UPDATED: Hasbro Could Be Looking To Sell Dungeons & Dragons To Tencent, What Would That Mean For Neverwinter And Dungeons & Dragons Online?

Hasbro has been struggling in the toy-selling department recently, and in order to make up for this may be looking to sell an IP that actually brings in money. Business just doesn't make sense sometimes.

Reports are circulating (nicely translated by Pandaily) that Hasbro is looking to sell off the Dungeons & Dragons IP, and the potential buyer is none other than Chinese giant Tencent. What exactly is looking to be purchased by Tencent, whether it be the IP as a whole or just the video game adaptation rights, remains unclear.

It's important to remember that these are just rumors at the moment, and neither Hasbro nor Tencent have said anything publicly. Still, rumors persist that Hasbro is looking to divest Dungeons & Dragons.

What this means for existing games such as Dungeons & Dragons Online and Neverwinter isn't clear either. Both obviously have current licensing agreements that remain valid through their current contracts, but if Tencent is looking to make D&D video games, would they be will willing to renegotiate those contracts when they come up for renewal?

Interestingly, it seems the talk started when Hasbro reached out to Larian Studios, the developers behind the D&D video game Baldur's Gate 3, about purchasing the Dungeons & Dragons IP. Reports state that Larian does not have the funds to purchase such a large IP, but they put Hasbro in contact with Tencent, an investor in Larian.

We'll have to keep an eye on this one to see if these reports pan out into something tangible. Usually, where there's smoke there's fire, so it sounds like Hasbro is definitely looking to offload Dungeons & Dragons in some form to the highest bidder.

UPDATE 2/1/2024: In a statement to VGC, Hasbro denies these rumors saying, "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.”