A new report has surfaced that makes it look like Hasbro is interested in shedding the Dungeons & Dragons IP, and one buyer that is reportedly lined up is Chinese juggernaut Tencent.
The report, via Comicbook.com, says that Tencent is "seeking to purchase" the Dungeons & Dragons brand from Hasbro, who owns D&D's maker Wizards of the Coast. However, per the Comicbook.com report, the exact nature of what Tencent is looking to buy is unclear.
One very interesting tidbit of the report is how this got on Tencent's radar initially, as Hasbro reportedly approached Larian Studios, the Belgian developer who released last year's Game of the Year Baldur's Gate 3 to purchase the IP. Larian, while BG3 was, by all accounts, a runaway success, apparently didn't have the funds to do so but directed Hasbro to Tencent, which is an investor in the studio.
Tencent has its arms in pretty much every sector of the gaming industry, as they virtually own League of Legends developer Riot Studios, they own stakes in Epic Games, Path of Exile studio Grinding Gear Games, and more.
One thing isn't entirely clear from the reports, however, and that is exactly what Tencent appears to be pursuing. According to Chinese media site Speed Daily (via a translation from Pan Daily), where the report originates from, it isn't exactly sure if Tencent is eyeing the rights to the IP as a whole, or if it's simply looking for an overall exclusive right to develop and publish video games based on Dungeons & Dragons.
The report, which cites Snow Leopard Financial, states that Hasbro is looking to sell the rights for the iconic tabletop RPG, and that a "person from Tencent's IEG (interactive entertainment business group)" spoke to Snow Leopard Financial and that the company "will conduct negotiations with the intention of acquiring a series of rights." Namely, the video game adaptation rights for Dungeons & Dragons.
Neither Tencent nor Hasbro have commented publicly on this, but the report does seem legit. Given Hasbro's recent financial woes, which saw the company lay off workers at the end of 2023 (namely many from Wizards of the Coast, one of the few divisions actually making money for the company), it's not a shock to learn it might be trying to divest from some of its properties.
If the rights get sold, specifically video game adaptation rights, it brings into question how this might affect the various D&D-based games already in operation, including MMOs like Neverwinter or Dungeons & Dragons Online. However, this is a bridge that will be crossed if the acquisition proves to actually take place.
