dungeons & Dragons action-adventure in 2026."
Of course, it's hard to even mention D&D in 2023 without bringing Baldur's Gate 3 to mind. Larian's universally acclaimed RPG just got its biggest patch to date, and it's showing no signs of slowing down. Other than the co-op element, however, Project Baxter sounds like a very different D&D game, focusing on a live-service model and action-adventure gameplay.
"Dungeons and Dragons is having an extraordinary year," said Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro exec Eugene Evans. "Our gaming brands, including Dungeons & Dragons, continue to attract great partners as we execute our plan to grow our digital games portfolio through licensing and development. Our collaboration with Starbreeze is a prime illustration of this strategy. Given their impressive games and passion for Dungeons & Dragons, we are confident that they will create an experience that will delight fans worldwide."
In the meantime, here are some board games and tabletop RPGs like Baldur's Gate that sate your thirst for adventure without the eyestrain.
