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Wizards of the Coast president John Hight is stepping down
John Hight, president of Wizards of the Coast and former executive producer of World of Warcraft, is stepping down from his role. He will transition to an advisory position with Hasbro, the parent company, until September 1, continuing to receive his salary and a bonus for fiscal year 2026. Hight has overseen the Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons franchises, as well as the digital gaming division, during a period that saw several game cancellations and layoffs.
Baldur's Gate series overlords Hasbro take $56 million hit after cancelling several games due out in "2028 and beyond", with Exodus and Warlock unaffected
Hasbro has announced a $56 million impairment due to the cancellation of several games planned for release in 2028 and beyond. While specific titles were not named, the company stated its confidence in its digital games portfolio, with releases like Exodus and Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons still on track for 2027. Hasbro is refocusing its strategy on fewer, high-potential projects and partnerships.
Baldur's Gate and D&D owner Hasbro is down $56 million as its strategy of canceling almost everything…
Hasbro is reporting a $56 million loss on its digital games portfolio, leading to the cancellation of several unspecified titles planned through 2028. While Baldur's Gate 3 was a success, the company's broader strategy of investing in and then canceling projects has resulted in significant financial setbacks. CEO Chris Cocks stated the company is refocusing investments on franchises with the clearest upside.
Hasbro cancels Dungeons & Dragons game led by Respawn veterans
Hasbro subsidiary Wizards of the Coast has canceled an action-adventure game set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, which was being developed by Giant Skull, a studio founded by Respawn veteran Stig Asmussen. The collaboration ended less than a year after its announcement, with Wizards of the Coast stating they decided not to pursue the early concept but value their ongoing relationship with Asmussen and his team. This cancellation follows the earlier closure of another Hasbro studio, Atomic Arcade.
Godot veteran laments 'AI slop,' Highguard's mystery investor, and a big doc for Big Hops - Patch Notes #41
This week's gaming news highlights concerns over generative AI's impact on hardware availability and the influx of low-quality submissions to open-source projects like Godot. Unity claims its AI can now generate full casual games from prompts, while a documentary explores the six-year development of the indie platformer Big Hops. Other news includes Hasbro shutting down its Atomic Arcade studio, Tencent's secret funding of Highguard, a banned Call of Duty ad, ByteDance potentially selling Moonton, and Valve warning of Steam Deck OLED stock issues due to RAM shortages.
Update: Hasbro shutters internal video game studio Atomic Arcade
Hasbro has confirmed the closure of its internal video game studio, Atomic Arcade, which was established in 2021. While the studio has been shuttered, Hasbro stated that the development of its G.I. Joe character Snake Eyes project will continue. Several employees have posted on LinkedIn about the layoffs resulting from the closure.
