D&D General Dark Horse Comics Signs Deal with Wizards of the Coast

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Dark Horse Comics announced a licensing deal with Wizards of the Coast for new comic books based on Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.

From the press release:

Dark Horse Comics and Hasbro's Wizards of the Coast announce an exciting new publishing line beginning in 2025, with comics and graphic novels expanding the worlds of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and MAGIC: THE GATHERING! The officially licensed publishing program will feature original stories based on the popular fantasy roleplaying and trading card games. The first of these series will debut in summer 2025.

Dark Horse Comics first collaborated with Wizards of the Coast for MAGIC: THE GATHERING tie-in comics in the late '90s with MAGIC: THE GATHERING: Gerrard's Quest and has more recently collaborated for the Stranger Things and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS miniseries. In this new era of MAGIC: THE GATHERING and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, fans can expect comic series, graphic novels, art books and more. Stay tuned for more news and announcements to follow!

"If you'd told my 12-year-old self I'd get to work with incredible writers and artists to craft comics for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and MAGIC: THE GATHERING, alongside such thoughtful and creative stewards of these licenses, I wouldn't have believed you," said senior editor Spencer Cushing. "The opportunity to work with Wizards of the Coast is a dream come true."

"Having the opportunity to work with the Wizards of the Coast team on both DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and MAGIC: THE GATHERING is one of the most exciting opportunities I’ve had professionally,” added editor Brett Israel. "As an avid player and fan of the various stories and planes of these two iconic games, I cannot wait to work with many highly-skilled creators on growing these universes."

"DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and MAGIC: THE GATHERING are two legendary games with incredibly strong fandoms and world-building gameplay," said Marianne James, Senior Vice President, Licensed Consumer Products at Hasbro. "We are dedicated to expanding these universes through unique brand-offerings and world-class partnerships, ultimately bringing players and fans alike new, exciting ways to engage with these iconic franchise brands. From this licensed publishing program with Dark Horse Comics, we anticipate a lot of excitement to come with new artwork and creative storytelling."

"We’re so excited to be teaming up with the incredible creatives at Dark Horse to invite fans and newcomers alike into the iconic fantasy world that has defined Magic: The Gathering for the past 30 years, told through a fresh new lens," said Jackie Jones, Vice President of Creative, Magic: The Gathering. "Each series will feature epic, high-stakes stories across Magic’s visually stunning, diverse multiverse, told through the eyes of our most iconic, complex, and compelling heroes and anti-heroes - giving readers the opportunity to experience what makes Magic so unique and awesome."

"This collaboration is akin to forging a legendary magical item! Dark Horse is just so awesome at bringing fantastical worlds to life on the page," said Jess Lanzillo, vice president of franchise and product for Dungeons & Dragons. "With D&D's vast, imaginative realms and 50 years of thrilling adventure as their canvas, I'm excited to see what will unfold. This collaboration feels like the start of something truly special."

Stay tuned for more news on upcoming DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and MAGIC: THE GATHERING projects in the near future!

Dark Horse is currently owned by Embracer Group, which is currently undergoing a corporate restructuring that has it splitting into three companies. The tabletop arm of Asmodee has already split off, while Dark Horse Comics is expected to stay with Middle-Earth Enterprises & Friends along with the company’s AAA game studio holdings.

Dark Horse Comics is best known for publishing Hellboy, but has a long history of licensed gaming comics including Cyberpunk, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Tomb Raider, The Witcher, Assassin’s Creed, HALO, and many other licensed video game properties. Dark Horse has also previously brushed up against tabletop roleplaying by publishing officially licensed Critical Role comics and worked with the previous licensed publisher of D&D comics, IDW, to publish Stranger Things Dungeons & Dragons.
 

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Darryl Mott

Darryl Mott

You still seem to be misunderstanding @Parmandur
D&D has "sloppy" continuity because it doesn't want to do a metaplot. Everything in D&D is supposed to be a snapshot at the same moment in time.

