2024 D&D Core Rulebooks Off to "Strongest-Ever" Start for D&D Books

Dungeons & Dragons got a rare shoutout during Hasbro's 3rd quarter earnings report, with Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks stating that the 2024 Core Rulebooks were off to a record start. Today, Hasbro released its third quarter 2025 earnings report, with Wizards of the Coast propping up the overall revenue for the company. Wizards of the Coast is up 33% YTD, with Magic: The Gathering having a 40% jump compared to last year. However, Cocks also called out Dungeons & Dragons in his comments, speaking to both the Core Rulebooks and D&D Beyond's Maps VTT.

Cocks' full comments (which are admittedly very brief) can be found below:

The refreshed 2024 editions of D&D’s Monster Manual, Players Handbook, and DM Guide are off to the strongest-ever start for D&D books. D&DBEYOND’S new, accessible virtual tabletop has driven weekly traffic up nearly 50% since its September launch.

Hasbro is having a good year, with total revenue up 7% compared to last year. Wizards is expected to be up 36-38% for 2025, largely due to the performance of Magic: The Gathering.

 

[Azzy]

Hasbro isn't supplying numbers and the best they say is that 5e24 is best start over other editions heavily implies sales have been nothing to brag about.

Not objectively. No.

 

[Zardnaar]

Audience for D&D has increased by multiples since 5e14 published and that Hasbro isn't supplying numbers and the best they say is that 5e24 is best start over other editions heavily implies sales have been nothing to brag about. I mean, of course 5e24 is off to a better start than 5e14. I should hope - your audience is 3x or better than what it was.

Its about ten times bigger going by WotCs own numbers. Well peak 5E was.
They said 5.5 outsold 5.0 3-1 near release iirc.

 

[bedir than]

Its about ten times bigger going by WotCs own numbers. Well peak 5E was.
They said 5.5 outsold 5.0 3-1 near release iirc.

And they just said, a year into it, that it's selling better than 5e was

 

[Parmandur]

And they just said, a year into it, that it's selling better than 5e was

But by "selling better", maybe they really mean "selling worse" in Pig Latin.

 

[Zardnaar]

And they just said, a year into it, that it's selling better than 5e was

5E 2014 sales weren't that great.

Its to be expected though. Its year 2 and 3 sales trajectory that will matter more. Does 5.5 repeat 5.0 or follow the more traditional pattern?

 

[aco175]

I would be interested in what @FitzTheRuke thinks about sales in the game store. Everyone wants to spin and parse the carefully chosen words at the shareholders meeting, but someone who sells the books would have more impact on me to the health of the game.

 

[bedir than]

5E 2014 sales weren't that great.

As a reminder, in this thread, it was pointed out that 5e sold more than 3e or 3.5 or 4 just two years into its existence. It was also clearly shown that 5e 2024 sold more than that in just a few months.
It continues to sell. The delay of the Monster Manual didn't slow it down.

So when you say that it will take a couple years;
1 - it's already been over a year
2 - it already beat those couple of years and in some cases a decade for other products

These are knowns. It's not corporate speak. It's not a fabrication.

The only way to insist the most popular edition in the history of roleplaying games didn't sell well is to change the meaning of words.

 

[Parmandur]

2024 sold more than that in just a few months.

More astonishingly...a single month.

 

[Elvish Lore]

Over a year since PHB 24 went on sale and they're still talking about initial sales. WotC would definitely remark on strong sales across the year, across the financial quarters in a substantive way if the sale had continued to be strong. They'd remark upon numbers. They'd be specific.

This isn't a WotC hater dumping on the game. I worked for years in Warner Bros financials - yes, different business -- but the same principles apply to all corporate investor calls. Obfuscate the disappointments, underscore the triumphs.

 

[mamba]

And they just said, a year into it, that it's selling better than 5e was

anything else would have been a surprise, given the growth 5e experienced over the 10 years