Hasbro has committed over $1 billion to video game development, aiming to expand its digital footprint by leveraging both established franchises and new intellectual properties. Central to this investment is the development of a Dungeons & Dragons game that is anticipated to echo the success of Baldur’s Gate 3.
Dan Ayoub, the head of digital production at Wizards of the Coast, recently discussed the company’s gaming strategy with GamesIndustry.biz. Currently, Hasbro operates four video game studios: Atomic Arcade, Invoke Studios, Archetype, and Skeleton Key, each working on various projects. Invoke Studios is particularly focused on developing a Dungeons & Dragons game, hinted to follow in the footsteps of Baldur’s Gate 3.
The interest in a successor to Baldur’s Gate 3, developed by Larian Studios, has grown, especially after Larian confirmed it would not continue the series. Ayoub suggested that the new D&D game would aim to meet fan expectations by delivering a similarly engaging experience: “One of the great things we took from the success of Baldur’s Gate 3 is that people really, really like a great, well-executed D&D game, so we’ve got something like that.”
In addition to revisiting cherished worlds, Hasbro is also initiating new projects. Archetype, led by James Ohlen, who previously worked on Knights of the Old Republic, is developing a new franchise named Exodus.
Ayoub detailed the breadth of Hasbro’s investment: “Over $1 billion is in video game development right now. And that is just these studios. That’s to say nothing of the other game investments that are happening. We’ve put considerable resources into building these studios around strong leaders and focusing on long-term development.”
This expansion comes after Wizards of the Coast canceled five video games in Summer 2023 and reduced the number of its video game studios from six to five.