The publisher is making changes to its long-term plans
Future digital plans seem to be shifting for Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast. Several video games in development have reportedly been shut down by Wizards of the Coast, as the company looks to make changes in its long-term plans.
A new report from Bloomberg claims at least five video games have been cancelled by Wizards of the Coast. A spokesperson told Bloomberg that Wizards is “committed” to digital games. But it has also made changes to its long-term portfolio to “focus on games which are strategically aligned with developing [Wizards’] existing brands”, or that show promise in expanding or engaging their audience in new ways.
There will be under 15 people losing their jobs due to the changes, though the Wizards spokesperson tells Bloomberg that they will eb given a chance to seek new roles within the company. Both Hidden Path Entertainment and OtherSide Entertainment are studios potentially affected by the development, according to IGN.
Forgotten realms
Wizards of the Coast has been in the digital realm for a while, but has been making a heavier push in over the last few years. Notably, the company turned to Divinity developer Larian to take up the Baldur’s Gate series and work on Baldur’s Gate 3. While currently in Early Access, the RPG is slated to go live with its 1.0 version later this year. It’s been garnering some praise for its early efforts, too. Some other projects, like the Dark Alliance reboot, haven’t been so warmly received.
Wizards had previously stated it has “seven or eight” games set for the near future. It’s also been opening studios like Archetype Entertainment, to develop its own video game projects. Parent company Hasbro, however, has been facing a financial downturn, with shares falling 40% last year.
