To say I have been hyped for WARLOCK: Dungeons & Dragons with no real evidence as to why I should be is an understatement. Until gamescom 2026, the only look we had at the game came from what I would call a hype trailer, and it certainly did its job. I immediately fell for it and was wrapped up in the main character; I fell right into their trap. The good news is that it was not a misdirect at all, and after seeing the combat trailer at gamescom ONL followed by a live demo of the same section of the game, I officially have something to back up my hype.
Sitting down in a dark theatre setup, a team member behind WARLOCK: Dungeons & Dragons played through the section of the game we saw in the trailer, while another narrated what we were seeing, explaining a bit more about the combat, opportunities we may come across, and the world of WARLOCK: Dungeons & Dragons. They started with the amazing cutscene between Kaatri, the character we play, and Tasha, voiced by Maggie Robertson. I cannot wait to see more of how this relationship plays out. These look like two badass women, and I want to know everything about them.
A large part of what WotC wanted to show off is the duality of Kaatri’s skills and how there isn’t one right way to do things. For instance, a tentacle ability was used on a wall, paired with kinesis to move a piece of the ground onto it. The tentacles held it in place so we could move across the gap. They told us that the same ability could be used as a weapon.
Another instance we needed to get through brambles covering a gate. Sure, we could shoot something like a fireball. But we could also use kinesis over something holding a flame. WARLOCK uses classic abilities but gives you the freedom to explore how you might use them, offering creativity with your skills, rather than a linear approach. D&D is about more than just making conversation choices, and I think it’s really cool to be able to use that same innovation with your skills in a game.
We took a walk through a city to get a picture of the world behind WARLOCK: Dungeons & Dragons, and this is very familiar to anyone who enjoys RPGs. The town was bustling, and there were people to speak with and things to notice that can trigger side quests. We also spent time chatting with our small minion, who I think will make an interesting companion.
This area felt the weakest of the entire preview, but I can’t quite put my finger on why. NPC models felt very flat, literally. It’s an exaggeration, but it reminded me of the flat-faced characters from N64 WWE games. It is early, and there is time, but this was the only time I wasn’t genuinely impressed.
Watching Kaatri move through the battlefield is probably what most players were waiting on, myself included. What I am about to say is probably going to get a big eye roll, but I was surprised to see such a high level of focus on magic and not weapon combat. Yes, she’s a warlock. That is the point. But in most RPGs I play also focus on a weapon, whether it’s a staff, bow, daggers, etc.
During our WARLOCK demo, Kaatri rarely used a weapon. In fact, one time she did; she actually used a spell that put the blade behind her enemy and pulled it toward her, directly through them. Definitely something I want to dabble in. I am curious to see if that is just the way Kaatri was set up for this preview, or if it is the only build. It will be very interesting to see how you can customize Kaatri’s weapons and abilities in WARLOCK.
Though my preview at gamescom 2026 was short, I am thrilled to have been able to experience more of WARLOCK: Dungeons & Dragons. The majority of the world is gorgeous so far, plus I am hooked on the two characters we have met so far, eager to hear their stories and meet more. WARLOCK’s combat has me very intrigued and I am going to keep a close eye on the title until it releases in 2027.
