Wizards of the Coast 'Not to Blame' for Larian Leaving Baldur’s Gate 3 and D&D Behind, Swen Vincke Insists

ign.com:

Following Larian’s shock decision to move on from Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dungeons & Dragons, some fans have pointed the finger at Wizards of the Coast — but, according to Swen Vincke, the Hasbro-owned company is not to blame.

Last week, Larian confirmed it had no plans to release DLC or expansions for smash hit Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game Baldur’s Gate 3, and indeed it had no plans to make another video game set in the D&D universe, ruling out a Baldur’s Gate 4 from the studio. Instead, it’s making a brand new game.

Following the news, some fans expressed concern that Wizards of the Coast, which owns and operates Dungeons & Dragons, had caused Larian to walk away from the fantasy universe. Wizards of the Coast is owned by toy maker Hasbro, which issued a statement to IGN addressing Larian’s decision:

"Larian has been an incredible partner, and together we are proud of the success of Baldur’s Gate 3. Watch this space for more on some awesome D&D games we are bringing to life through Hasbro’s studios and our network of licensing partners. We have an unbeatable library of toy and game brands and many fantastic partners around the world.”

Hasbro failed to respond to IGN's question about the future of Baldur's Gate now Larian is moving on, nor did it say whether Wizards of the Coast plans to hand the licence to a new developer. Baldur's Gate 3 has made some $90 million for Hasbro, an impressive sum even as the company has struggled overall, experiencing a revenue decline of 15% and operating at a loss of $1.5 billion in 2023.

In December, Hasbro announced a huge wave of layoffs that affected over 1,000 staff just before the holidays. Following the news, Vincke offered his condolences to the massive group of Wizards of the Coast workers affected by the cuts, drawing specific attention to the fact that nearly everyone at the company who was part of early discussions about Baldur’s Gate 3 had left.

“I also want to thank [Wizards of the Coast] and specifically the Dungeons &