Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons Will Omit Waypoints to Encourage Player Exploration

Developer Invoke Studios has announced that the upcoming action role-playing game Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons will omit traditional quest markers and waypoints. The decision aims to encourage players to engage directly with the game world and figure things out through their own actions rather than following a user interface.

In an interview with IGN, general manager Dominic Guay explained the reasoning behind the omission. The development team has experience working on other open-world games and utilizing heavy-handed guiding approaches. According to Guay, players eventually tend to follow waypoints blindly, which leads to a loss of player agency and curiosity. To avoid this, the studio wants players to explore organically.

Instead of standard quests, the game utilizes a Mystery system. Players can chat with non-player characters in towns to gather clues and information, or they can stumble across mysteries by exploring different areas. These mysteries feature multiple entry points. Depending on how a player discovers a mystery, their approach to settlements and interactions can change based on prior knowledge gained outside of official prompts.

While players can turn off an optional compass, the game relies heavily on this immersive approach. Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons is currently in development for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, with a scheduled release window in 2027.