Baldur’s Gate 3 has not only been a huge success for Larian Studios, the licensing deal that allowed for the use of mechanics, lore, and materials from Dungeons & Dragons has also netted IP owner Hasbro a nice payout.
According to a report from Bloomberg, and an earnings call transcript with Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks, the licensing deal has been worth about $90 million so far.
Revenue from Baldur’s Gate 3 is not done yet, though Cocks expects this to begin trailing off as more time passes since release. This is especially true since we’re not talking about a live service game or one with DLC on the horizon. “Baldur's Gate III from our partners of Larian continues to win awards around the world and is one of the highest rated video games of all time. We expect a long tail into 2024 and beyond for this mega hit,” he says in the call transcript.
The deal has been particularly fruitful, and Hasbro is pushing ahead with more Dungeons & Dragons licenses and updates from its subsidiary Wizards of the Coast. “We'll launch the biggest update to fifth edition since its introduction in 2014,” Cocks mentioned, “reinventing everything from the artwork of our iconic monsters, to new classes, to new mechanics, to bold new ways to bring to life the world of D&D digitally”.
One new Dungeons & Dragons digital project recently announced is the IP’s first VR title. While this is not anywhere on the short-term slate, it does show just one of the ways they are looking towards the future and finding new ways to keep the classic franchise alive and fresh. The massive hit of an acclaimed RPG release last summer helped both the bottom line and showed one solid way to do it.
