Payday dev is making a Dungeons & Dragons co-op live game

Starbreeze Studios, the team that helped co-develop one of the most popular FPS franchises on the planet, is moving to medieval fantasy for their next title.

2

Today, Starbreeze made a surprise announcement: The Payday developer is now working on a new game set in the Dungeons & Dragons franchise. We really didn't see this one coming.

The D&D game is described as an action-adventure experience complete with co-op live service elements and cross-play. The title is codenamed Project Baxter and is being created in Unreal Engine 5 with a planned release on "all major platforms" by 2026. Starbreeze plans to both develop and publish the game, likely with funding provided by Hasbro.

• Read more: New Snake Eyes game teaser images show high-def renders of GI Joe assassin
• Read more: Baldur's Gate 3 dev's new game is fun in a 'surprising way,' Larian boss teases
• Read more: Avatar: The Last Airbender is getting a big AAA game from Space Marine 2 devs Saber Interactive

Starbreeze CEO Tobias Sjogren had this to say about Project Baxter:

"It is hard to imagine a better pairing than Dungeons & Dragons and Starbreeze - both with their foundation in cooperative and community driven experiences, 'play it your way' and infinite replayability.

"When looking at prospective IPs for our future projects, Dungeons & Dragons was always at the top of our list and I'm incredibly happy to announce this license. I want to thank Wizards of the Coast for being such a great partner. Development of the game is in full swing, and we are excited to deliver an amazing Dungeons & Dragons action-adventure in 2026."

Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro SVP Digital Strategy and Licensing Eugene Evans said this about the partnership:

"Dungeons and Dragons is having an extraordinary year. Our gaming brands, including Dungeons & Dragons, continue to attract great partners as we execute our plan to grow our digital games portfolio through licensing and development.

"Our collaboration with Starbreeze is a prime illustration of this strategy. Given their impressive games and passion for Dungeons & Dragons, we are confident that they will create an experience that will delight fans worldwide."