The Wheel Of Time's Official 2027 Return Is A Fresh Start For The Series

Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time has proven to be a beast when it comes to live-action adaptations, and even Amazon's massive budget didn't manage to capture what made the original novels so unique. Partially, this is due to the grand scale of the original series, with an epic adventure told across 15 huge novels. Each book serves to immerse readers into the universe and keep them invested in the various characters in a way that didn't quite work in the now-cancelled television series.

While it's unclear if The Wheel of Time franchise will ever make its return to screen in a proper live-action adaptation, there is hope for the currently in-development animated series from iwot and Arcane creator Thomas Vu, though this project is still in very early stages at this point. Aside from this, The Wheel of Time's official return arrives in June 2027 and is coming in an unexpected avenue, with the upcoming release of War of the Dragon (via Kickstarter).

The Wheel Of Time Is Returning

War of the Dragon is an officially licensed board game for The Wheel of Time that will take the franchise back to its roots, focused entirely on retelling the climactic end of the novel series from Robert Jordan. The game will not be connected in any way to the Amazon adaptation, which will come as a breath of fresh air to longtime Jordan readers and anyone who wasn't impressed with the TV adaptation.

The project is currently fully funded on Kickstarter and far exceeded its original $50,000 goal, ultimately raising more than $1.16 million from 6,156 backers before the campaign closed on June 23. Those who missed the initial campaign aren't completely out of luck, either, as War of the Dragon is still available for a limited time as a late pledge through BackerKit.

Dire Wolf currently expects production to leave the factory before the end of 2026, with US backers receiving their copies during the first half of 2027 and international fulfillment following over the subsequent months. A wider retail release is also planned for 2027, specifically for the standard Dragon Reborn Edition, including new localized editions distributed internationally over time.

The upgraded One Power Edition and accessories such as the token pack, playmat, and card sleeves will also remain available directly through Dire Wolf after the campaign, while certain promo cards and other crowdfunding bonuses are campaign exclusives.

This Is More For Fans Of The Books

Gameplay in War of the Dragon is designed to make the connection to Jordan's novels more tangible, beginning around the events of The Shadow Rising before building toward Tarmon Gai’don itself. Players take opposing sides as the Light and Shadow, fighting for control of the Westlands while recruiting familiar characters and completing missions inspired by events throughout the books.

Its map-based area-control system reflects Rand's struggle to unite the nations ahead of the Last Battle, while Forsaken including Sammael can establish themselves in recognizable locations such as Illian and force the Light to confront them. The game's Epic Mode sounds particularly appealing for readers hoping to recreate the sheer scale of the novels, with Rand progressing from shepherd to Dragon Reborn.

The Forsaken emerge from the Dark One’s prison, armies spread across the Westlands, and the campaign ultimately concludes with the Last Battle. Along the way, players build a "Pattern" of allies whose abilities encompass areas like combat, intrigue, and the One Power, officially incorporating Jordan's enormous cast into the strategy-building experience.

Dire Wolf has described its goal as essentially creating "The Wheel of Time in a box," with characters and story material drawn from all 14 main novels. It's a refreshing return to the original The Wheel of Time story that longtime readers absolutely will not be able to skip.