Wizards of the Coast denies rumours of Dungeons and Dragons sale to Tencent

Update: Wizards of the Coast has since provided the following statement to Gamereactor in relation to selling its D&D IP.

"We regularly talk to Tencent and enjoy multiple partnerships with them across a number of our IPs. We don't make a habit of commenting on internet rumors, but to be clear: we are not looking to sell our D&D IP. We will keep talking to partners about how we bring the best digital experiences to our fans. We won't comment any further on speculation or rumors about potential M&A or licensing deals."

Original:

Tencent considers acquiring Dungeons & Dragons licence following Baldur's Gate 3's success

Baldur's Gate 3 was the big sensation of the past 2023, a year that in itself can be considered one of the best in the industry's history. Larian's powerful RPG opened the doors of the Dungeons & Dragons universe to a whole new audience, and it's very possible that they could work on it again in the future.

We already know that Hasbro, the current owners of the Dungeons & Dragons brand, are not at their best. There were big layoffs in 2022, and D&D is one of their two profitable brands (the other is Monopoly). But now they are considering selling it to Chinese giant Tencent.

According to Pandaily (thank you, VGC), Tencent is considering acquiring Dungeons & Dragons in its entirety. Hasbro had initially hoped to sell it to Larian Studios, but the studio was cash-strapped, so they sought out one of its majority shareholders (Tencent owns 30% of Larian) and are reportedly in talks to make the deal happen.

If the purchase is formalised, Larian would have secure access to continue expanding Baldur's Gate with new releases, so we'll be keeping a close eye on any moves made in this regard.