WotC WotC Makes Over $1B In 2021!

According to ICv2, D&D publisher WotC made over $1 billion in total sales in 2021, including $952M in tabletop games.

WotC is the first (and only) billion dollar publisher in tabletop RPGs, although much of this revenue will also be due to Magic the Gathering. It is responsible for a staggering 72% of Hasbro's total operating profit.

Interim CEO Rich Stoddart indicated that tabletop games grew 44% and accounted for 74% of the $1.3B sales for WotC in 2021. The division at Hasbro is 'Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming', so the remained came from the Digital Gaming side of things.

WotC Sold Over $950 Million in Tabletop Games in 2021

As Company Revenues Passed $1 Billion for the First Time

icv2.com

WotC - WotC Has A New President

With outgoing president Chris Cocks being promoted to the top job at Hasbro, WotC has a chief -- Microsoft's Cynthia Williams! Williams is joined by Tim Fields as Senior Vice President. Over at Microsoft, Williams was General Manager and Vice President, Gaming Ecosystem Commercial Team and was...

www.enworld.org

 

[HammerMan]

Also, I shouldn't single out the creatives just because they're the most sexy. They should ALL be making more money.

yup a rising tide should raise all boats... my (mostly tongue in cheek) example of 100 creatives making a million dollars each and 25 support personal making half a mil and 25 lower support making quarter of a mil was a great example... people need stages of pay, but when a company makes it to measuring revenue (and yes I know revenue isn't profit) with the big B everyone needs a HUGE raise...

 

[R_J_K75]

Good; now WotC can build a time machine so 2024 gets here sooner!

 

[Ulfgeir]

Good; now WotC can build a time machine so 2024 gets here sooner!

For the next Summer Olympics? or do you wait for the 50th anniversary?

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

So it's a mix. D&D is actually a gentle giant these days when it comes to traditionally marketed RPGs, and as a publisher Wizards doesn't see other publishers as competition for the most part (outside of their idiocy during the 4e GSL days) but as a game D&D eclipses everything else around it, and that can be frustrating for folks who are interested in something different.

I have a slightly different take on this, and compare it to the rise of D&D and TSR in the 70s and 80s.

Yes, the position is absolutely dominant. But that can be good for the overall industry. Right now, a lot of young people are being exposed to TTRPGs in general through D&D. Eventually, some percentage of them will try other games. The overall growth of the hobby, driven by D&D, makes the market bigger which allows more games to flourish.

It can be frustrating that so much conversation about the hobby is both driven and about D&D, but it's driving more people in. And the more people that are playing, the larger the player base that will be willing to try other games. Not immediately, perhaps, but eventually.

 

[Trivista]

No.

Convincing other people that your pieces of artificially scarce cardboard has a good ROI.

Merely owning said cardboard, however, is only slightly more fiscally prudent than purchasing NFTs.

Wait I shouldn't be buying NFTs?

So what do I do with the shed full of non-functional typewriters I purchased? (Thanks Welcome to Night Vale)

 

[Jer]

It can be frustrating that so much conversation about the hobby is both driven and about D&D, but it's driving more people in. And the more people that are playing, the larger the player base that will be willing to try other games. Not immediately, perhaps, but eventually.

I agree with this, but I can empathize with the position of folks who are frustrated by their local circle of gamers being unwilling to try anything different because they've got D&D so why do they need anything else? I think in the aggregate the motion is for new gamers to try different games over time, but at the local level it can be hard to see that motion in action.

(Also I think 5e's design actually discourages that movement more than previous editions of D&D did because it has adopted enough modern game design ideas that there are fewer places for people to go "something is missing here" and its simple enough that it also doesn't trigger the "there must be an easier way to do this" motive for folks to go looking. Somehow they hit that balance with 5e and even though I'm not happy with everything about the system I can appreciate that for what it is).

 

[sevenbastard]

Everyone is talking about making more money like it is so crucial when we have moved on from that. How important someone is isn't tied to thier income anymore like it was in the 70s and 80s.

Change your mindset people and your priorities.

Face the fact. XP based on Gold stopped after 1st edition.

 

[darjr]

D&D 5e also has an easy front for players. Lower levels being so much simpler than higher.

Much more deadly too, but I suspect that leads to more RP by DMs introducing D&D, so as not to spoil newcomers first time. And that also helps get people on boarded.

Note: the dm going easy on new players is something I’d see a lot in organized play and public play. Of course there were notable exceptions.

 

[Morrus]

I have a slightly different take on this, and compare it to the rise of D&D and TSR in the 70s and 80s.

Yes, the position is absolutely dominant. But that can be good for the overall industry. Right now, a lot of young people are being exposed to TTRPGs in general through D&D. Eventually, some percentage of them will try other games. The overall growth of the hobby, driven by D&D, makes the market bigger which allows more games to flourish.

It can be frustrating that so much conversation about the hobby is both driven and about D&D, but it's driving more people in. And the more people that are playing, the larger the player base that will be willing to try other games. Not immediately, perhaps, but eventually.

As Jonathan Tweet used to say, "[WotC] is recruiting my future customers".

 

[Divine2021]

Just a friendly reminder: billion dollar companies are not your friends, do not care about you, and will exploit you for profit at any opportunity that arises.