Fresh leaks on the internet have offered a glimpse of the background of the abandoned Hidden Path Entertainment Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, “Project Dante.” The release of gameplay and concept art offers a glimpse of a project that, while canceled, had lofty ambitions for the beloved fantasy franchise.
“Project Dante” was designed as an open-world third-person RPG(as reported by MP1ST), something that had already been rumored with the job listings from Hidden Path in 2021. The eight-minute game montage leak only serves to further validate this path, with indications of fighting and exploration in a broad fantasy world. Players were quick to liken it to popular games like Dragon Age and The Elder Scrolls due to puzzle aspects and cooperation-based parties included in the game design. The visual content describes a world constructed with open-ended exploration in mind, with extremely detailed environments and elements of both single-player adventures and group interaction.
Cancellation of “Project Dante” in 2023 came when the owner of Dungeons & Dragons, Wizards of the Coast, revamped their video game projects. The project was part of five Dungeons & Dragons games in development at the time. Another is the cancellation of “Project Sigil,” an electronic rendition of Dungeons & Dragons tabletop gaming, though underlying concepts are reported to be rebuilt for use with D&D Beyond.
Despite such setbacks, the universe of video games in Dungeons & Dragons goes on. New titles are already in the works, with the newly founded studio Giant Skull developing a one-player action-adventure D&D game. Invoke Studios is also developing another in the series, where it is experimenting with ideas concerning magic. Besides that, players are still yet to learn more about Baldur’s Gate 4, considering the previous one’s success both commercially and critically. “Project Dante” leaked material is a regretful reminder of what might have been as D&D fans’ future projects are already underway.
