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.

 

[Parmandur]

Ultimately, the comparison between 5e24 and other editions doesn’t matter. What matters to people is the success of 5e24 compared to the hypothetical paths WotC could have taken instead.

And I mean, they probably maximized their success with the path they took: all the advantages of a full refresh (new art, changes to things that aged poorly since 2014) with all the advantages of maintaining compatible rules.

 

[Scribe]

Yeah, I think D&D is one of their top brands, but they don't give numbers for Transformers, GI Joe, Pepa Pig either.
Monopoly is the only other regular mention.

Yeah, Brand.

If it was making money hand over fist, you know, like MtG money, we would know.

 

[Zardnaar]

Ultimately, the comparison between 5e24 and other editions doesn’t matter. What matters to people is the success of 5e24 compared to the hypothetical paths WotC could have taken instead.

Maybe.

That hypothetical path somehow mysteriously matches someone's preferences.

I don't have my own hypothetical variant. It would be revised 5E though. Probably wouldn't have weapon masteries beyond that no idea.

 

[Stalker0]

Exactly. It would have been remarkable if the first year or so of 5.5 sales hadn't been stronger than the first year or so of 5.0 sales, given the immense growth the game has had in the intervening decade. The interesting thing would be to see how sales look over a longer period, say 5-10 years.

Yeah but considering that this is a half edition (frankly a quarter edition), that is still a great note for them. Half editions don;t normally sell as well as the OG product.

 

[Imaro]

Its doomers vs glazers basically.

No its not... its the actual company saying these books are selling well in multiple instances and people with no evidence or info claiming its all some type of cover up or lie.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I wouldn't be surprised if the first month or three 2024 PHB outsold the first month or three of the 2014 PHB because the fanbase has grown so much. But we'll never know, nor will we know how many people are simply going online and not purchasing books at all.

Conversely, these books also benefit from people buying them twice -- once in hardcover, once on D&D Beyond. And in some cases, through various VTT platforms.

That's not something most past editions could rely on: You bought your AD&D PHB once and used it until it completely fell apart (we held the spine of ours together with packing tape).

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah but considering that this is a half edition (frankly a quarter edition), that is still a great note for them. Half editions don;t normally sell as well as the OG product.

Half editions aren't even a thing, that was just a marketing way for WotC to avoid calling the edition released in 2003 "4th Edition".

And 3.5 outsold 3E, stand rate.

 

[AlViking]

Ultimately, the comparison between 5e24 and other editions doesn’t matter. What matters to people is the success of 5e24 compared to the hypothetical paths WotC could have taken instead.

The problem with hypotheticals is that if you ask 3 different posters on this forum what their hypothetical release would have looked like you'll get 6 different answers. It could always have been better, it could always have sold more. Whether or not being significantly better is a realistic possibility is another question altogether.

 

[ECMO3]

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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:

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.

Is that quote a year old? Maps! has been around a long time.

 

[AlViking]

No its not... its the actual company saying these books are selling well in multiple instances and people with no evidence or info claiming its all some type of cover up or lie.

Or quoting bookscan data out of context when that data is only part of overall sales.