Hasbro has scaled back their video game plans for 2023 as they have cancelled six video game projects related to Wizards of the Coast. Thankfully, Baldur’s Gate 3, which was recently unveiled in the latest The Game Awards, is not one of those projects.
In a statement to the press, Wizards of the Coast said that they are still “committed to using digital games” and that they have “made some changes to our long-term portfolio to focus on games which are strategically aligned with developing our existing brands and those which show promise in expanding or engaging our audience in new ways.”
The series of events that led to Hasbro acquiring Wizards of the Coast is a bit complicated, but unsurprising. Wizards of the Coast was founded in 1990, and first made its name with collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. In 1997, it acquired TSR (Tactical Studies Rules), which was teetering on bankruptcy. Thanks to TSR, it had acquired Dungeons & Dragons, itself one of the most influential tabletop games of all time, and inspiration for Magic: The Gathering. Two years later, Hasbro bought Wizards of the Coast itself, taking Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons along with it.
Today, as a result of these changes, Wizards of the Coast will also lay off at most fifteen employees, though they will have a chance to apply for other positions in the company.
All six cancelled games were unannounced. Unfortunately, Hasbro’s partner game studios who were going to make these games are no longer going to be able to finish those projects, and the public won’t even know about them.
Baldur’s Gate 3 had already been in early access since 2020 when it was officially unveiled by Larian Studios in the most recent The Game Awards. We already know the game features online four player multiplayer, and turn based modes for an authentic feel to the Dungeons and Dragons universe it was inspired by.
Of course, fans had been anticipating this sequel for much longer, as Baldur’s Gate 2 itself came out all the way back in 2000. When Beamdog produced the Baldur’s Gate 2 Enhanced Edition in 2013, they had expressed an interest in making Baldur’s Gate 3 themselves. Of course, we know now that never came to pass.
Baldur’s Gate 3 will be leaving Early Access on Steam on August 2023. It is available now on PC, across Windows and MacOS, and Larian has confirmed playability on the Steam Deck, but no consoles have been announced at this time.
