New Report Is Bad News for Future Dungeons & Dragons Video Games
A few years ago, Wizards of the Coast owner Hasbro was going all-in on licensed video games. This brought us hits like Baldur’s Gate 3 and the promise of more to come. But like many companies, Hasbro’s plans in 2026 look quite different. The company’s recent fiscal report confirms it has cancelled several games originally slated for release in 2028 and beyond. Hasbro wants to focus on shoring up its most reliable franchises, but that may not actually be good news for Dungeons & Dragons.
Hasbro’s latest financial report includes a $56 million loss due to cancellations of “select digital games projects in 2028 and beyond.” This likely includes Giant Skull’s D&D video game, which was scrapped earlier this year. But from the sounds of it, other Hasbro games have been cut, as well. Hasbro CEO claims the company will focus on investing in Hasbro’s core properties, including TCGs and RPGs. That might initially sound like good news for future D&D games. However, Hasbro is specifically focused on the success of Baldur’s Gate 3, not D&D video games as a whole. And therein lies the problem.
Hasbro Risks Overinvesting in Trying to Recreate Baldur’s Gate 3, At the Expense of Something New
Of course the success of Baldur’s Gate 3 has put dollar signs in the eyes of Hasbro’s execs. Baldur’s Gate 3 was a massive commercial and critical success, one that many fans are still engaged in even years later. Recapturing that kind of momentum would be a massive landfall. But it’s not that easy, particularly when Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian has reportedly parted ways with Wizards of the Coast. In a recent investment call regarding the Q2 2026 report, Hasbro’s CEO shared plans to double down on Baldur’s Gate 3, but it’s unclear how that plays into the future of D&D video games.
We already have some idea of what Hasbro wants to do with Baldur’s Gate 3. The game itself may have wrapped development, but the tie-in merch is just beginning. The company recently revealed a slate of new books centered on Baldur’s Gate 3, including an Astarion prequel by fantasy author T. Kingfisher, cookbooks, journals, and more. In the absence of any updates on Baldur’s Gate 4, it seems the company is looking for ways to engage BG3 fans outside of gaming itself. I am all in for Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion, but this strategy won’t exactly bring us new video games set in the world of D&D.
Warlock Could Mark the End of an Era for D&D Video Games
In fact, I fear it may do the opposite. We’ve already seen Hasbro back out of its deal with Giant Skull, ending production on what sounded like a promising new D&D video game. In the recent investment call, Hasbro’s CEO confirmed that its Warlock game with Invoke Studios is still in the works and “planned for 2027.” So from the sounds of it, that project is still moving forward. But we’ve seen very little of what it has to offer, aside from the initial cinematic trailer unveiled during the 2025 Game Awards.
Of course, that promised second look for Warlock “this summer” could arise at the upcoming Gamescom Opening Night Live. If it does, I really hope it looks every bit as promising as its initial trailer, offering a fresh single-player RPG experience that’s not trying to recreate BG3. But even if it does, it could still mark the end of an era for D&D video games. Hasbro’s recent comments suggest Warlock will be the final chapter before they move on to “the next generation of games,” including a “more efficient” model.
This, along with the explicit focus on Baldur’s Gate 3, could come at the cost of other exciting new ventures in the world of Dungeons & Dragons video games. Following Warlock, the most logical next move under this strategic shift would be moving forward on Baldur’s Gate 4. But Larian’s got pretty big shoes to fill, and their award-winning RPG will not be easy to follow.
Tying to recreate BG3 may not be the right way to capitalize on the momentum. D&D video games have always varied quite a bit from one another, and that has been part of the appeal. A thin clone of BG3 made by another developer isn’t likely to land well with fans. Doing something different with the D&D IP could be a better move, as I said when Warlock was first announced. But this new info leaves me very worried that’s exactly what Hasbro doesn’t want to do.
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