In February 2023, Wizards of the Coast closed an internal game development studio, and with it cancelled multiple unannounced titles, one of them being Whimpact!, a “Pokemon meets Fall Guys” online multiplayer game. Rather than let it die, Leah Hoyer, who was at the time VP of creative for WotC, opened her own studio called Level Headed Games, acquired the rights to Whimpact!, and continued development–and it’s set to release in early access soon.
Whimpact! drops players into the world of Whims, cute little creatures that pass along magical powers to those who collect and care for them. The more they’re cared for, the stronger those powers will be. Up to eight players will be able to join together in co-op arena-style gameplay as they collect Whims, gather mystical energy called Starcane, and navigate obstacles while fighting hordes of robotic invaders trying to steal the energy for themselves.
There are seven different types of Whims to collect, each with six different color variants. The power each Whim gives the player will depend on its color, with powers including increased speed, increased strength, high jumping ability, longer jumping ability, and more. Players will be able to mix and match powers, including swapping Whims on the fly, during a match as well.
