Hasbro’s $1 Billion Plan to Build the Next Generation of RPG Franchises

Hasbro—best known for toys and tabletop brands like Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering—is investing heavily in video games. Since 2018, the company has spent nearly $1 billion building game studios, publishing capabilities, and new AAA titles as part of a plan to make digital games a major pillar of its future growth .

Unlike many modern publishers chasing recurring revenue from live‑service games, Hasbro’s leadership is deliberately targeting premium, story‑driven RPGs. The company believes there is still strong demand for large‑scale single‑player experiences—especially in science fiction and fantasy worlds.

Why Hasbro Is Avoiding Live‑Service Games

Many large publishers have leaned toward live‑service titles that generate ongoing revenue through seasons, cosmetics, and subscriptions. But Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks says the company’s major upcoming projects are not live‑service games .

Instead, Hasbro is pursuing a more traditional approach: cinematic RPGs built around narrative, companions, exploration, and player choice. One reason is the perception that big-budget sci‑fi RPGs have been relatively scarce since the era of BioWare’s Mass Effect trilogy, leaving a gap in the market for new space‑opera RPGs .

The success of story‑focused games such as Baldur’s Gate 3—based on Hasbro’s Dungeons & Dragons IP—also reinforced the idea that premium RPGs can still capture massive audiences without relying on live‑service mechanics .

The $1 Billion Build‑Out of Hasbro’s Game Studios

To support this strategy, Hasbro has been transforming itself from a brand licensor into something closer to a full game publisher.

Since 2018 the company has:

• Invested about $1 billion in video game development
• Built multiple internal studios and a dedicated publishing organization
• Expanded development around both existing franchises and entirely new IP

This structure gives Hasbro greater control over game development and allows it to build long‑term franchises instead of relying solely on outside studios.

Exodus: Hasbro’s Flagship Sci‑Fi RPG

The most visible project in the strategy is Exodus, a large-scale science‑fiction action RPG.

Key details:

• Developer: Archetype Entertainment, a Wizards of the Coast studio founded by former BioWare developers including James Ohlen, Chad Robertson, and Drew Karpyshyn .
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (a Hasbro subsidiary) .
• Genre: Single‑player sci‑fi action RPG inspired by classic space‑opera RPG design .
• Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC .
• Release window: Early 2027 .

The project is particularly notable because of its leadership team, which includes veterans of BioWare’s Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect. That pedigree reinforces Hasbro’s goal of reviving the style of narrative‑heavy sci‑fi RPGs that once dominated the genre .

Hasbro is already treating Exodus as a potential franchise rather than a one‑off game. A tabletop role‑playing game set in the same universe has been announced in partnership with Renegade Game Studios, expanding the property beyond video games .

Warlock: A New Dungeons & Dragons Game

Another major project in Hasbro’s pipeline is a Dungeons & Dragons action‑adventure game reportedly titled Warlock.

Public details remain limited, but reporting indicates:

• The game is part of Hasbro’s first wave of internally developed titles .
• It is set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe .
• It is expected to release around 2027 alongside Exodus .

Beyond those basics, the developer, gameplay systems, and platforms have not been publicly detailed in reliable reporting.

The Long‑Term Goal: New Gaming Franchises

Hasbro’s gaming push is ultimately about building durable entertainment franchises rather than producing isolated adaptations of existing brands.

The plan blends:

• Established IP such as Dungeons & Dragons
• New worlds and intellectual property, including Exodus
• Cross‑media expansion into tabletop games and other formats

If successful, this approach could turn Hasbro into a much bigger player in the AAA games industry. Instead of licensing its properties to external studios, the company aims to own the development, publishing, and long‑term growth of its gaming universes .

The next few years—especially the launch of Exodus and the new D&D projects—will likely determine whether that billion‑dollar bet pays off.