Hasbro is making moves to further connect with growing legions of Dungeons & Dragons fans through the acquisition of Fandom’s D&D Beyond.
D&D Beyond launched in 2017 is considered to be the leading digital toolset and game companion for Hasbro’s long-running fantasy franchise. Fandom has owned and operated the platform, which boasts nearly 10 million users, since 2019. Under a $146.3 million cash deal, Hasbro will take control of D&D Beyond while adding its staff to the Wizards of the Coast team. Under a prior agreement, a royalty was paid to Hasbro by D&D Beyond.
“The acquisition of D&D Beyond will accelerate our progress in both gaming and direct to consumer, two priority areas of growth for Hasbro, providing immediate access to a loyal, growing player base,” says Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks. “Hasbro’s gaming portfolio is among the largest and most profitable in the industry, and we continue to make strategic investments to grow our brands, including in digital.”
Hasbro believes that its Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering will continue fueling growth in digital gaming as they’ve done in recent years with expansion beyond the physical realm and into PC and mobile.
“D&D Beyond has been one of our most valuable partners in the digital space for the past six years and we’re excited to bring their best-in-class talent onto our team,” says Hasbro’s Cynthia Williams, president of Wizards of the Coast and digital gaming. “The team at D&D Beyond has built an incredible digital platform, and together we will deliver the best-possible Dungeons & Dragons experience for players around the world.”
The acquisition is expected to close in the second or third quarter of this year.
“Dungeons & Dragons and D&D Beyond have always felt like a part of the same family,” Fandom wrote in a statement published on the D&D Beyond website this morning. “D&D Beyond is formally joining Wizards of the Coast, bringing together two teams that eat, breathe, and sweat for this game and continue to strive to make D&D easy to run, exciting, and accessible to all,”
