Atari has secured the rights to the initial five installments of the Wizardry RPG series

Atari has successfully secured the "complete and exclusive rights" to the initial five entries in the original Wizardry RPG series, incorporating related intellectual property from the previous rights holder.

The company clarified that Wizardry 6, 7, and 8, which exist in a different fictional realm, are owned by the Japanese publisher Drecom. It should be noted that Drecom continues to own and oversee the Wizardry trademark globally and has asserted they have "no plans to sell the trademark rights or other rights related to Wizardry titles they currently manage in the future."

In an official statement relayed through Rock Paper Shotgun, Drecom stated, "Our company has been informed by Atari about their acquisition of rights to the first through fifth Wizardry series titles from the original rights holder."

Additionally, Drecom affirmed its ongoing ownership and management of both domestic and international trademark rights to the Wizardry series.

This acquisition by Atari also comprises additional Wizardry-related video games, contract rights, and associated intellectual property stemming from the original universe. The company plans to broaden its digital and physical distribution through remasters, collections, and new releases. Furthermore, Atari intends to delve into card and board games, books, comics, and even TV and film projects, aiming to expand the original games into an entertainment franchise.

In 2024, Atari's Digital Eclipse launched a remake of Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord. Prior to this, in 2023, Atari had acquired Digital Eclipse for a deal valued at up to $20 million.

Atari CEO Wade Rosen commented, "Wizardry is a highly impactful RPG series, yet many titles have remained inaccessible for over twenty years. We are thrilled to have this unique chance to republish, remaster, and offer console ports and physical releases of these early games."

Wizardry franchise co-creator Robert Woodhead reminisced, "When Andrew Greenberg and I created Wizardry in the 1980s, the gaming industry was just beginning. The original games were pioneers in bringing the role-playing experience to PCs and consoles. As Atari revives these games on modern platforms and for new audiences, I'll be watching gamer reactions closely as they embrace a truly vintage challenge."