The «The Wheel of Time» series will become an open-world RPG — the game will be led by The Lord of the Rings Online veteran

The fantasy series «The Wheel of Time» will get a full-fledged AAA open-world role-playing game.

A new studio iwot studios will work on the Robert Jordan saga in the game universe, and Craig Alexander will lead the development. It was he who once launched The Lord of the Rings Online (2007) as part of Turbine. So Craig is no stranger to creating online games. In addition to The Lord of the Rings Online, he led the development of Dungeons & Dragons Online (2006), Game of Thrones: Conquest (2017) and worked on several DC projects.

Back to the new project: this will be the debut game for iwot, a Montreal-based studio. According to iwot CEO Rick Selvage, creating a game based on «The Wheel of Time» required «the right time, the right leader, and the right place».

«Craig brings the leadership, vision, and experience we need, and Montreal offers the creative talent to bring this to life. We’re confident this team will deliver something truly special for the fans», — says Rick Selvage.

There are still few details about the game itself, but in an interview Variety Selvage noted that the RPG will adapt «everything described in the books, as well as all elements of the backstory». That is, the developers plan to cover not only the main story but also the events before it. According to Craig, he sees a rare and ambitious task in adapting such a legendary mythology to an open-world role-playing game.

«It takes vision, scale, and a vibrant creative environment — all of which Montreal provides. I’m thrilled to lead the effort and build a world-class team capable of honoring this beloved world», — adds the Lord of the Rings Online veteran.

Iwot Studios is aiming for about three years of development, with a release expected in 2028. The game is being prepared for both PC and consoles. The press release states that the studio also seeks to develop the success of the Amazon Prime series «The Wheel of Time», which was released in 2021 and currently has an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Source: Games Radar