"Wheel of Time RPG Confirmed, No Release Date Yet -，可能PS6和Next Xbox"

It’s fair to say the recent announcement of a The Wheel of Time video game being in the works caught fans by surprise — and sparked a healthy dose of skepticism online.

The announcement, reported first by Hollywood trade publication Variety, described an upcoming “AAA open-world role-playing game” for PC and consoles based on Robert Jordan’s much-loved 14-book series, The Wheel of Time. A three-year development period was also mentioned.

It’s in development at iwot Studios’ new Montreal-based game developer, which is led by former Warner Bros. Games executive Craig Alexander. Alexander oversaw development for all Turbine (now WB Games Boston) franchises, including The Lord of the Rings Online, Dungeons & Dragons Online, and Asheron's Call. This, on the face of it, would normally spark significant excitement from fans. But it’s the name iwot Studios, which acquired the rights to The Wheel of Time (as Red Eagle Entertainment) in 2004, and this talk of an unlikely three-year development process that has raised more than a few eyebrows.

A cursory online search of iwot Studios reveals the company has a fractured relationship with the hardcore The Wheel of Time fanbase. I found multiple posts from skeptical fans about the business, with some accusing iwot of being an "IP camper." Others believe iwot has "squandered" The Wheel of Time IP over the years, with multiple projects that failed to go anywhere. Fans often point to a 10-year-old Reddit post that goes even further with the complaints.

This, coupled with a collective scoffing at the idea that a brand new video game development studio can essentially come from nowhere and turn around a triple-A RPG that matches The Wheel of Time fans’ expectations, has led to a "we'll believe it when we see it" attitude online.

However, The Wheel of Time has found significant recent success with its Amazon Prime Video TV series, which just wrapped up Season 3 (Season 4 is yet to be announced). The show has exposed The Wheel of Time to a new army of fans, and, after upsetting the core fanbase with significant story changes in Seasons 1 and 2 compared to the books, did well to turn the narrative around with a much-improved Season 3.

It’s with all this in mind that I set out to learn more from iwot Studios itself. Over a video call, I spoke with Rick Selvage, boss of iwot Studios, and Craig Alexander, studio head for the company’s video game efforts, to get a better understanding of where the project is at, its scope, what fans can expect, and to put all that online criticism to them for a response.