A Genre-Defining 1980s RPG Series Is Coming Back in a Big Way

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Many of the best features in today’s role-playing games (RPGs) started with the very first games that created the genre. From tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons to the computer RPGs of the 1980s, this popular genre has a long history. Now, one franchise that was particularly influential in shaping modern computer RPGs is poised to return with a recent acquisition.

Atari has acquired the rights to the classic role-playing game series, Wizardry, according to a report from Business Wire on May 6th. The series began in 1981 with Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord and grew to include eight main games and several spin-offs, but it hasn’t been actively developed since around 2001. Now, Atari plans to revive the franchise, starting with projects that honor the original games and bring Wizardry back into the spotlight. Here’s a look at what’s planned.

Atari Reveals Plans to Bring Back Wizardry RPG Series With Remasters & New Releases

The Wizardry series is a pioneering computer role-playing game that has greatly influenced modern games. It’s often recognized for establishing key features like the team-based gameplay found in Baldur’s Gate 3, and for popularizing the classic dungeon crawl experience. Originally, most Wizardry games were only released on computers, with a few versions appearing on older consoles like the NES, making it hard for players to experience them recently.

In 2024, Atari successfully reintroduced the classic game Wizardry with a remake of Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord. Now, the company is expanding its efforts. Atari has acquired the exclusive rights to the first five games in the Wizardry series, including all the spells, characters, monsters, and locations from those RPGs, as well as other related assets. It’s important to note that the newer Wizardry games (numbers 6, 7, and 8) will remain owned by Drecom.

Atari seems to have ambitious plans for its classic game properties. Reports suggest they intend to revive these influential titles through a mix of updated versions, collections, and entirely new games. This likely means we’ll see modernized versions of many beloved, original role-playing games. Beyond that, Atari also appears to be developing brand-new titles based on these franchises. If they succeed, we might even get a hit comparable to Baldur’s Gate 3.

So, Atari isn’t just bringing back Wizardry as games – they’re going all-in on the whole universe! They’re planning a ton of cool stuff alongside the games, like card and board games, books, comics, and even TV shows and movies. As someone who grew up with RPGs, and especially a fan of the classics, this is seriously exciting. Wizardry was one of the first big RPGs, and it’s awesome to see them trying to build out a whole world around it. I’m really hoping they do it justice!

We don’t have details on any projects related to the recent acquisition yet, but we expect to hear more about the planned return of Wizardry in the near future.

If you’re familiar with the classic Wizardry games, are you thrilled about the possibility of a revival? Share your thoughts and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-05-07 17:43