Wizards of the Coast Hasbro has bad news to give fans of Magic The Gathering, the company has canceled five unannounced video games, according to Bloomberg.
The company that is also well known for Board games based on Dungeons & Dragonsno longer has these projects by reducing its ambitions in the sector.
Still, Wizards of the Coast continues.”committed to the use of digital games“A company spokesperson told Bloomberg, adding something else to this matter.
Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance – New gameplay and impressions
“The company has made some changes to our long-term portfolio to focus on games that are strategically aligned with the development of our existing brands.
That along with those that show promise in expanding or engaging our audience in new ways.“.
Although all this has left some somewhat more bittersweet sensations, fewer than 15 people at Wizards of the Coast will lose their jobs for the change.
But the same spokesman has confirmed that they will be given the opportunity to apply for new positions within the company so that they can keep their jobs in other areas.
Wizards of the Coast and the changes
Mind you, the shakeup is going to be tough on a number of independent studios, including Boston-based Otherside Entertainment and Bellevue, Washington-based Hidden Path Entertainment; both were working on games for Wizards of the Coast.
Do not forget that the company also publish the popular card game Magic: The Gatheringbut he had been investing for a few years to make the leap to video games.
He had already signed contracts with quite a few creators and built at least 6 of his own studios in cities like Austin, Texas and Montreal; So far, the results have been mixed.
On the one hand there is Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance with a poor reception, but one of the most anticipated video games of this year is Baldur’s Gate 3 with a Dungeons and Dragons theme.
Created by the Belgian developer Larian Studiosarrives this 2023 after a few years in Early Access and the first versions have been well received by the players.
WotC’s growth has paralleled that of Hasbro, whose shares fell 40% due to increased toy prices, poor sales and the pandemic.
The company also canceled a internal project codenamed Jabberwocky and other external games that were barely in development.
Wizards of the Coast has canceled five unannounced gamesbut for now we will see how it affects the rest and its future in this industry.
