Larian Studios head Swen Vincke has shared some sad news in relation to Baldur’s Gate 3, but it isn’t really about Larian themselves.
As reported by PC Gamer, Swen shared this message in the middle of a thread where he was sharing what would have been his acceptance speech for Baldur’s Gate 3 winning GOTY at The Game Awards 2023.
Here is what Swen said:
“I also want to thank Wizards of the Coast (sic) and specifically the DnD team for giving us carte blanche. I’m really sorry to hear so many of you were let go. It’s a sad thing to realize that of the people who were in the original meeting room, there’s almost nobody left. I hope you all end up well.”
Dungeons and Dragons is owned by Wizards of the Coast, and since 1999, Wizards has been owned by toy and game megaconglomerate Hasbro.
Hasbro recently announced layoffs of 1,100 employees, following faltering profits in their main business. Much like the video game business, the toy and game business saw record profits in the peak lockdown period of the pandemic. A year after most countries and regions have ended their pandemic quarantine and movement regulations, those businesses also felt the businesses swing the other way.
Some companies, like Larian, got lucky. Like many other developers, they were able to extend development of their games to release them in 2023, providing the industry with a second wind to keep money flowing. Not all companies were as lucky as Larian, as the harsh economic and business conditions behind the scenes forced some game companies to fire employees, or even go out of business.
Hasbro experienced some of the same. While their core toy businesses, for children and kidults alike, saw a steep drop in profits, they were still being propped up somewhat by their game business, including Wizards of the Coast’s properties Dungeons and Dragons, which is what Baldur’s Gate 3 is based on, and Magic the Gathering. So it feels strange and wrong to learn that Hasbro gutted Wizards of the Coast of their veteran talent.
Just so we’re clear, Hasbro credited Baldur’s Gate 3 with 40 % of their digital game revenue, but that wasn’t enough to save their employees. In fact, earlier this year, Hasbro sold Peppa Pig, which they were not just licensing but actually owned, to the tune of $ 500 million.
There’s a lot of speculation on what the management is thinking in regards to these layoffs, but here, we simply want to focus on the 1,100 employees and their families, who have to deal with a sudden loss of employment over the holidays. Like Swen Vincke, we wish them well and hope they can find placement soon.
