Warlock, the upcoming open-world Dungeons & Dragons game from Invoke Studios and Wizards of the Coast, is being built as a substantial adventure rather than a 100-hour endurance test. For players who prefer purposeful exploration to oversized maps, that could be a meaningful distinction.
At Gamescom 2026, an extended version of the public gameplay demonstration was shown behind closed doors. The sequence followed Kaatri, a young woman, through the small village of Crickshank. After speaking with a beggar, she noticed a blood trail disappearing through a nearby doorway.
Following the trail led Kaatri into a sizeable underground network of tunnels. The discovery illustrated how optional investigations can open up beneath the game’s more familiar locations, giving players different experiences depending on how thoroughly they explore.
That freedom and the volume of optional content might suggest a sprawling RPG lasting well beyond 100 hours. However, studio head Dominic Guay said Warlock is not intended to become one of the enormous open-world games that can consume hundreds of hours.
How long will Warlock be?
Guay explained that Warlock will be longer than a more linear game, but not gigantic. Invoke’s aim is a denser open world where exploration pays off sooner, without forcing players to cross huge empty distances simply to reach the next location.
“It’s still like tens and tens of hours, you’re going to have plenty of time,” Guay said.
There is no single playtime for everyone. Players who focus on advancing the main story should finish more quickly, while those who investigate side content and search the environment will spend longer with the game.
Exploration is also tied to progression. Finding optional content can make Kaatri more powerful and support progress through the main quest. Players who rush the story, meanwhile, may reach a point where they need to explore in order to overcome a difficult obstacle.
Enemies will not automatically match your level
Another important part of the design is that enemies will not scale with the player. Guay confirmed that opponents do not become stronger simply because Kaatri has gained power.
Weak enemies in an early area will remain weak even if the player later becomes much more powerful. The trade-off is that moving through the main quest too quickly may leave Kaatri underprepared for enemies that were intended to encourage more exploration.
This fixed approach gives the world a clearer sense of progression. Optional locations are not only extra material for players chasing a longer campaign; they can also provide the strength needed for the main adventure.
Compared with other D&D experiences, the stated scope is relatively modest. Baldur’s Gate 3 is widely regarded as the leading D&D video game, while a completionist playthrough is recorded at more than 180 hours by HowLongToBeat. Tabletop campaigns can run from a few weeks to several years, with individual sessions lasting for hours.
Even a campaign measured in “tens and tens of hours” leaves room for a sizeable role-playing adventure. Readers following developments through RETROCADE’s arcade news and gaming coverage will recognise the appeal of a game that values meaningful discoveries over sheer runtime.
Freedom without endless travel
Invoke’s plan is not to make Warlock linear. The game will still offer optional content and the freedom to decide how much of the world to investigate. The difference is that those discoveries should be positioned within a more compact, rewarding environment.
That structure could give players more control over the pace of the adventure. Story-focused players should be able to keep moving, while explorers have reasons to leave the main path, improve Kaatri and uncover areas such as the tunnels beneath Crickshank.
The approach may also appeal to players weighing how much space a dedicated gaming setup requires. RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide can help with planning a games room, while the wider arcade machine range covers larger home gaming setups.
For Australian players watching Warlock, the central message is straightforward: this is planned as a broad D&D RPG, but not an enormous open-world slog. Its final length will depend on how often players pursue optional content, explore for upgrades and return to the main quest.
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