Wizards of the Coast is opening a new videogame studio to work on "new and ongoing projects for Dungeons and Dragons and digital games". Parent company Hasbro announced the debut of the (slightly confusingly named) Wizards of the Coast Inc. on September 30. This is the fifth internal videogame studio Hasbro has opened in recent years, and it's the fourth game studio in general to have announced work on a DnD game.
Digital games are clearly a major part of Hasbro's strategy going forward. In early 2024, exec Dan Ayoub told GamesIndustry that the toy company had invested over $1 billion into videogame development. Ayoub recently became head of the Dungeons and Dragons franchise, and he'll also be leading the newly-founded Wizards of the Coast Inc. Ayoub, a former executive producer for Halo's 343 Industries and Wizards of the Coast's former VP of digital games, has a long history in this industry.
While Hasbro now has a reputation for starting digital D&D projects, it hasn't quite gotten the hang of seeing them to success. D&D's biggest internal attempt at a digital title was Project Sigil, a glamorous Unreal Engine VTT whose turbulent development meant its designers were laid off - and its final version was never fully realized.
Wizards of the Coast Inc. will open in Montréal, a stone's throw away from Hasbro's existing Invoke Studios. Opening day is expected sometime in summer 2026. "With 200 new jobs expected over the next three years, this investment strengthens our commitment to the city's thriving gaming ecosystem", Wizards of the Coast says in a LinkedIn post.
After the roaring success of Baldur's Gate 3, this headfirst charge into more digital D&D titles shouldn't surprise anyone. Wizards of the Coast has confirmed that Baldur's Gate 4 is on the table, but all we know is that Larian won't be the one developing it.
What we do know is that three games for the franchise are already in development. Two of these are produced externally: a VR Demeo crossover and a cozy life sim from the developers of Disney Dreamlight Valley. Hasbro has also previously stated that its own Skull Games studio is working on a single-player action adventure game set in the world of D&D, but details have been sparse since this announcement.
How do you feel about the horde of D&D videogames on the horizon? Tell us your thoughts in the Wargamer Discord. Or, for more on the tabletop game, here's all you need to know about DnD classes and DnD races.