Wizards of the Coast’s recent endeavor to rekindle the cherished Dark Alliance series of Dungeons & Dragons hack-and-slash games is nearing its end. The title, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance, which debuted in 2021 and received mixed reviews, is set to be discontinued and removed from sale on February 24, 2025, as stated by the publisher in an announcement made on various digital platforms.
The publisher explained, “We’re closing down (shut down) the Dark Alliance servers on 2/24/2025, and after that date, it will no longer be available to purchase.” However, they added that anyone who already owns the game can still enjoy it offline, including all its downloadable content.
Originally announced in 2019, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance was envisioned as a spiritual successor—at least by its developer, Tuque Games—to the early 2000s Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance games. Unlike its namesakes, the new game didn’t share much beyond the title, opting for a setting in Icewind Dale and featuring characters from R.A. Salvatore’s The Legend of Drizzt as heroes. It offered both single-player and cooperative multiplayer experiences.
From its inception, the approach taken by Wizards of the Coast and Tuque Games didn’t quite align with what fans might have expected from a Dark Alliance revival. The game was unveiled at The Game Awards 2019 with an unusual trailer featuring the Swedish heavy metal band In Flames, which received mixed reactions mainly due to its GoPro-style cinematography. Departing from the top-down, Diablo-like action-RPG style of previous titles, this game mirrored more of a Gears of War feel with its over-the-shoulder combat perspective.
When it officially launched in June 2021, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance received lukewarm feedback. Polygon’s review highlighted, “Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance isn’t necessarily a bad game, but it doesn’t stand out in the crowded field of action-oriented live service games, offering a fantasy theme that feels somewhat generic over three decades post the original novel’s release.” Steam users echoed similar sentiments, currently giving it a “Mixed” review rating.
If you’re looking to try it out, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is priced at $29.99 and is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Additionally, in 2022, Tuque Games released an expansion titled Echoes of the Blood War, introducing Auralla, a Tiefling warlock, and two new dungeons. For those with a nostalgic bend, the publisher Interplay re-released Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance and its sequel on modern platforms in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Moving forward, Tuque Games has rebranded itself as Invoke Studios and is currently developing a new AAA game, rooted within the Dungeons & Dragons universe, utilizing Unreal Engine 5 for Wizards of the Coast.
