Chris Cocks says to expect more D&D crossover products

Chris Cocks says that more crossover products are coming from the D&D team. Speaking with GamesRadar this week, the Hasbro CEO confirmed that more D&D crossover products were in the works, citing the success of Magic: The Gathering. "I don't want to take away any headlines from the D&D team," Cocks said, "but I think you can definitely expect more crossovers inside of D&D. I mean, we've had such a fantastic experience with [crossovers] with Magic: The Gathering. D&D is a fantastic play system that I think is very open ended. You already have a fairly wide spectrum with things like Spelljammer to Curse of Strahd. So you already kind of have the DNA for it handled inside the system. So, yeah [...] You should expect more of those."

Wizards has dabbled with crossover products in the past, with multiple Magic: The Gathering campaign setting books, a Critical Role adventure campaign and setting book, and boxed sets featuring Stranger Things and Rick & Morty. While Magic: The Gathering has a more robust crossover lines called Universes Beyond, most of the IPs involved already have bespoke tabletop RPG games of some kind, so looking to that line might not be a firm indicator of what's coming for D&D. We'll note that Hasbro recently entered into a licensing deal with Harry Potter and has also dabbled with the ultra-popular Fourth Wing romantasy franchise, so those could be where D&D could be looking for future crossover products. However, that's pure speculation on our end.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I wonder what a given 5E book makes, even a middling one sales wise. Like, how big would KS numbers have to start getting for WotC to care?

I think everything on the million dollar Kickstarter list should at least provoke a conversation within the halls of WotC. Given how many of the 5E books are available on D&D Beyond now, that seems to be happening.

 

[Reynard]

If Wasn't so turned off by the aesthetic of Neon Overdrive I would definitely check it out for the 5E sci-fi-ness of it all. But eww.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Masters of the Universe is a child-friendly mixture of sword&sorcery and sword&planet. We could say it is a child-friendly sword&sorcery&planet/ary romance) but here I would advice to start from zero with a new-brand IP.

I doubt seriously a crossover with a Mattel franchise because they are rivals. There was a project of "Legends of Grayskull: Masters of the Universe RPG" with Cortex system but it was cancelled because the company "Cortex Roleplaying" was acquired by "Dire Wolf".

* I have thought about the possibility Disney accepted D&D-crossovers to promote their secondary or almost-forgotten franchises but let's remember now they are publishing their own Marvel Superheroes RPG and we shouldn't be too surprised if they publish their own Star Wars RPG. Other cinematographic producer (Netflix, Paramount or Warner) could accept some deal.

"Game of Thrones" isn't enoughly magic for D&D standars but maybe WotC published "Song of Ice&Fire RPG" with a simpler version of 5.5.

* Here my theory. The crossovers sourcebooks will be mainly stats of monsters and characters, maybe some exclusive PC specie, with only a lillte number of pages about lore or worldbuilding.

 

[Stormonu]

I think Renegade would rebuild all of the old TSR stuff under their Essence system, just like they did for those Hasbro RPGs.

Personally, I'd be fine with that. Gamma Worlds rules have significantly changed numerous times, and the latest (semi-) iteration of Star Frontiers was under d20 modern.

Just having a place to let the designers do worlds outside of fantasy that's semi-broad seems like a good idea - the "all your eggs in one basket" leads down the path of Radio Shack and the like. (Heck, even crusty Games Workshop does at least Fantasy and 40K!).

 

[bedir than]

Cocks "we want to do crossovers"
Also Cocks "we're moving Exodus on paper to a licensed partner"

 

[Dire Bare]

Cocks "we want to do crossovers"
Also Cocks "we're moving Exodus on paper to a licensed partner"

It is two different things.

Exodus is a new game using the 5E engine.

A crossover would be a D&D product using IP from another franchise, like Stranger Things or Rick and Morty.

And there is no reason why they can't do both. Each project will be produced or not depending on if WotC thinks they can make some bank on it. The Exodus TTRPG was worth doing, but not by WotC . . . according to WotC manpower resources vs expected profit. Renegade's threshold is a lot lower, so it makes more sense for them to take it on.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Just having a place to let the designers do worlds outside of fantasy that's semi-broad seems like a good idea - the "all your eggs in one basket" leads down the path of Radio Shack and the like. (Heck, even crusty Games Workshop does at least Fantasy and 40K!).

I do think it's a mistake for Hasbro to view WotC's RPG division as just D&D, but I also don't think a company that seems to be largely driven by quarterly investor reports is likely to change course any time soon.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I suspect all possible crossovers will have to be with IP that enjoy currently a lot of brand power.

---

Some times I think Gamma World could come back like a "backdoor pilot episode", something like an adventure a mini-setting. Why? Because it would be the best room for potential crossovers, for example "Ninja Turtles".

I imagine the future new edition of "Star Frontiers" with a visual look of vintage soap-opera children Saturdady morning show.

* If Hasbro and Asmodee Group/Black Horse agree some deal... could we watch a D&D/Legend of the five rings crossover? PC species could be relatively compatible but it has got its own list of classes with a different design phylosophy.

* Other option of crossover is with some IP by "CMON" like Zombicide.

 

[SothFan]

View attachment 437545
I suspect all possible crossovers will have to be with IP that enjoy currently a lot of brand power.

Oddly, from what I have heard, more people learned Ted existed from D&D, that Ted viewers learned D&D existed.

It seems that Baldur Gate did not converted computer gamers into D&D customers, so even "brand power" is not helping them with their goal.

Hell, before every Ravenloft game video now, I see an ad for Everwave. That AI limited prompt, pay for more, software to play by yourself. It is humorous a thing that should be illegal is getting more money advertising on D&D videos, than the products shown in the videos.

 

[Reynard]

It seems that Baldur Gate did not converted computer gamers into D&D customers, so even "brand power" is not helping them with their goal.

Do you have a source for this, because anecdotally it absolutely has.