Atari has acquired the 'Wizardry' IP.

On the 6th (local time), Business Wire reported that Atari has acquired the full and exclusive rights and intellectual property (IP) for the early titles in the Wizardry RPG series. The acquisition includes five titles, starting with the 1981 release, Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord.

- Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord (1981)

- Wizardry II: The Knight of Diamonds (1982)

- Wizardry III: Legacy of Llylgamyn (1983)

- Wizardry IV: The Return of Werdna (1987)

- Wizardry V: Heart of the Maelstrom (1988)

Often referred to as the 'Original Wizardry' and 'Llylgamyn Saga,' this series is considered highly influential in the JRPG genre. Through this agreement, Atari has secured not only the games themselves but also all related intellectual property rights, including contractual rights and the entire world-building elements such as spells, characters, and monsters.

The core IP, including spells, characters, and monsters from the original Wizardry universe, as well as the original NES, SNES, and PC versions of the games, had been unavailable to developers and fans for over 25 years. This acquisition paves the way for these original titles to be made accessible to fans once again.

Robert Woodhead, co-creator of Wizardry, stated, "Wizardry is an influential RPG franchise, but many of the games have been unavailable for over 20 years. I am very pleased that this opportunity will allow us to re-release and remaster these early games, and bring them to market through console ports and physical editions." Atari also emphasized the significance of bringing these long-absent early titles back to the market.

However, some parts of the Wizardry series were not included in this acquisition. Wizardry titles 6, 7, and 8 are owned by the Japanese publisher Drecom and are based on a different world-building foundation than the early titles acquired by Atari.

Meanwhile, Atari previously released a remake of the series' first title, 'Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord,' in 2024 through its subsidiary studio, Digital Eclipse.

As part of its long-term strategy, Atari plans to expand digital and physical distribution, pursue remasters and collections, and develop new titles. Beyond game publishing, the company also intends to explore various entertainment ventures, including card and board games, books, comics, and video projects, though specific future plans have not yet been disclosed.

On the 7th, Japanese publisher Drecom posted a statement on its official website, asserting that it has no intention of selling its rights to the Wizardry trademark and that it has not relinquished any rights regarding the Wizardry IP, for which it holds domestic and international trademarks.

In this regard, Drecom stated that it continues to hold the domestic and international trademark rights for the Wizardry series and intends to continue managing the IP brand.