New Mexico-based Magpie Games recently secured a multi-year licensing agreement with ViacomCBS Consumer Products to produce a tabletop roleplaying game set in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Both of those animated series have enduring popularity, with a new live-action Avatar show currently in development at Netflix. According to ViacomCBS President of Consumer Products Pam Kaufman:
“We believe Magpie Games is the ideal partner to develop a roleplaying game based on Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Their commitment to supporting diverse content from diverse creators along with their exceptional game product made them the right choice to bring the world of Avatar to tabletop roleplaying games.”
Not many details are available on the game as of yet, which isn’t due out for another year. Character creation will use “playbooks,” a sort of template to help players construct their protagonists. And it sounds like you’ll be able to visit many of the iconic locations in the two series, including the different Kingdoms, the Spirit World, and Republic City.
The core book for the Avatar roleplaying game is due for release in February 2022. The Republic City supplement will come out in August 2022, followed by The Spirit World supplement in February 2023. You can subscribe to the Magpie Games newsletter at their website to follow the game’s development.
And look for a GeekDad review of the core book next year!
A TTRPG based in this universe is long overdue. Of course, back when Avatar was first taking off, we didn’t celebrate tabletop culture as loudly as we do now – and Nickelodeon seemed to have some issues with Korra… Glad we’re over that and we’re getting this next year.
Unfortunately it comes with complications. Magpie Games comes with baggage, as far as I’m concerned. They were defensive of a man in the industry who has been called out repeatedly for being an abuser and tarnished the reputation of a designer who dared to call the person out for being who he is. Eventually they walked back their support of the abuser, but they did little in the way of apologizing to the designer or repairing the damage done there. (The designer has recently left the industry. Magpie, I understand, was in consideration for carrying the well respected TTRPG the creator made, until things happened.) I just can’t be excited enough for this project because of that. Which is a shame.