Hasbro has confirmed that the company is currently working on several new video games, including a newDungeons & Dragons-themed video game and a game based on the Commander format ofMagic: The Gathering. Hasbro has seen some seismic shifts in its business in recent years. Wizards of the Coast has become the company’s primary revenue driver, while toys sales have stagnated somewhat. Hasbro also offloaded its eOne movie and television studio in late 2023 as part of a major reorganization and refocus of its company.
As part of this realignment, Hasbro is also shifting its focus towards video games. Speaking withBloombergNews,Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks confirmed that Hasbro was developing its ownDungeons & Dragonsvideo game.Additionally, Wizards is also working on a video game focused on the Commander format forMagic: The Gathering. According to the article, Hasbro is also looking for a way to add more digital collectability toMagic: The Gathering, similar toMarvel SnaporPokémon TCG Pocket.
Upcoming Dungeons & Dragons Video Games Explained
Hasbro Has Several Dungeons & Dragons Video Games In Development
Even before the success ofBaldur’s Gate 3, Hasbro was actively looking to build the video game side ofD&D.Hasbro has partnered with several third-party studios to develop newD&Dgames, including Gameloft and Starbreeze Studios. Gameloft’sD&Dvideo game is a"survival-life sim"set in the Forgotten Realms, while Starbreeze’s game is described as a “co-op urban crawl.” Hasbro is also seeking a partner forBaldur’s Gate 4, following developer Larian Studios' decision to focus on its own IPs for its next games.
D&D’s 2024 Take On Greyhawk Avoids The Biggest Forgotten Realms Mistake
The 2024 edition of D&D’s Dungeon Master’s Guide reintroduces the classic Greyhawk, avoiding a common pitfall of tabletop RPG settings.
Hasbro subsidiary Wizards of the Coast also canceledseveral additionalD&Dprojectsin 2023, including those in development by Otherside Entertainment and Hidden Path Entertainment. These canceled projects were part of a general realignment in Wizards' approach to video game development, with the company aiming to focus on games that were “strategically aligned” with developing existing brands. At the time,Hasbro stressed that it wasn’t pulling away from video game development.In the Bloomberg News article, Cocks mentioned that Hasbro planned to budget between $100 million and $150 million toward video games annually.
Our Take: Digital D&D Video Games Are Fine, But Shouldn’t Be The Focus
Dungeons & Dragons Video Games Should Promote The D&D Tabletop Game
Baldur’s Gate 3showed how much fun and successful aD&Dvideo game can be. However, Hasbro should remember that one of the primary reasons thatBaldur’s Gate 3was picked up by so many players was because it successfully captured the feeling of playingD&Dat the tabletop.
While there are manyD&Dand characters,they all exist to facilitate tabletop play first and foremost.My concern is that Hasbro is trying to turnD&Dinto a video game franchise first and foremost, which would be a major mistake. If anything, Hasbro should be pumping more money into the development of theDungeons & Dragonstabletop game and then using that as springboard for future video games.
