Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Shacknews goes to CES every year and it feels like one of the usual spots to hit is Stern Pinball. Much of the staff is comprised of writers of an older age set, so pinball has a certain place in our hearts and it's always nice to see what new tables Stern has lined up. For this year, it turned out that Stern had more than merely a new table on display. The team had a table that would move the whole idea of pinball forward. All it needed was some Dungeons & Dragons magic. Shacknews recently got to try out Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye and witness the myriad of ways that it will keep D&D fans coming back for more.
Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye marks the first major collaboration between Stern Pinball and the Hasbro-owned Wizards of the Coast. It celebrates D&D's 50th anniversary in grand fashion by touching upon many of the franchise's hallmark ideas, all presented via an original storyline. The Tyrant's Eye throws players into the experience right away. Before even shooting off the first ball, players are asked to select a character, each representing a classic D&D class. In addition to boasting unique stats, these characters can be leveled up over the course of multiple sessions, giving players a sense of progression that one wouldn't expect to find from a standard pinball table.
The story takes players into the Forgotten Realms where they must defeat the dragon queen Tiamat before she can rise again. Players are caught in the middle of the War of Dragons between Xanathar, Balinor, and Sammaster, which will lead to numerous quests that can be accessed through various playfield shots. These quests unfold in classic D&D fashion with narration provided by Dungeon Master Matthew Mercer of Critical Roll fame.
As players run through The Tyrant's Eye's quests, they'll encounter several classic D&D elements, many of which can be seen directly on the table. There's a gelatinous cube that can freeze a player's ball in its tracks, holding it for a potential multiball later. There's Fizmo's store, located along the left side of the table, which players can access to purchase various items. There's even a powerful dragon known as Rath the Relentless, voiced by iconic Star Trek: The Next Generation actor Michael Dorn. Rath's level of detail will vary depending on the version of the table on display with the rarer Limited Edition offering full animatronic movement. Players can fight Rath by launching pinballs his way or they can protect themselves from his ire with a special shield button available along the bottom of the machine, between both flippers.
The Tyrant's Eye sounds like a blast, but it also represents a major advancement for Stern Pinball's flagship member program. Stern Insider, to the point, has mainly been used as a social feature. It's a free membership where players can scan a QR code on newer model machines to save their high scores to their unique profile. Players could then share those scores with friends and like-minded pinball geeks. The Tyrant's Eye will push the idea of this program further with a new feature that allows players to save their progress. Character levels, quest progression, and various unlockables are among the things that can be saved when scanning the machine's QR code with a Stern Insider membership. Stern has high hopes that The Tyrant's Eye can be a lasting experience, even going so far as to tout the addition of new items and quests on a weekly basis.
Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye is set to begin appearing at various pinball hot spots starting this week. Small business owners or larger scale amusement outlets can pick up the standard Pro Edition for $6,999 USD. The bigger Premium Edition that features more articulated and animated components will sell for $9,699 USD. Finally, 760 Limited Edition units will be available and feature a unique Speaker Expression Lighting System with D&D-themed effects, upgraded effects and components, unique artwork, and a special Certificate of Authenticity. The Limited Edition will sell for a whopping $12,999 USD. Locations can be found on the Stern Pinball website. Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye represents more than a celebration of the D&D franchise. It's a sign that Stern Pinball is rapidly growing and adapting to a newer digital age, one where friends can come together and experience pinball in new ways.
This preview is based on a preview session with the Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye Limited and Premium Editions at CES 2025.