It appears we already have some cancelations for 2023, several in fact. According to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, Wizards of the Coast has reportedly canceled at least five different video game projects. In addition, they’ve also let go of approximately 15 developers, all of which were part of an internal shift in strategy. Wizard of the Coast also provided a statement to Bloomberg in which they say that they’re still committed to video game development. The company states that they “made some changes to our long-term portfolio to focus on games which are strategically aligned with developing our existing brands and those which show promise in expanding or engaging our audience in new ways.

Bloomberg:

Wizards of the Coast cancelled at least 5 Games and eliminated around 15 positions so far.https://t.co/8OfXIjES92 pic.twitter.com/Qr5W8Fl0N5

— Knoebel (@Knoebelbroet) January 3, 2023

Wizards of the Coast, which is primarily known as a publisher of board games and other accessories, had been opening several new development studios in recent years. They also acquired some studios and publishers such as Tuque Games, Otherside Entertainment, and Hidden Path Entertainment. Bloomberg states that the two latter are being impacted by these cancelations as both were working on projects that had job listings as late as September 2022. Thankfully, Bloomberg also mentions that the affected developers will be given opportunities to apply for other jobs within the umbrella.

Wizard of the Coast’s emboldened move into fairly unventured territory was also backed by their parent company, the multi-conglomerate toy company Hasbro. This was also part of Hasbro’s plan to create various IPs through most of their own properties. This includes video games, movies, tv shows, and yes, more toys. It’s more than likely that Hasbro will continue this new model in the coming years, which means that Wizard of the Coast will get another shot at bringing some original IPs into existence.