"Wheel of Time RPG Confirmed as Open-World, No Release Date Set"

It’s fair to say the recent announcement of a The Wheel of Time video game being in the works has taken fans by surprise and sparked a significant amount of skepticism online.

The announcement, first reported by Hollywood trade publication Variety, detailed an upcoming "AAA open-world role-playing game" for PC and consoles, based on Robert Jordan’s beloved 14-book series The Wheel of Time. The game is slated for a three-year development period.

This project is in development at iwot Studios’ new Montreal-based game developer, headed by former Warner Bros. Games executive Craig Alexander. Alexander has an impressive track record, having overseen development for all Turbine (now WB Games Boston) franchises, including The Lord of the Rings Online, Dungeons & Dragons Online, and Asheron's Call. Normally, this would generate excitement among fans, but the involvement of iwot Studios, which acquired the rights to The Wheel of Time (as Red Eagle Entertainment) in 2004, and the mention of a seemingly unrealistic three-year development timeline, have raised eyebrows.

A quick online search of iwot Studios reveals a strained relationship with the dedicated The Wheel of Time fanbase. Many posts express skepticism about the company, with some fans accusing iwot of being an "IP camper." There are also accusations that iwot has "squandered" the The Wheel of Time IP over the years, with numerous projects that failed to materialize. Fans frequently reference a decade-old Reddit post that amplifies these criticisms.

Combined with skepticism about a brand new video game development studio suddenly producing a triple-A RPG that meets the high expectations of The Wheel of Time fans, the online community has adopted a "we'll believe it when we see it" stance.

However, *The Wheel of Time* has seen significant recent success with its Amazon Prime Video TV series, which just concluded Season 3 (with Season 4 yet to be announced). The show has introduced the series to a new audience, and after facing criticism for major story deviations in Seasons 1 and 2 from the books, it managed to turn things around with a much-improved Season 3.

With these factors in mind, I sought to learn more directly from iwot Studios. Over a video call, I spoke with Rick Selvage, the head of iwot Studios, and Craig Alexander, the studio head for their video game efforts, to understand the project's current state, its scope, what fans can expect, and to get their response to the online criticism.