Hidden Path Says Its D&D Game Isn’t Dead, Insider Calls Bluff

Game development is no easy thing, it’s grueling, tough, and sometimes very cruel. Video games sometimes enter development but never release no matter how much potential they have, such as Hideo Kojima’s canceled “Silent Hills.”

No matter how big the brand is, the axe can fall on anyone, and that is precisely what is happening with Hidden Path’s Dungeons & Dragons game.

Recently, the franchise has been putting more focus on video games and expanding through digital media. But, Jason Schreier reported that owner Wizards of the Coast are scaling back on this and canceling Hidden Path’s upcoming D&D game.

In response, Hidden Path said the game is still in development, Schreier however, doesn’t see it this way and is adamant about the cancellation.

Major Takeaways

• After Hidden Path said its Dungeons & Dragons game is still alive, Jason Schreier has responded that it isn’t.
• The insider says his sources from the board game’s owner have confirmed this cancelation. 
• At this point, there is no clear truth in front of us after Schreier’s Bloomberg report.

Almost everyone knows about the viral board game by either playing it or through Stranger Things. Back in December 2019, Wizards of the Coast revealed they were going to make several new D&D games. One of these was an AAA open-world Dungeons & Dragons RPG from Hidden Path, the studio in question. 

Bloomberg and Jason Schreier troubled this paradise by reporting the company was shelving 5 games. Included in this was the Hidden Path Dungeons & Dragons title, and the one from Otherside. This was sad news for fans of the series, but the story took another turn.

First scoop of 2023 is a sad one: Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast has canceled at least five video games and eliminated just under 15 positions (so far) as it curtails its gaming ambitions https://t.co/oZpgzLis1X

— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) January 3, 2023

Hidden Path took to its Twitter account to squash all rumors of this cancellation. The studio said that it wanted to set the record straight and that its epic Dungeons & Dragons game with Wizards is still in the works at the studio. So, according to the studio itself, the game is NOT canceled. 

To back this up, Hidden Path posted some job offers and said it is hiring for the project. Now, Jason Schreier and Bloomberg are arguably the most reliable sources in the gaming world. Most of the time what they say does come out to be true. 

Hey everyone, just wanted to set the record straight:
Our epic D&D project with Wizards is still happening! In fact, we're currently hiring and looking for talented people to join our team. Check out our jobs page at https://t.co/mXo7I9BPY1

— Hidden Path Ent (@HiddenPathEnt) January 5, 2023

Hence, a contradiction like this created a lot of confusion among fans of Dungeons & Dragons. Afterward, Schreier only added to this by quoting and retweeting the Hidden Path Tweet. The insider said that even though the cancelation is unfortunate, his reporting isn’t incorrect. 

Basically, Jason Schreier opposed the developing studio, which insists the game is in development, but he says it isn’t. As a result, this has become a case of “he said, she said“, or simply who you trust more. Now, if this was any other reporter, you would believe Hidden Path, but it is Jason Schreier after all. 

This is a very unusual and very unfortunate situation, but we stand by our reporting. Both a source and a Wizards of the Coast spokesperson told Bloomberg on Tuesday that Hidden Path's D&D game is cancelled. https://t.co/5RgFsXUrxU

— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) January 6, 2023

He backed his report for Bloomberg up by saying that a Wizards of the Coast spokesperson is his source. So, the cancelation news doesn’t come from a third-party, but from the owner of Dungeons & Dragons. Another one of Jason’s sources corroborated this info, so he has proof to back his stance up. 

Recent actions of Wizards of the Coast also back up Schreier’s reporting. Executive Producer of Wizards of the Coast, Jeremy Gaffney, developed a new IP for the game company. But, as WCFC Tech reported, Gaffney confirmed on his LinkedIn this didn’t see the light of day and is now canceled.

So, even though Wizards of the Coast did want to delve deeper into the gaming industry, it might not be the case now. Jason Schreier’s report said exactly this about the company’s new long-term strategy. Hence, it’s entirely plausible Hidden Path’s Dungeons & Dragons game is no more.

We made some changes to our long-term portfolio to focus on games which are strategically aligned with developing our existing brands and those which show promise in expanding or engaging our audience in new ways.”

It does come into our mind as to why Hidden Path is denying this very likely cancelation. However, it might just be that the developers have not heard about their Dungeons & Dragons game being killed. As we said at the start, the gaming world is cruel, and this might be one of its unluckiest situations.

Another facet that lends credence to Schreier’s report is Otherside Entertainment’s silence. The studio also had its Dungeons & Dragons game canceled, but it hasn’t defended these reports at all. Hopefully, all of this has an amicable end, and we see D&D titles on our screens soon.