Final Thursday, Hasbro had an investor’s name to debate the third quarter, and whereas Hasbro itself could be going via a tough time, with lower-than-expected earnings, Wizards of the Coast was as soon as once more the excessive earner for the corporate—bolstered by two large releases.
Hasbro president Chris Cocks stated that the huge reputation of the Lord of the Rings set from Magic: The Gathering and the meteoric Baldur’s Gate 3 contributed to the 40% improve in earnings over 2022. In line with Dicebreaker, final yr WotC earned $303.5 million, and 2023 noticed that bounce to $423.6 million.
There are two major takeaways from this name. First, Universes Past and crossover card units aren’t going anyplace. Collectability goes to stay a precedence, and with Fallout on the horizon and Marvel coming in 2024, the Fortnite-ification of Magic appears limitless.
The second is that WotC is extra dedicated than ever to turning Dungeons & Dragons into a way of life model quite than a centered TTRPG firm. This yr’s movie, the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons Adventure streaming channel, and now Cocks’ express give attention to the growth of the model right into a extra “digitally-driven multimedia franchise” implies that sport design will very doubtless proceed to be much less of a precedence for Hasbro. Which is a disgrace, particularly as we’re on the verge of the next major iteration of the TTRPG subsequent yr.
Need extra io9 information? Take a look at when to count on the newest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and TV, and all the things it is advisable find out about the way forward for Doctor Who.
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