Announced yesterday in a Press Release, Hasbro and Wizards Of The Coast are acquiring D&D Beyond.
This news is surprising, just because no one saw this acquisition coming at all. But for Hasbro, and specifically Wizards, this is a perfect pickup. Fandom’s CEO, Perkins Miller pointed out in a statement that:
This is the perfect next step for the talented D&D Beyond team, who built a transformative digital product that engaged and delighted millions of D&D fans around the world. We can’t wait to see what this team will do next as an integral part of the D&D franchise, and I look forward to investing in more brands and products to super serve Fandom’s 300 million+ global fans.
The Future Of D&D
With 5.5e/6e launching in 2024, the service could become the definitive digital toolkit for the game. And that looks to be a really awesome use of the service from Hasbro/Wizards’ side. The president of both Wizards and Digital Gaming, Cynthia Williams, did mention that:
“D&D Beyond has been one of our most valuable partners in the digital space for the past six years and we’re excited to bring their best-in-class talent onto our team. The team at D&D Beyond has built an incredible digital platform, and together we will deliver the best-possible DUNGEONS & DRAGONS experience for players around the world.
What This Means For D&D Beyond
Hasbro’s CEO Chris Cocks did mention that:
The acquisition of D&D Beyond will accelerate our progress in both gaming and direct to consumer, two priority areas of growth for Hasbro, providing immediate access to a loyal, growing player base. “Hasbro’s gaming portfolio is among the largest and most profitable in the industry, and we continue to make strategic investments to grow our brands, including in digital.
Now this will not be going to effect until sometime in either Q2 or Q3 of this year. So we will have to wait and see how Wizards and Hasbro will use the service with the game going forward.
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