It has done a metaplot for literally decades in the Forgotten Realms, it's got a sloppy continuity because of unacceptable carelessness by the D&D team, there is no excuse for it.
 

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Do you think we could see WotC publishing Conan the TTPRG thanks any partership deal between Embracer Group and Hasbro?

* And now the alternate timelines should be oficially canon in the 5e Multiverse.
 


It has done a metaplot for literally decades in the Forgotten Realms, it's got a sloppy continuity because of unacceptable carelessness by the D&D team, there is no excuse for it.
Right, and that metaaplot didn't work, just like every other TTRPG metaplot: hence why they have backed away from metaplot for D&D.
 

Right, and that metaaplot didn't work, just like every other TTRPG metaplot: hence why they have backed away from metaplot for D&D.

It worked amazingly for decades, they only had problems when they radically changed FR to appease the haters. FR should first and fore most be focused on novels and other media, the TTRPG elements secondary, some other settings like Radiant Citadel and Greyhawk are different, you can put the TTRPG stuff first with those.
 

Unless the "excuse" is "don't alienate new cystomers."

If you want tight continuityand an ongoing metaplot, the World of Darkness still exists.

There is no evidence it alienates new customers. How you get those new customers is getting the hardcore fans excited and that energy and buzz draws in the semi hardcore and together those two groups draw in the semicasuals, casuals, and the reluctant GF/BF of folks interested in it.
 

The metaplots can't work after the arrival of internet. Now you don't need buying any book to know what happened after this or that event. Other point is there are lots of fandom wikis about sagas with very good stories. These aren't a wrong option as source of inspiration. It would be better if that work wore for profesionals more focused into scriptwritting.

Other point is if a TTRPG is adapted into some media production, action-live or animation, the producers could want some changes in the metaplot. Do you remember the "daywalkers" from "Vampire: the Masquerade"?

Hasbro produced in the 90's Conan the cartoon show, and curiously for the current standards it is "vintage".


 

It worked amazingly for decades, they only had problems when they radically changed FR to appease the haters. FR should first and fore most be focused on novels and other media, the TTRPG elements secondary, some other settings like Radiant Citadel and Greyhawk are different, you can put the TTRPG stuff first with those.
But that's just it, it did not work the moment the story introduced any significant changes, it fell apart.

Hence why they moved away from RPG metaplot and have the new, more rational canon policy.
 

Do you think we could see WotC publishing Conan the TTPRG thanks any partership deal between Embracer Group and Hasbro?

* And now the alternate timelines should be oficially canon in the 5e Multiverse.
Doubtful because Wizards of the Coast has plenty of internal material they haven't exhausted yet. Hasbro isn't even having WotC do their internal licensed TTRPGs as Transformers, GI Joe, Power Rangers, and My Little Pony are all at Renegade instead of WotC.

Meanwhile, while they are technically separate companies now, Embracer Group still has a relationship with Asmodee and therefore Edge Studios. So it's likely any TTRPG rights would go there first before other companies just because of the overlap in shareholders and other interests between the two.

Also, if WotC wanted to do Conan, the character will hit public domain in 2028 (and arguably might already be public domain due to some nuances of American IP law). So they could just wait a couple of years and not need a license at all unless they want to go super-deep into the lore like Modiphius did with their Conan game.

But all that's a moot point because the license for the Conan TTRPG is currently with Monolith and they've got a game called The Hyborean Age that's going to Kickstarter in a few months.
 

Hasbro has got a lot of forgotten IPs, but I don't know or remember them, even when there is a list in TV tropes.


Of course WotC could reboot Dark Sun instead paying for Conan, but this is a too powerful brand, and a better option to sell action figures. Hero Quest is also a good option if you want a more family-friendly option.

Adventures in Rokugan wasn't designed to be totally retrocompatible with the rest of D&D settings, but this doesn't mean all the doors to appears like a collab in D&D Beyond to be totally closed.

* Other possibility is some mash-up crossovers, where characters by Dark Horses appear in New Cappena, or like a spin-off of this line. Why? To promote the IPs.
 

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