Starbreeze ventures into the world of Dungeons & Dragons with the announcement of "Project Baxter." The co-op multiplayer D&D game is currently in development using Unreal Engine 5 according to the studio. Read on to know more.
Starbreeze Is Working on a Co-op Multiplayer Dungeons & Dragons Game
Project Baxter Will Be An "Action-Oriented Theater"
The upcoming game will be developed and published by Starbreeze. According to Creative Director Leif Westerholm, Project Baxter will carry the signature Starbreeze game cornerstones of "co-operative multiplayer, lifetime commitment through a Games as a Service-model, community engagement, and a larger than life experience."
Westerholm explained the studio's approach to adapting the essence of D&D into a video game format in an interview with GameBeats. He emphasized a departure from traditional mechanics: "It’s going to be heavily inspired by D&D, but it won’t be dice rolling. It won’t be turn-based. It’s action-oriented theater." Although, Westerhold also stated that the game will definitely not be a hack-and-slash.
"There are definitely similarities between this and Payday," Westerholm said. "But Payday is a lot more high octane, high tempo. Here, we want to have more ebbs and flows in the pacing." The game will be set in Waterdeep, known as the "crown of the North," a region that has been described as seldom represented in games.
Set to Release in 2026
Starbreeze licensed the IP from Wizards of the Coast, the IP-holder of Dungeons & Dragons and a division of Hasbro, Inc. Wizards of the Coast is an American game publisher known primarily for its creation and publication of tabletop games and collectible card games (Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon Trading Card Game, Dungeons & Dragons franchises).
"Dungeons & Dragons was always at the top of our list and I’m incredibly happy to announce this license. Development of the game is in full swing, and we are excited to deliver an amazing Dungeons & Dragons action-adventure in 2026," said Tobias Sjögren, CEO of Starbreeze.
Will Have Crossplay Across Xbox, PC, and Playstation
Westerholm stated that they envision different groups playing together with different characters in Project Baxter. The studio said it aims to key into the importance of player connections and strategic collaboration.
"(We’re) trying to look at what makes D&D special. And to me, it’s not rolling the 20 Miss/Hit. It’s more than that. It’s the connection between the players, how they overcome enemies that seem to be beyond us."
In the same vein, the studio confirmed crossplay functionality on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC platforms. Plans for beta tests were also revealed but there are no set dates for them yet.
Starbreeze on Creating a D&D Video Game
Sjögren stated that they didn’t like the risk of creating their own intellectual property. "So we discussed the IPs that we would like to work on and came to the conclusion that D&D would be awesome. We threw ideas back and forth, and that is when the project got started."
"The investment in the game is on a scale that is similar to the investment in Payday 3. The team includes some people from Payday and others who are new," according to the studio.
Westerholm said that the game will faithfully teach the rules of the fifth edition of the D&D game. It is expected to strike a balance between providing accessibility for all players and offering avenues for mastering the gameplay.
Sources:
Starbreeze will make D&D co-op game code-named Project Baxter
Project Baxter Official Announcement
Starbreeze Press Release
