Wizards of the Coast Explores New Frontiers for Dungeons & Dragons

A year after the release of Baldur's Gate 3, Hasbro and its subsidiary Wizards of the Coast are doubling down on video games, with a focus on exploring new genres for their vast IP portfolio. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz at Gamescom, Eugene Evans, Senior Vice President of Digital Licensing, discussed the company's plans to expand beyond RPGs for Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. While Larian Studios' blockbuster RPG has been a huge success, Evans emphasized that the company is looking beyond AAA games to express these IPs. "We have AAA games in development, and we've announced partnerships with Starbreeze and Gameloft to build D&D games," he said. "But we believe there are many ways to express D&D and Magic beyond RPGs, and we're just starting to explore digital expressions of Magic." Evans cited Magic: The Gathering Arena as an example, as well as collaborations with established games. The company has already released brand collaborations with popular titles, such as cosmetics and armor in Destiny 2 and the iconic villain Vecna in Dead By Daylight. Evans hinted at more surprises in the coming weeks. Hasbro currently has 80 live games and active contracts in the market, with 40 games or collaborations in development with partners, set to release over the next two to three years. This aggressive push into gaming is in line with CEO Chris Cocks' statement that Hasbro is "going all in on becoming a digital play company." Evans noted that future releases will span mobile games like Monopoly Go, which has grossed over $3 billion, to larger PC and console titles, covering a wide range of Hasbro-owned IPs, including D&D, Magic: The Gathering, Transformers, and more. "If you played a game as a kid, there's a 50/50 chance we own it," Evans joked. The success of Baldur's Gate 3 and Monopoly Go has led to a surge in developer pitches and meeting requests, with Evans believing that studios are seeking to mitigate risk by partnering with established IPs. "In these turbulent times for the games business, people are looking for ways to reduce risk, and bringing an established IP into the market is a very effective way to do that," he said.