"We remain highly confident in our digital games portfolio"

Image credit: Wizards of the Coast

Hasbro, parent company of Baldur's Gate IP holders Wizards of the Coast and backer of Exodus developers Archetype Entertainment, have announced a $56 million impairment as part of their latest financial results. This recording of assets decreasing in value compared to their theoretical worth is tied to the company having cancelled "several games scheduled for release in 2028 and beyond". That leaves Hasbro's games lineup thinner going forwards, but with releases targeting 2027, like Exodus and Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons, still on the way.

According to Kotaku, while Hasbro didn't specify exactly which cancellations make up the impairment, one is likely to be the Dungeons and Dragons action-adventure game from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order director Stig Asmussen-helmed Giant Skull. Hasbro confirmed they'd nixed a deal for them to publish that game back in May. Beyond that, GI Joe game makers Atomic Arcade were shuttered by Hasbro earlier this year, though Hasbro said at the time that game hadn't been cancelled as a result. So, its fate remains murky.

"We regularly evaluate our digital games portfolio to ensure we’re investing behind the titles and platforms with the clearest path to long-term success," Hasbro said in a statement to Kotaku. "As part of that ongoing work, we’ve made the decision to no longer proceed with select Digital Games projects, reflecting our refocused portfolio for 2028 and beyond.

"We remain highly confident in our digital games portfolio. Exodus and Warlock, slated for 2027, both meet the bar we are setting for owned publishing: big audience potential, strong genre fit, franchise potential and meaningful opportunities beyond the initial game."

So, going forwards it seems Hasbro and wonderfully-named CEO Chris Cocks' plan is to lean back into relying on partnership and licensing deals which've birthed the likes of Monopoly Go! and Baldur’s Gate 3, while only backing big games under their own roof where they "see the clearest upside". Basically, focus in on established strengths in terms of game-making bets rather than having a tonne of projects on the go, and fill out the rest by partnering up with other companies on everything from mobile to gambling games. Not totally dissimilar to Xbox's recent layoff-ridden narrowing of internal focus around the biggest hitters.

The elephant in the room remains finding a studio to take on the next Baldur's Gate entry, following Larian's success with Baldur's Gate 3 and subsequent decision not to move forward with work on a sequel. Wizards of the Coast have been reported to have remakes of older Baldur's Gates in the works, but a fresh entry's where the most potential upside would be and something even a more risk-averse publisher would be foolish not to pursue. Not that it seems they haven't tried to do so at least once since Larian left.