WotC Hasbro Has Invested $1B In Video Games, Including A New D&D Game

Wizards of the Coast's head of digital production, Dan Ayoub, spoke to GamesIndustry.biz about Hasbro's future video game plans, with over a billion dollars currently invested in internally developed games.

With Baldur's Gate 3 doing so well, and developer Larion confirming that it would not be working on a sequel, the future of that franchise is still in question, with Hasbro currently looking for partners for the project. Ayoub commented that "something like" BG3 was in the works.

"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."

-Dan Ayoub​

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Hasbro's four video game studios are Atomic Arcade, Invoke Studios, Archetype, and Skeleton Key. While those studios are working with various Hasbro properties, such as GI Joe, Invoke is currently working on a Dungeons & Dragons game. Of course, the company also seeks to create new IP via video games, and Archetype's James Ohlen (Knights of the Old Republic) is involved with a new franchise called Exodus.

""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. Definitely I've seen the company put its actions around its words in terms of building these studios around strong leaders, thinking about the long game as well. We've got a portfolio that goes much, much larger than anything we're talking about right now."

In Summer 2023, WotC cancelled 5 video games. At the time it owned 6 video game studios, according to then-president Cynthia Williams.

 

[Parmandur]

Some of it could turn out OK. Got to invest to make anything worthwhile.

 

[Hathorym]

"Let's make it like BG3 but with microtransactions!"

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

"In half the time, with half as many developers!"

 

[Parmandur]

"In half the time, with half as many developers!"

Actually, here they seem to have been giving the developers ample resources and time to cook: Exodus has been in work for over 5 years now, and WotC coaxed James Ohlen out of returement specifically because they would let him get the staff he wanted to do the work. We'll see how it turns out.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

Atomic Arcade - brand new, no games published
Invoke Studios - Made Dark Alliance which was bad
Archetype - brand new, no games published
Skeleton Key - brand new, no games published

Good to see WOTC went with studios with a proven track record? /s

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Gamma World could be rebooted as a new videogame franchise. Why not? Mutant Year Zero is a TTRPG adapted into a videogame.

My advice is to avoid online multiplayerm, but as collabs with other titles, for example Fortnite. And the different titles should offer different gameplay styles..

I have said in the past some times Dark Sun is perfect for a survival style Conan Exiles, and Birthright for economic strategy and city-building simulation. And the Radiant Citadel a shop-keeper simulation style "Titan Shop".

How would be a videogame of LEGO: Dragonlance? Here you can start from zero, avoiding troubles about coherence with the continuity but freedom to reuse and change elements from the past.

Could Capcom be licenced for a sequel of "Tower of Doom" and "Shadow over Mystara"?

How would be a Greyhawk CRPG but with a retro style?

 

[Meech17]

Atomic Arcade - brand new, no games published
Invoke Studios - Made Dark Alliance which was bad
Archetype - brand new, no games published
Skeleton Key - brand new, no games published

Good to see WOTC went with studios with a proven track record? /s

This doesn't worry me all that much. So many of the best games were made by indie devs who'd never made a game before.

I doubt these are all indie groups too. Invoke is apparently made up of Ubisoft Alumni. I haven't looked into the others. Hopefully they were picked because they had strong pitches for games, and WOTC is giving them a shot.

 

[wicked cool]

Good for them. The rpg area has been lacking for years.

 

[Parmandur]

This doesn't worry me all that much. So many of the best games were made by indie devs who'd never made a game before.

I doubt these are all indie groups too. Invoke is apparently made up of Ubisoft Alumni. I haven't looked into the others. Hopefully they were picked because they had strong pitches for games, and WOTC is giving them a shot.

Archetype is headed up by the guy who made BG 1 & 2, Knights of the Old Republic, and rhe Mass Effect games.