Here comes another week of tabletop RPG news! Although this week is dominated by Dungeons & Dragons. A big piece of reporting, subject to much scrutiny, alleges that Hasbro might sell the D&D rights. Meanwhile, Foundry is getting official D&D support and the 2024 Core Rulebooks are not going for that supposed May release. Finally, Uncle Iroh takes the stage in a new Avatar RPG book.
Hasbro Allegedly Considering Sale Of D&D Rights To Tencent
The TTRPG world was rocked yesterday by a report that claims Hasbro is in talks to sell D&D rights to Tencent. The gigantic Chinese corporation has its fingers in many pots when it comes to tech, with gaming being a huge part of the business. Tencent publishes several mobile games based on popular franchises and owns a 30% stake in Larian Studios, creators of the hugely successful Baldur’s Gate 3.
The original report comes from Snow Leopard Finance via Speed Daily. Prominent TTRPG outlets like Dicebreaker have since written about it as well. Confusion is stemming from the wording of the original report as its headline and beginning portions saying that Hasbro is looking to sell D&D as a whole. Later on, however, a Tencent insider is cited as saying the company is looking to acquire “a series of rights including DND's video game adaptation rights.” Considering Tencent’s stake in Larian, that would make more sense.
As of now, reporters with access to these companies haven’t gotten quotes from any of their sources. Whatever Tencent’s interest in D&D is, it doesn’t seem like it will bear fruit anytime soon.
UPDATE 2/1/2024: Wizards of the Coast sent out the following comment in response to this story:
"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."
Foundry VTT Gets Official D&D Support
Popular virtual tabletop Foundry is getting official support from Wizards of the Coast. The announcement came in video form and broke down exactly what suh support means. Essentially, the 5e ruleset will now be officially implemented on the platform. But perhaps the most impactful change is that D&D 5e modules will officially release on Foundry. This should include maps, monsters, and encounter information in a manner that’s more easily used on the VTT. This effort starts with now-available Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk.
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D&D 2024 Core Rulebooks Not Happening in May
Despite a supposed release date leak, D&D lead Jeremy Crawford said that the 2024 Player’s Handbook is not coming in May. In fact, he just discussed the results of a recent survey centered around playtests for classes and spells. Changes to the druid and barbarian scored well with survey-takers, and the monk got a very high degree of player satisfaction. Also notable were that spell changes achieved good satisfaction ratings, despite some loud protest on the internet about how conjuration spells no longer summon a small army of creatures. Overall, a high level of polish was emphasized for when the core books do release “later this year.”
Avatar RPG To Focus On Older Heroes With Uncle Iroh's Guide
Magpie Games announced a new expansion for its Avatar Legends RPG. Uncle Iroh’s Adventure Guide introduces the idea of generational play to the game. Systems will guide GMs on using player character actions to inform the world into the future, then pick those seeds up in a game starring characters of a later age. There will also be setting information for Jasmine Island, the source of Iroh’s favorite tea. Alongside this will be four new playbooks that lend them themselves to characters of a more senior age.
Hope you enjoyed all this intriguing news! See you next week, and may your dice be kind!
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