The release of the recent James Bond game, 007: First Light, has led to a new line of conversation surrounding the role that video games have to play in the revival of popular franchises. The spy spinoff is, after all, a soft relaunch for the saga, and should allow players to refresh their palette ahead of the new James Bond movie, being developed by Amazon.
The Wheel of Time now appears to be receiving similar treatment. While the show was unceremoniously dropped from Amazon Prime Video, it seems that new plans are in place to develop a video game to continue this universe. It’s a bold idea, but one that would put The Wheel of Time alongside the likes of Dune, Avatar and Bond in regard to story expansions in the video game space.
The Wheel of Time Was Cancelled Without Warning
To fully understand what’s happening with The Wheel of Time, it’s important to go back to the beginning. The novels were written by Robert Jordan, before Brandon Sanderson took over the property. These fantasy adventures seemed to be the perfect backdrop for a larger television series and so, while Prime was looking to corner the genre with the likes of The Rings of Power, The Wheel of Time presented an opportunity to double down.
The very first season would debut back in 2021 and two more would soon follow, with ratings slowly dropping. Despite the huge budget that had been granted to the development of The Wheel of Time, the show was not making the impact that Amazon had hoped for. After a final push, the show was canceled.
This left remaining fans devastated. While they could follow the major narrative threads in the novels and thus find out what happened to their favorite characters, the show had ultimately ended on a cliffhanger without tying up loose ends. Much like Shadow and Bone on Netflix, this was an adaptation that was never fated to conclude appropriately.
Nonetheless, there is still hope for The Wheel of Time, which has plenty of potential outside the television framework. Indeed, plans are already going ahead to revive the series in other ways. For instance, a new feature film is being discussed, and it seems there are plans to continue on in an animated format.
That latter option is genius, as it allows fans to experience this world in a new medium that may be a little more cost-effective for the studio. There is also a precedent for The Wheel of Time within the video game space. It was back in 1999 that this idea was explored in more detail, before Amazon had even considered moving into the entertainment realm.
The Wheel of Time video game was an often overlooked first-person shooter title, developed by Legend Entertainment and published by GT Interactive. While it will likely not form any kind of basis for future adaptations, it is fascinating that a Windows title has previously found some success in this industry, suggesting that there is value in the crossover of mediums.
The Wheel of Time is Officially Getting A New Video Game
It was very recently confirmed that The Wheel of Time is officially getting another video game, set within this incredible continuity. It is iwot Studios who own the rights to the saga, and originally partnered with Amazon Prime Video.
While Amazon themselves have moved into the video game space, iwot Studios’ announcement concerning the latest video game development does not involve the massive, household name. Rather, iwot is moving away from that partnership, towards a new collaboration which they hope will be beneficial for this IP’s longevity.
It is Thomas Wu who the studio has turned to for creative advice, one of the people behind the League of Legends spinoff series Arcane. iwot Studios has also partnered with Initiate Entertainment as part of that arrangement, the studio founded by Wu and collaborator Anthony Borquez, who has a history of creating tech companies.
This would suggest that this relatively new video game house is going to be finding its foundations as it progresses with this title, but that may be good news for fans who want a completely fresh take on the familiar world, aside from the animated idea. Not much is known about the project beyond the initial concept. It seems the studio is aiming to specifically produce a AAA title that can compete with some of the heavy hitters in the industry.
There is an expectation of this being on either mobile or PC, but there is every chance the studio considers traditional console launches down the line. Having the game confirmed to be an RPG also makes perfect sense. After all, The Wheel of Time has such rich lore and world-building that it is logical to give the power to the players and allow them to create a hero or foe within that space.
It should be noted that the Wheel of Time game will not tie into the Amazon Prime Video television series. This is being considered an alternative property and, while it exists within the wider continuity, it will undoubtedly not even adapt a specific story from the page either.
Producers For The Wheel of Time Are Playing The Long Game
The press release for this announcement went on to talk about the coordination between the different projects across film, animation and video games, especially in line with work being carried out with a company called Framestore. However, the early analysis of these decisions does seem to point in a very clear direction. The studio is clearly hoping to create a new sense of nostalgia and familiarity with the Wheel of Time franchise, to allow it to form some kind of longevity as the brand builds in size over the next few years.
While the producers talk about storytelling potential, there can be no mistake. This is somewhat of an elongated marketing exercise that brings more people to the books and allows fans to live out their fantasies in a new way. The Wheel of Time’s identity will be massively boosted by this move into a new space, as the property attempts to find its footing again both on television and on the big screen.
The Wheel of Time is perhaps positioning itself somewhat like the fantasy property The Witcher. While the Netflix show has been able to continue the story, bringing fans to the novels that started it all, it’s the video games that have become mainstream and have done the most for the brand’s image. In the case of The Wheel of Time, it’s not hard to imagine a similar narrative structure and RPG style working tremendously well, as newcomers get to learn more about the franchise from a hands-on perspective.
Down the line, when there has been a relationship built between players and the material, then there may be more hype behind something like a TV show. Regardless, there will be a lot to dissect in the coming years as these studios actually land on a more concrete concept to work with.