Hasbro Sees Bright Future for Dungeons & Dragons
Hasbro sees its Dungeons & Dragons franchise as playing a major role in the company's continued growth. Earlier today, Hasbro released its first quarter earnings report, which included news that its Wizards of the Coast division made over $230 million over the past three months. While operating profits are down due to increased costs related to digital gaming, Wizards is still seen as one of the major bright spots for Hasbro. One of Wizards' two major franchises is Dungeons & Dragons, which is set to expand from a primarily gaming franchise to a full-blown entertainment franchise with the release of a live-action movie in 2023 and several TV shows also in development.
Speaking to investors and analysts earlier today, Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks specifically cited Dungeons & Dragons as being a big part of Hasbro's plans in the near future. "We see a bright future for Dungeons & Dragons," Cocks said. "And we only see these opportunities growing over time as we invest in an end-to-end brand blueprint for Dungeons & Dragons, including blockbuster films and streaming TV, AAA video games and a major consumer products push and significant marketing tie-ins." Cocks also noted the recent purchase of D&D Beyond, a digital toolset with over 10 million users, as helping to expand the reach of Dungeons & Dragons in the future.
Some of those opportunities will be revealed for the first time later this week at the first-ever D&D Direct, a 30-minute video presentation that will unveil new Dungeons & Dragons products, including tabletop games, TV show and movie products, and video games. The D&D Direct will take place on April 21st at 12 PM ET.
Dungeons & Dragons and its sister franchise Magic: The Gathering are at the heart of an escalating battle between Hasbro and minority owner Alta Fox Capital Management. While Alta Fox wants to split off Wizards of the Coast from Hasbro, thus creating a second business with separate stock shares, Hasbro has been adamant about keeping its profitable subsidiary inside the company.
Expect to hear more news about the future of Dungeons & Dragons in the coming days.