It’s safe to say the recent announcement of a The Wheel of Time video game caught fans off guard — and stirred up more than a little skepticism across the internet.
First reported by Variety, the news revealed plans for an upcoming “AAA open-world role-playing game” based on Robert Jordan’s acclaimed 14-book fantasy series. The title is set for release on PC and consoles, with development expected to span approximately three years.
The project is being developed at iwot Studios’ newly established Montreal-based studio, led by former Warner Bros. Games executive Craig Alexander. With experience overseeing major franchises such as The Lord of the Rings Online, Dungeons & Dragons Online, and Asheron's Call during his time at Turbine (now WB Games Boston), Alexander brings a wealth of knowledge in MMORPG development. On paper, this should excite fans — but it’s the name iwot Studios that has sparked concern.
iwot acquired the rights to The Wheel of Time back in 2004 under its former name, Red Eagle Entertainment. Since then, the company has faced criticism from segments of the fan community, many of whom accuse the studio of mishandling the IP over the years. Multiple failed or abandoned projects have only fueled this perception. A decade-old Reddit thread still circulates online, echoing long-standing frustrations and distrust toward the developer.
Adding fuel to the fire is the ambitious timeline — a new studio aiming to deliver a triple-A RPG within just three years has raised eyebrows. Many fans are adopting a cautious stance: “We’ll believe it when we see it.”
Meanwhile, *The Wheel of Time* has enjoyed renewed popularity thanks to Amazon Prime Video’s television adaptation, which recently concluded Season 3 (with Season 4 yet to be officially announced). While early seasons drew backlash from book fans due to narrative deviations, Season 3 was widely praised for improving pacing and staying truer to the source material, helping win back some of the core audience.With all this context in mind, I reached out to iwot Studios directly. In a video call interview, I spoke with Rick Selvage, CEO of iwot Studios, and Craig Alexander, Studio Head leading the game’s development, to gain deeper insight into the current state of the project, its vision, and how the team plans to address the concerns of the fanbase head-on.
