.svg){kind=icon}
Drecom, SirTech, and Digital Eclipse Partner on WizardryTM: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord Revival
Wizardry trademark and copyright holders have licensed the IP to California-based game development studio
First published by SirTech in the 1980s, Wizardry is a series of Dungeons & Dragons–style video games. With eight main installments released through 2001 and almost forty Japanese spin-offs published to date, Wizardry is one of the most prolific game series ever and is widely recognized as the inspiration for the modern role-playing game (RPG) genre. The series was a World Video Game Hall of Fame finalist in 2023.
In 2020, Japanese entertainment company Drecom acquired the copyrights to Wizardry 6, Wizardry 7, Wizardry 8, and Wizardry Gold, as well as the domestic and international registered trademarks to the series title Wizardry. SirTech retained the copyrights to the first five Wizardry games. Digital Eclipse, an independent game studio dedicated to video game preservation, has now licensed the registered Wizardry trademark from Drecom and the copyrights to the series’ debut game Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord from SirTech, in order to develop a new version built directly on top of the original Apple II code base.
"It’s an honor to partner with Drecom to bring the official Wizardry name back to its roots and help make this seminal work available again to a new generation of gamers," said Justin Bailey, Head of Publishing for Digital Eclipse.
"We’re happy to support Digital Eclipse in their endeavor to restore this iconic game back to its rightful place,” said Yuki Naito, Representative Director & CEO of Drecom. "As custodians of the Wizardry franchise, we’re excited for fans to get a chance to experience the original game."
An Early Access version of WizardryTM: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord for PC was unveiled on September 15 on Steam and GOG, giving fans of the long-running franchise an opportunity to sample the work-in-progress and offer feedback ahead of the final release. Separately, Drecom has two Wizardry games under development, Wizardry Variants Daphne™ and Eternal Crypt - Wizardry BC - ™.
The Wizardry trademark remains under Drecom's sole ownership, and the title Wizardry™: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord uses Wizardry™ with permission from Drecom.
Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord has been licensed to Digital Eclipse Entertainment Partners Co. by SirTech Entertainment Corp. All rights reserved.
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord Press Assets
About Drecom
Drecom Co., Ltd. is an entertainment company based in Tokyo, Japan. Drecom has over 10 years of experience as a mobile game developer, having worked on many IP-based game titles, and has developed numerous commercially successful games. For more information about Drecom Co., Ltd., please visit https://drecom.co.jp/en/ and https://twitter.com/wizardry_series.
WizardryTM are registered trademarks of Drecom Co., Ltd.
About Digital Eclipse
Digital Eclipse is a game development studio originally founded in 1992, focused on the digital restoration of classic video games. With every new project, we strive to set the gold standard for classic game re-releases. We treat them with care and respect, preserving gaming history for future generations. Learn more at http://digitaleclipse.com.
Contact
Emily Morganti
Public Relations for Digital Eclipse
