Wizards of the Coast Says That China Tariffs Will Have Minimal Impact on D&D

Official Dungeons & Dragons products should largely be unaffected by the ongoing US/China trade war. During today's Hasbro earnings call, Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks said that the only Wizards of the Coast products manufactured and shipped from China are the D&D boxed sets. While this means that the upcoming Heroes of the Borderland Starter Set could have a higher price than usual (Wizards has made no price announcement as of yet), it does confirm that Dungeons & Dragons will largely be unimpacted by the ongoing trade war between the US and China.

Due to the large print runs, Wizards usually taps domestic or continental printers for its various D&D products. English language D&D books (at least the ones on my shelf) all have "Printed in the USA" in the credits page.

The wider board game publishing industry has been hit hard by the ongoing US/China tariff war, with products manufactured in China receiving a 145% tariff upon entry into the United States. Several publishers with RPG products, including CMON, have announced layoffs and changes to manufacturing plans as a result of the tariffs.

 

[doctorhook]

I think it's important to clarify that at no point did Shadowdark claim to have accounted for 145% tariffs, and it harms other publishers to spread that sort of disinformation. Nobody predicted this, or could have.

Exactly this. How much could they possibly be prepared to absorb? 145% is already an insane extra cost, and we’ve got no idea how high it might go if this keeps escalating. I doubt most businesses could ever be prepared to absorb cost increases like that. So if the number gets to 200%, 300%, people should temper their expectations—it’d be cheaper to fold the business than absorb the costs.

 

[mamba]

it sounds (to me) as if you'd prefer Hasbro to suffer even more than it will in the current circumstances, at least in part due to its status as a "megacorp". Is that true? And how do you think that would be helpful?

or he could be more concerned about how the small publishers fare without wanting Hasbro to suffer more

 

[Morrus]

Exactly this. How much could they possibly be prepared to absorb? 145% is already an insane extra cost, and we’ve got no idea how high it might go if this keeps escalating.

It can’t escalate really. At least not numerically. 145% is basically an embargo—trade has stopped. There’s no practical difference between 145% and infinity.

 

[doctorhook]

It can’t escalate really. At least not numerically. 145% is basically an embargo—trade has stopped. There’s no practical difference between 145% and infinity.

Fair enough! In that case, it seems like the maximum direct effect of the tariff has already been achieved: trade is stopped. So if a publisher is trying to fulfill a Kickstarter in this environment, are we already at the point where they throw their hands up and quit? (Obviously it depends, so this question is rhetorical.)

 

[mamba]

Right now, probably, which actually means something along the lines of making sure to fulfill the rest of the world without the product going through the US and delaying the US shipment until this nonsense has ended

 

[Staffan]

Fair enough! In that case, it seems like the maximum direct effect of the tariff has already been achieved: trade is stopped. So if a publisher is trying to fulfill a Kickstarter in this environment, are we already at the point where they throw their hands up and quit? (Obviously it depends, so this question is rhetorical.)

The one company I have any insight into (via Backerkit updates) is Cephalofair, and they're holding off on shipping Gloomhaven 2nd ed to the US for now, prioritizing EU/UK/Canada orders. Once those are done, they'll re-evaluate.

If I was running a game company, I'd definitely not run any new crowdfunders involving physical goods until and unless things stabilize.

 

[Clint_L]

The one company I have any insight into (via Backerkit updates) is Cephalofair, and they're holding off on shipping Gloomhaven 2nd ed to the US for now, prioritizing EU/UK/Canada orders. Once those are done, they'll re-evaluate.

If I was running a game company, I'd definitely not run any new crowdfunders involving physical goods until and unless things stabilize.

Let's just say I don't have a lot of hope for the C'Mon Games Cthulhu: Death May Die KS I backed a few months ago. I mean, C'Mon has other issues to begin with, but add the tariff situation and yikes.

 

[bedir than]

It can’t escalate really. At least not numerically. 145% is basically an embargo—trade has stopped. There’s no practical difference between 145% and infinity.

The price of a container is below 3k$. It was nearly 6k prior to the election.
Traffic at ports is basically stalled out.
Only high ticket items are moving right now.

 

[Parmandur]

So, though Hasbro is not a megacorp, I'd say Blackrock comes pretty close, and they have hands in Hasbro. Maybe not enough to control, but a sizeable amount.

Would one consider Black Rock a Megacorp?

Per the Wikipedia definition, no, not even Blackrock qualifies: it really is a term of fiction, even if the lampooning in Cyberpunk is based on real perceived trends: but "Megacorps" as such do not actually exist, not in Givsonoan terms.

 

[Parmandur]

Right now, probably, which actually means something along the lines of making sure to fulfill the rest of the world without the product going through the US and delaying the US shipment until this nonsense has ended

Which is, really exactly what Brotherwise Games seems to be doing with the Cosmere stuff.