Wizards of the Coast cancels Dungeons and Dragons game from former God of War director’s studio

Wizards of the Coast has canceled a planned single player Dungeons and Dragons action adventure game from Giant Skull, the studio founded by Stig Asmussen, who previously directed God of War III and worked on Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. The project had been announced less than a year ago, but it has now been dropped after an internal review.

The cancellation does not appear to mean the end of Giant Skull. According to the report, Asmussen said things are good at the studio and that he is already speaking with other companies about possible publishing deals. What remains unclear is whether the canceled Dungeons and Dragons project could survive in another form without the D&D brand, or whether the studio will move on to something completely new.

Hasbro still wants major premium games, but its Dungeons and Dragons pipeline has taken another hit

Wizards of the Coast told Bloomberg that it reviews game concepts at different stages of development and decided not to continue with Giant Skull’s early concept. The company also said it respects Asmussen and his team and values the ongoing relationship. That wording suggests the cancellation was tied to the project itself rather than a public break with the studio.

The canceled game was expected to be a single player action adventure title based on Dungeons and Dragons. That made it notable because D&D has received fresh attention in gaming after the success of Baldur’s Gate 3. However, Larian Studios is not making a sequel or DLC for Baldur’s Gate 3, which leaves Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast looking for other ways to keep D&D strong in the video game market.

This is also not the only recent Dungeons and Dragons game cancellation. Starbreeze canceled its co op D&D project, codenamed Project Baxter, in October so it could focus again on the PAYDAY franchise. With Giant Skull’s project also canceled, the only officially known D&D game still in development is Warlock, a single player action adventure game from Invoke. Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks has also hinted that at least one unannounced D&D game may be in the works.

The news also connects with Hasbro’s wider video game plans. The company is investing heavily in premium games based on core brands such as Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. The focus is not mainly on live service games, but on traditional triple A projects that can help prove Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast can build strong games beyond licensing their brands to outside studios.

For now, the cancellation is a setback for that plan. Giant Skull had strong talent behind it, and a single player D&D action adventure game could have filled an important gap in the brand’s gaming lineup. Hasbro still has Warlock and other possible projects ahead, but after two canceled D&D games, the company will need a clearer win to show that its post Baldur’s Gate 3 gaming strategy is moving in the right direction.