Drecom Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yuki Naito) is pleased to announce that Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, a remake of the first title in the Wizardry series by Digital Eclipse (Headquarters: California, USA President: Ethan Zoubek), will be officially released on Thursday, May 23 for Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam®︎). Drecom is also developing several other Wizardry-related projects. Please stay tuned for further developments of Wizardry.

About Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord was originally released by Sir-Tech Software, Inc. (then SirTech Entertainment Corp.) in 1981 as the first title in the Wizardry series for home computers. As the first party-based dungeon RPG, it was one of the essential games that launched the role-playing game genre and is a title that influenced later domestically produced RPGs. Building directly on top of the code for the first Apple II game, Digital Eclipse has signed an agreement with Drecom for the registered trademark of Wizardry and with SirTech Entertainment Corp. for the remastering of Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord.

This fully 3D remastered version by Digital Eclipse preserving the appeal of the classic while also incorporating modern graphics and improved party management, navigation, spellcasting, and combat for ease of play. Furthermore, the game has been available via Early Access since September 2023, where it currently has a "Very Positive" review score on Steam®︎. In response to user feedback, improvements will be made for the official release on May 23, and localization into various languages, including Japanese, is planned.

[Story]
Craft your own party of adventurers and head into the labyrinth at the behest of the mad overlord Trebor, in search of the amulet stolen by the evil wizard Werdna. Battle challenging monsters, avoid hidden traps, and find your way through the dungeon for the ultimate showdown with Werdna himself.

[Game Improvements]

• Beautiful new graphics & animations for a game that, by necessity, only offered rudimentary visuals, now with the power of Unreal Engine.
• User-selectable options that allow players to tailor the gameplay to their liking. Players can also choose no new options at all to experience the original, more challenging, gameplay.
• An in-game Bestiary that records key information on enemies as they're encountered and offers strategic advice on their strengths and weaknesses. The monster text is by Benny Matsuyama, known for Wizardry no Subete and Wizardry Novel: Tonariawase no Hai to Seishun, etc.
• A lush musical soundtrack from composer Winifred Philips, including the fan-favorite opening theme.
• A controller-friendly interface, with a one-button shortcut for fast combat choices.
• Fully localized into English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, and German.

Game Overview
Title: Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord
Distribution: May 23, 2024 (planned)
Genre: RPG
Supported Platforms:
Nintendo Switch™
PlayStation®4 / PlayStation®5
Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S
PC (Steam®︎)
*The PC version (Steam®︎) has been available via Early Access since September 2023.
Supported Languages: English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, German
*Non-English languages will be supported in the May 23, 2024 release.

Copyright Notice:
Wizardry™ is a registered trademark of Drecom Co.
Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord Copyright © (1981-2024) by FRPG Corporation.
Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is a copyrighted program licensed to SirTech Entertainment Corp by FRPG Corporation.
Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord has been licensed to Digital Eclipse Entertainment Partners Co.

©2024 Valve Corporation. Steam and the Steam logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Valve Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Nintendo Switch is a trademark of Nintendo.
PlayStation is a registered trademark or trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
Microsoft, Xbox One, and the Xbox logo are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

About Wizardry

Wizardry is a computer role-playing game released in the United States in 1981. Elements such as party organizing, labyrinth exploration, monster fighting, and character development had a tremendous impact on various RPGs that followed, and it is often referred to as the origin of RPGs. Numerous sequels have been released, and more than 40 years after its release, it remains a timeless masterpiece that enjoys strong popularity around the world. In 2020, Drecom acquired the copyrights to Wizardry6, Wizardry7, Wizardry8, and Wizardry Gold, as well as the domestic and international trademarks to the series title "Wizardry".

◆Official Website: https://wizardry.info/
◆Official X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/wizardry_series

Drecom also develops a wide range of products, including publishing novels and comic book versions of Blade & Bastard, a dark fantasy series spun by Kumo Kagyu that uses the world of Wizardry, and a blockchain game Eternal Crypt - Wizardry BC -. We will continue to develop various content for the Wizardry series, including Wizardry Variants Daphne, so please stay tuned as we release in the future.

■Blade & Bastard

A dark fantasy series that expands upon the classic RPG world of Wizardry, written by Kumo Kagyu (Goblin Slayer), with illustrations by so-bin (OVERLORD).
It is currently being serialized in a comic adaptation by Makoto Fugetsu (Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Chapter 2: A Week at the Mansion) on the free web comic site DRE COMICS.

◆Series Introduction: https://drecom-media.jp/drenovels/series/blade
◆DRE COMICS: https://drecom-media.jp/drecomics/series/blade
◆Official X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/BladeandBastard

■Eternal Crypt - Wizardry BC -

This blockchain game was released in March 2024. It features a game system that blends simple, easy-to-play clicker gameplay with a strategic play style of an RPG that inherits the essence of the classic RPG Wizardry.
The player acts as a guild master with up to 36 adventurers and aims for the depth of "Dadoel Abyss", a mysterious dungeon shrouded in mystery. Upon returning from the dungeon, players can earn treasure chests and Blood Crystals ($BC tokens). Also, Adventurers (NFTs) have various characteristics based on a combination of class, race, and alignment.

◆Official Website: https://wiz-eternalcrypt.com
◆Official X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/WizardryBC

■Wizardry Variants Daphne

The latest in development for the Wizardry series, this title is a 3D dungeon RPG for smartphones. In Wizardry Variants Daphne, players will delve deeply into dungeons called Abysses, solving various quests and mysteries therein. Based on feedback from a closed beta test conducted in October 2023, we are continuing to make improvements to further enhance the quality of the game.

◆Official Site: https://wizardry.info/daphne/
◆Official Twitter (Japanese): https://twitter.com/Wizardry_Daphne
◆Official Twitter (English): https://twitter.com/Wiz_Daphne_en

[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.

*Wizardry™ is a registered trademark of Drecom Co., Ltd.

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