Drecom Clarifies: Atari Does Not Own Full Rights to the Wizardry Game IP

Drecom, the Japanese game developer and publisher, has issued an official statement to clarify misinformation regarding the ownership of the Wizardry game intellectual property (IP). The company confirmed that Atari does not own the full rights to the franchise and has no plans to sell the IP in the future.

What Rights Does Atari Hold?

According to Drecom, Atari only owns the intellectual property rights to the first five titles in the Wizardry RPG series. These include:

• 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)

Atari acquired these rights, along with other related intellectual property, from the original rights holder. However, Drecom emphasized that it retains ownership of the global Wizardry trademark and the rights to the franchise as a whole.

Drecom Retains Control Over Later Titles

The Wizardry series consists of eight mainline titles and multiple spin-offs. Recent entries, developed by Japanese studios, include:

• Wizardry Variants Daphne (2024) – Released for mobile devices
• Wizlite: Everybody Loved RPGs (2024) – Released for PC

While Atari holds rights to the first five classic games, Drecom continues to manage the broader franchise, including newer titles and spin-offs.

Addressing the Misconception

The clarification comes after some news outlets mistakenly reported that Atari had acquired the rights to the entire Wizardry series. Drecom’s statement aims to correct this misunderstanding, ensuring clarity on IP ownership.

"Drecom still owns and manages the Wizardry trademark worldwide," the company stated. "Atari only owns the rights to the first five games in the series."